Legends of East Prussia. The birth and curse of Koenigsberg. Chronology of the history of Königsberg-Kaliningrad German bastion in the East
The Seven Years' War began in 1756 with several battles between the armies of Austria and France against Prussian troops. The Russian army under the command of Field Marshal Apraksin set out on a campaign against Prussia in the spring of 1757 from Riga in two directions: through Memel and Kovno. It entered the territory of Prussia and advanced beyond Insterburg (Chernyakhovsk). Near the village of Gross-Jägersdorf (now defunct, Chernyakhovsky district) on August 30 in a fierce battle Russian army defeated Prussian troops under the command of Field Marshal Lewald. The path to Koenigsberg was open!
However, the troops unexpectedly turned back and left Prussia through Tilsit. Only the city of Memel remained in Russian hands. The reason for the retreat of the Russian army is still a topic of debate. But it is believed that the real reasons were the lack of food and the loss of people. That summer, Russian troops faced two opponents: the Prussian army and the weather.
In the second campaign against Prussia in the fall of 1757, Chief General Willim Villimovich Fermor (1702-1771) became the head of the army. The task was the same - to occupy Prussia at the first opportunity. At three o'clock in the morning on January 22, 1758, Russian infantry set out from Caymen and by eleven o'clock occupied the outposts of Koenigsberg, which actually ended up in Russian hands. By four o'clock in the afternoon, Fermor, at the head of a detachment, entered the city. The route of his movement was as follows: from the side of present-day Polessk, Frunze Street leads to the city center (formerly Koenigstrasse, and during the period of the events described - Breitstrasse; in Russian documents of that time, this street was literally translated “Broad Street”). Along it, Fermor and his retinue, following a crowd of curious spectators, entered the castle. There he was met by representatives of the Prussian authorities, led by Lesswing, and presented with the “keys to the city” (rather, of course, a symbol marking a historical event).
By the way, in Koenigsberg, when Russian troops entered it, there were eighteen churches, of which 14 were Lutheran, 3 Calvinist and one Roman Catholic. There were no Orthodox Christians, which was a problem for the Russian inhabitants who appeared. We found a way out. Russian clergy chose the building, later known as the Steindamm Church. It was one of the oldest churches in Koenigsberg, founded back in 1256. Since 1526, it was used by Polish and Lithuanian parishioners. And on September 15, 1760, the consecration of the church took place.
It should be noted that the victors behaved peacefully in Prussia. They provided residents with freedom of faith and trade and opened up access to Russian service. Double-headed eagles replaced Prussian ones everywhere. An Orthodox monastery was built in Koenigsberg. They began to mint a coin with the image of Elizabeth and the signature: Elisabeth rex Prussiae. The Russians intended to establish themselves firmly in East Prussia.
But here in Russia there is a change of power. Empress Elizaveta Petrovna dies and ascends to the Russian throne Peter III, is known to be an ardent supporter of Frederick II. In a treaty dated May 5, 1762, Peter III unconditionally gave Frederick II all territories previously occupied by the Russians. On July 5, the Koenigsberg city newspaper was already published, crowned with the Prussian coat of arms. The transfer of power in the provinces began. On July 9, a coup takes place in Russia and Catherine II ascends to the royal throne, but still Russian rule in Prussia ended. Already on August 5, 1762, the last Russian governor of Prussia, Voeikov F.M. (1703-1778) received orders to finally begin the transfer of the province, from now on not to interfere in the internal affairs of Prussia, and to allow Prussian garrisons to occupy fortresses.
September 3, 1762 - the beginning of the withdrawal of Russian troops from Prussia. And on February 15, 1763, the Seven Years' War ended with the signing of the Peace of Hubertusburg. Frederick II died of a cold on August 17, 1786 in Potsdam, leaving no direct heir.
70 years ago, on October 17, 1945, according to the decision of the Potsdam Conference, the city of Königsberg, together with the surrounding territories, was included in the USSR. Thus, an important outpost of German aggression in the East - East Prussia - was eliminated.
Royal Mountain
Since ancient times, these lands, located near the Baltic Sea, have been an interweaving of many cultures and a place where the geopolitical interests of different states collide. The Germans appeared here in the 13th century - the Teutonic Order, with the blessing of the Pope, undertook a crusade against the pagans, the Baltic tribe of the Prussians.
The goals of the unexpected visit were not only to instill Catholic values, but also to seize new territories. The Teutonic expedition, supported by the troops of the Czech king Přemysl Otakar II, smashed the Prussians and built order castles to consolidate their success.
In 1255, defenders of the faith of Christ burned the Tuvangste fortress, founded by the Prussian prince Zamo in the middle of the 6th century, and founded another on its hilly site, calling it (according to one version) in honor of Otakar Konigsberg. That is, "Royal Mountain". The Prussians did not accept the enemy invasion and rebelled, besieging Koenigsberg.
Duchy and kingdom
The defenders of the castle held out for 2 years, until strong reinforcements arrived and defeated the Prussian army. In total, the crusaders built about 90 castles on the lands of Prussia. By the beginning of the 15th century, the state of the Teutonic Order extended throughout the Baltic states. The German expansion to the East was stopped in 1410, when the Teutons were defeated at the Battle of Grunwal by the Poles and Lithuanians.
In 1454, the Prussians turned to the Polish king Casimir IV with a request for help in the fight against Western invaders. The king willingly supported the rebels, who as a result captured a number of cities, in particular Konigsberg. As a result, the war ended with the defeat of the Teutons.
At the same time, that part of the lands of the Teutonic Order, which became known as the Duchy of Prussia, fell into vassal dependence on the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and the other - Royal Prussia - became just another Polish province.
Three cities in one
The duchy managed to free itself from Polish “guardianship” only after more than 200 years, when the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth began to crack under the blows of Swedish and Russian troops in 1657. Prussia declared its independence. Since 1701, when the Elector of Brandenburg, Frederick III, was crowned in Königsberg, the former duchy began to proudly be called a kingdom.
By that time, the forced Christianization of local residents and the active resettlement of German colonists to these lands had greatly Germanized the Prussians, who had almost lost their language and customs. On the other hand, the loss of Prussian national identity was influenced by long-term Polish and Lithuanian influence.
As for Königsberg, until the 18th century, three nearby cities actually existed under this name: Altstadt, Lebenicht and Kneiphof. Moreover, each of them had its own management system and its own burgomaster. This state of affairs remained until 1724, when all urban settlements, as well as the ancient castle, which had previously existed separately, were united by the Prussian king Frederick William I into a single Koenigsberg.
Subjects of the Russian crown
This year went down in the history of the city as the time of the birth of the most famous Konigsberger - the philosopher Immanuel Kant, who lived there for 79 years and was buried in 1804 near the Konigsberg Cathedral in the professor's crypt.
During the Seven Years' War, Prussia became a battlefield in which main role played by the Russian army. In 1757, troops under the command of Stepan Apraksin crossed the border and during the Battle of Gross-Jägersfeld defeated the soldiers of Field Marshal Johann von Lewald.
But another Russian military leader, Willim Fermor, especially distinguished himself, who took Memel (now Klaipeda) by storm, and also cleared German troops all of Prussia.
At the beginning of 1858, Russian troops entered Koenigsberg, which was given to them without a fight. The city authorities immediately announced the readiness of the residents of Koenigsberg to become subjects of the Russian Empress Elizabeth I.
Oath to the Russian crown and the rage of Frederick II
The townspeople, including Kant, willingly swore allegiance to the Russian crown. In response, they, as well as the inhabitants of all of East Prussia, were freed from heavy taxes in favor of the German Hohenzollern dynasty and military service. This act caused such rage in the King of Prussia, Frederick II, who was beaten by Russian troops, that he vowed never to visit Königsberg again.
One of the governors of Prussia was General Vasily Suvorov, the father of the famous commander. In this post, he reduced expenses for various court entertainments and thoroughly replenished the state treasury.
For the entire duration of the war, Koenigsberg became the main supply base for Russian troops operating in Brandenburg and Pomerania. Local residents and troops behaved loyally towards each other, while the townspeople noted that under the Russians, general discipline had improved significantly.
Elizabeth had no plans to occupy Prussia for a long time. There was an option to give it to Poland in exchange for Courland (the territory of modern Latvia). However, after the sudden death of the empress at the end of 1761, Peter III, an active admirer of Frederick II and the local order, ascended the throne, who ordered his troops to return home. Those who swore allegiance to Russia, he released from the oath.
As a result, in 1762 Königsberg again became a Prussian city.
Between France and Russia
In the 70s of the 18th century, after the divisions of Poland between Prussia, Austria and Russia, the Germans acquired new provinces - West Prussia, South Prussia and New East Prussia. However, the Napoleonic wars soon broke out, and French soldiers came to these lands. As the German poet Heinrich Heine figuratively put it, “Napoleon blew on Prussia and it was gone,” commenting on the fleeting campaign of 1806.
Gathering an army for a campaign in Russia in 1812, Napoleon forced the timid and indecisive King of Prussia, Frederick William III, to include his troops in the French "Armada".
After defeat Great Army In the Russian campaign, Frederick William III rushed between the French and the Russians, and eventually concluded an agreement with Alexander I on a joint fight against Napoleon. Russian troops liberated Prussia from the famous Corsican.
After the war Polish state, restored for a short period by Napoleon, was again divided by the victors. In particular, the Grand Duchy of Poznań was given to Prussia.
German bastion in the East
In 1878, a few years after the unification of Germany, West and East Prussia were divided into independent provinces. Due to the cooling in relations between Germany and Russia, East Prussia began to be seen as a German bastion in the East in a future war.
They started preparing for it in advance. Villages and farms were built according to plans previously approved by the military command.
All stone houses and buildings had to have loopholes, allowing for frontal and cross fire - both from small arms and artillery.
During the First World War, East Prussia was almost the only German province where fighting. In 1914, the Russian armies of generals Samsonov and Rehnenkampf occupied a significant part of the territory for a short time, but during the East Prussian operation they were forced back with losses to themselves. During fierce fighting, 39 cities and almost 2 thousand villages were destroyed.
Cut off from the rest of Germany
However, where there was no resistance, life flowed according to ordinary laws. One Russian officer wrote: “Shops, cafes, restaurants are open. Except for the evacuees government agencies, all residents remained in place. Our soldiers behaved well. There have not been any complaints from the public."
After the defeat of Germany, according to the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, East Prussia was cut off from the rest of the country by the so-called Polish Corridor. The winners handed over to the Poles part of the German territories in the lower reaches of the Vistula and a 71-kilometer stretch of the Baltic Sea. This circumstance served as one of the reasons for the start of World War II for Hitler.
With the Nazis coming to power, Germany began to prepare for revenge. East Prussia, with its extremely fanatical Gauleiter Erich Koch, did not remain aloof from this process. In preparation for "Drang nach Osten", the Germans began the construction of long-term engineering structures of a modern type, which continued until 1944.
He who sows the wind reaps the storm
It was here that the “Wolf’s Lair” was located - the Fuhrer’s main bet on Eastern Front, which included a complex of more than eighty bunkers located in the middle of a dense forest over an area of \u200b\u200b250 hectares. Koenigsberg was the most fortified fortified city of the Third Reich. Its defense system included three defensive lines and more than a dozen powerful forts with numerous garrisons. Nevertheless, this node of resistance was captured by Soviet troops in 4 days.
During the East Prussian operation of the Red Army in the spring of 1945, the German group was first cut off from the main forces of the Third Reich, and then ceased to exist under the blows of the 3rd and 2nd Belarusian fronts. Having been defeated, Germany, which had occupied a number of foreign territories for a long time, lost part of its own.
The Potsdam Conference in the summer of 1945 came to the decision to finally liquidate East Prussia as a German possession, transferring two-thirds of the lands to Poland and one-third (together with Königsberg) to the Soviet Union.
In 1946, after the death of the Chairman of the Presidium Supreme Council USSR Mikhail Kalinin, main city the former East Prussia with adjacent territories began to bear his name. Currently, the Kaliningrad region is the westernmost region of Russia.
There was a Prussian fortress Tuvangste (Tvangste, Tvangeste). History has not left reliable information about the founding of Tvangste and descriptions of the fortress itself. According to legend, the Tvangste fortress was founded by Prince Zamo in the middle of the 6th century. There is information about an attempt to establish a settlement near the mouth of the Pregel, undertaken at the end of the 10th century by Khovkin, the son of the Danish king Harald I Blue-lipped. German chronicles for 1242 contain information about negotiations between the deputies of the city of Lübeck and the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, Gerhard von Malberg, about the founding of a free trading city on a mountain on the banks of the Pregel.
In the mid-13th century, the toponym Twangste extended to the Prussian fortified settlement, the mountain on which it was located, and the surrounding forest.
The Tvangste fortress was taken and burned at the beginning of 1255 during the campaign of the united army of the knights of the Order and the Bohemian king Přemysl Otakar II. There is a legend according to which King Otakar II advised the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, Poppo von Osterne, to build an order fortress on the site of Tvangste. The foundation of the Koenigsberg fortress took place in early September 1255. The first commander of Königsberg was Burkhard von Hornhausen.
There are several versions of the origin of the name Königsberg. The most common version associates the name of the Königsberg fortress, Royal Mountain, with King Otakar II. According to it, the fortress and the future city were named in honor of the King of Bohemia. Other versions of the origin of the toponym associate it with the Vikings or Prussians. Perhaps “Konigsberg” is a form of “Konungoberg”, where “konung”, “kunnigs” are “prince”, “leader”, “head of the clan”, and the word “berg” can mean both “mountain” and “steep, Highland". In Russian chronicles and maps until the end of the 17th century, the toponym Korolevets was used instead of the name Koenigsberg.
The first two wooden blockhouses were built on the mountain on the right bank of the Pregel in 1255. Koenigsberg was first mentioned in a document dated June 29, 1256. In 1257, construction of stone fortifications began to the west of the blockhouses. In 1260, 1263 and 1273, the castle was besieged by the rebel Prussians, but was not taken. Since 1309, Königsberg Castle has been the residence of the Marshal of the Teutonic Order.
On February 28, 1286, the Landmaster of Prussia, Konrad von Thirberg, granted the settlement that arose near the castle walls the status of a city based on the Kulm Law. Most likely, the settlement was originally named after the castle - Koenigsberg. However, later, with the emergence of neighboring settlements, it received the name Altstadt, translated from German language meaning " Old city" The settlement that arose east of the castle was named Neustadt ( New town). Neustadt was later renamed Löbenicht, and on May 27, 1300, Löbenicht received city rights from the commander of Königsberg, Berthold von Brühaven. On an island located south of Altstadt, a settlement was formed, originally called Vogtswerder. In 1327, the settlement on the island received city rights. In the charter granting city rights it is called Knipav, which most likely corresponds to the original Prussian toponym. Since 1333, the city was called Pregelmünde, but gradually the original name in the Germanized form – Kneiphof – was established.
The cities of Altstadt, Löbenicht and Kneiphof had their own coats of arms, city councils, burgomasters, and were members of the Hanseatic Trade Union from the 14th century.
In 1325, under the leadership of Bishop Johannes Claret, construction of the Cathedral began on the island of Kneiphof. In a document dated September 13, 1333 grand master The Teutonic Order, Luther von Brunswick, agreed to continue construction of the cathedral, this date is considered the official start date of construction. The construction of the Cathedral was completed in 1380. In the winter of 1390-1391, an English detachment under the command of the Earl of Derby, the future King of England Henry IV Lancaster, stayed in Konigsberg.
After the loss of Marienburg (Malbork, Poland) in the Thirteen Years' War in 1457, Grand Master Ludwig von Erlichshausen moved the capital of the Teutonic Order to Königsberg. In 1523, Hans Weinreich, with the assistance of Grand Master Albrecht, opened the first printing house in Königsberg in Löbenicht, in which the first book was printed in 1524. On April 8, 1525, the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order Albrecht of Brandenburg-Ansbach concluded the Peace of Krakow with the King of Poland Sigismund I, as a result of which the Teutonic Order was secularized and the Duchy of Prussia was formed. Königsberg became the capital of Prussia. In 1544, a university was opened in Königsberg, which later received the name Albertina in honor of Duke Albrecht. Since 1660, a city newspaper began to be published in Königsberg. In May 1697, as part of the Great Embassy, Russian Tsar Peter I visited Koenigsberg under the name of nobleman Peter Mikhailov, having lived in the city for about a month. Later, Peter I visited the city in November 1711, June 1712, February and April 1716.
On January 27, 1744, Sophia Augusta Frederica von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg, the future Russian Empress Catherine II, passed through Königsberg from Stettin to St. Petersburg. On January 11, 1758, during the Seven Years' War, Russian troops entered Königsberg, after which, on January 24, in the Cathedral, representatives of all city classes took the oath of allegiance to the Russian Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. Until 1762 the city was part of Russian Empire. In 1782, the city's population was 31,368. In 1793, the first obstetrics and gynecology institution opened in the city. On August 8, 1803, an earthquake occurred in Königsberg.
After the battles of Preussisch-Eylau in January and Friedland in June, Königsberg was occupied by the French army on June 15, 1807. On July 10-13, 1807 and June 12-16, 1812, Napoleon Bonaparte stayed in the city. On the night of January 4–5, 1813, the French army left Königsberg, and around noon on January 5, troops of the Russian corps under the command of Pyotr Christianovich Wittgenstein entered the city.
In 1813, an astronomical observatory was opened in Königsberg, the director of which was the outstanding mathematician and astronomer Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel. In 1830, the first (local) water supply system appeared in the city. In 1834, in the Königsberg laboratory, Moritz Hermann Jacobi demonstrated the world's first electric motor. On July 28, 1851, the Königsberg Observatory astronomer August Ludwig Busch took the first photograph in history. solar eclipse. On October 18, 1861, Wilhelm I, the future Kaiser of Germany, was crowned in Königsberg. In 1872-1874 the first city water supply network was built, and in 1880 work began on laying the city sewerage system. In May 1881, the first horse-drawn route opened in Königsberg; in 1888, the city's population was 140.9 thousand people; in December 1890, 161.7 thousand people. To protect the city, a defensive ring of 15 forts was built along its perimeter by the mid-1880s. In May 1895, the first trams ran along the streets of Königsberg. In 1896, the Königsberg Zoo was opened, with Hermann Klaas (1841-1914) becoming its director.
The population of Königsberg in 1910 was 249.6 thousand inhabitants. In 1919, Germany's first airport, Devau Airport, was opened in Königsberg. On September 28, 1920, German President Friedrich Ebert opened the first East Prussian fair in Königsberg, located on the territory of the zoo, and later in special pavilions. In 1939, the city had 373,464 inhabitants.
During World War II, Koenigsberg was repeatedly bombed from the air. The first raid on the city was carried out by Soviet aviation on September 1, 1941. 11 Pe-8 bombers took part in the raid, none of which were shot down. The bombing had a certain psychological effect, but did not cause any significant casualties or destruction. On April 29, 1943, a Pe-8 bomber from the USSR Long-Range Aviation dropped a bomb weighing 5 tons on Koenigsberg for the first time. On the night of August 27, 1944, the 5th Group of the British Royal Air Force, consisting of 174 Lancaster bombers, carried out a raid on the city, during which the eastern outskirts were bombed, and the Royal Air Force lost 4 aircraft. The most massive and terrible raid on Koenigsberg was carried out by the British Air Force on the night of August 30, 1944. 189 Lancasters dropped 480 tons of bombs, killing 4.2 thousand people, destroying 20% of industrial facilities and 41% of all buildings in the city, and the historical center of the city was razed to the ground. During the raid, napalm bombs were used for the first time. RAF losses amounted to 15 bombers.
As a result of the East Prussian offensive operation of the Red Army, by January 26, 1945, Koenigsberg found itself under siege. However, already on January 30, the Greater Germany tank division and one infantry division from Brandenburg (now the village of Ushakovo) and the 5th tank division and one infantry division from Königsberg pushed back the troops of the 11th Guards Army 5 kilometers from Frisches Huff Bay, releasing Koenigsberg from the southwest. On February 19, counter attacks along the northern shore of the Frisches Huff Bay from Fischhausen (now the city of Primorsk) and Koenigsberg broke through the defenses of the 39th Army and restored communication between Koenigsberg and the Zemland Peninsula.
From April 2 to April 5, 1945, Koenigsberg was subjected to massive artillery strikes and air raids. On April 6, troops of the 3rd Belorussian Front began an assault on the fortress city. The bad weather did not allow the full use of aviation; by the end of the day, assault troops and groups had reached the outskirts of the city. On April 7, the weather improved and Koenigsberg was subjected to massive bombardment. On April 8, the Red Army troops advancing from the north and south split the enemy group into two parts. The 4th German Army of General Müller tried to assist the Koenigsberg garrison with a strike from the Zemland Peninsula, but these attempts were stopped by Soviet aviation. By evening, the defending Wehrmacht units found themselves sandwiched in the city center under continuous attacks from Soviet artillery. On April 9, 1945, the commandant of the city and fortress of Königsberg, General Otto von Lyash, ordered the garrison to lay down their arms, for which Hitler was sentenced in absentia to death penalty. The last pockets of resistance were eliminated on April 10, and the Red Banner was hoisted on the Don tower. More than 93 thousand German soldiers and officers were captured, about 42 thousand died during the assault. The irretrievable losses of the Red Army directly during the assault on Koenigsberg amounted to 3.7 thousand people.
The capture of Koenigsberg was marked in Moscow by 24 artillery salvoes from 324 guns, and the medal “For the Capture of Koenigsberg” was established - the only Soviet medal established for the capture of a city that was not the capital of the state. After the end of World War II, according to the decisions of the Potsdam Conference, the city of Königsberg was transferred to the Soviet Union.
On June 27, 1945, the Koenigsberg Zoo, in which after the April assault only five animals remained: a badger, a donkey, a fallow deer, a calf elephant and the wounded hippopotamus Hans, received its first post-war visitors.
By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on July 4, 1946, Koenigsberg was renamed Kaliningrad. The city was populated by settlers from other regions of the Soviet Union; by 1948, the German population was deported to Germany. Due to its important strategic location and large concentration of troops, Kaliningrad was closed to visitors foreign citizens. IN post-war years Special attention was paid to the restoration of production, the issues of preserving historical and cultural values were of secondary importance, and were often completely ignored. In 1967, by the decision of the first secretary of the Kaliningrad regional committee of the CPSU N.S. Konovalov Konigsberg Castle, seriously damaged during the British air raid in August 1944 and the assault on the city in April 1945, was blown up. The demolition of the ruins and much of the surviving buildings continued until the mid-1970s, causing irreparable damage architectural appearance cities.
Since 1991, Kaliningrad has been open to international cooperation.
However, after Stalingrad and Kursk, the Germans began to realize that soon the rear status of East Prussia could be replaced by a front-line one, and they began to prepare it for defense by building fortifications. As the front approached the borders of the region, these works became more and more intense. East Prussia was turned into a huge fortified area with a defense depth of 150-200 km. Koenigsberg was located behind many lines of fortifications (from three to nine in different directions).
The first battles on German soil
Soviet troops represented by the 3rd Belorussian and 1st Baltic fronts reached the borders of East Prussia in September 1944 as a result of the triumphant Operation Bagration (by far the best strategic operation Soviet army for the entire Great Patriotic War) and the Baltic offensive operation (also quite successful). The Germans were going to defend East Prussia to the last possible opportunity, not only and not so much for military reasons, but for political and psychological reasons - this region meant too much to them in historically. Nevertheless, the Soviet command planned to capture East Prussia before the end of 1944.
The first offensive against East Prussia began on October 16, 1944. Two days later, the troops of the 3rd Belorussian Front entered the territory of this region for the first time, i.e. to the territory of Germany, which they have been striving for since June 41st.
However, from the first moment the operation turned into a frontal “gnawing through” of a very powerful German defense. Therefore, on October 27, the offensive was stopped. It cannot be called unsuccessful - the troops advanced 50-100 km deep into East Prussia. However, its complete capture was out of the question, and Soviet losses were twice as large as those of the enemy (80 thousand versus 40 thousand). But a bridgehead on enemy territory was created, and important experience was gained.
On the second try
The second attempt was made already in 1945. To carry out the East Prussian operation, the Soviet army concentrated 1.7 million people, 25.4 thousand guns, 3.8 thousand tanks and self-propelled guns, 3.1 thousand aircraft against approximately 800 thousand people, 8.2 thousand guns, 700 tanks and self-propelled guns, 800 aircraft as part of the German Army Group North ( former group armies "Center").
The Soviet offensive by the forces of the 2nd and 3rd Belorussian and 1st Baltic fronts began on January 13 in two directions - through Gumbinnen to Königsberg (from a bridgehead captured in October 1944) and from the Narev area to the Baltic coast.
In contrast to the Vistula-Oder operation that began at the same time and was developing triumphantly (already on January 31, troops crossed the Oder, only 70 km remained to Berlin), the offensive in East Prussia proceeded extremely slowly and in this sense resembled offensive operations first half of the war. The reason for this was the well-prepared, deeply echeloned defense of the Germans and the fire of German ships. It was thanks to the fire of the ships (pocket battleships Lützow and Admiral Scheer, the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, about 20 destroyers, destroyers and floating batteries) that the Germans regularly launched counterattacks, which in other sectors of the front by this time was almost unthinkable . In addition, the German fleet managed to transfer as many as eight divisions from the Courland bridgehead to East Prussia; the Baltic Fleet and the Soviet Air Force could not prevent this.
By the beginning of February, despite fierce resistance, Soviet troops cut the German group into three parts. However, final victory was very far away. Thanks to the support of naval artillery, the largest of the German groups, the Heilsberg group (south of Königsberg), launched a successful counterattack and reconnected with the Königsberg group. During these battles on February 18, the commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front Army General Ivan Chernyakhovsky (he was only 38 years old).
What was happening in East Prussia led to the fact that the 1st Belorussian Front, under the command of Zhukov, stopped the attack on Berlin and turned north, launching an attack on East Pomerania together with the 2nd Belorussian Front.
Thus, the defense of Königsberg delayed the fall of Berlin, i.e. the end of the war for at least two months.
At the same time, in Eastern Pomerania, Soviet troops faced the same problem - crushing fire from German naval artillery, which made the ground offensive very difficult.
The German group in Eastern Pomerania and the Heilsberg group in East Prussia were eliminated only by the end of March. At the same time, Danzig fell, which led to the final isolation of German troops in East Prussia from the main forces of the Wehrmacht. In addition, the German fleet was forced to shift its efforts to the west, first to the area of the Bay of Danzig, then to Eastern Pomerania. The departure of the German ships, which the Baltic Fleet was never able to cope with, made the actions easier ground forces in East Prussia.
Capture of Königsberg
Objectively speaking, after this, the remnants of German troops in East Prussia did not pose any threat to the Soviet army; they could simply be ignored, throwing maximum forces at Berlin. However, this was not our rule. Now the target was the regional capital. Ahead was the battle for Königsberg.
The defense of Königsberg consisted of three lines and included 12 large and 5 small forts, plus many other defensive structures. The city was defended by a 134,000-strong German garrison. The assault on Königsberg began on April 6. Before this, for four days, artillery and aviation preparations were carried out in the capital of East Prussia, in which 5 thousand guns and 1.5 thousand aircraft were involved. This is what decided the outcome of the battle, especially since the shelling and bombing of the city continued during the assault itself.
Even the powerful German fortification could not withstand the amount of metal that fell on it. Koenigsberg fell very quickly - already on April 9, 92 thousand German troops surrendered, including the commander, General Lasch.
After the capture of Königsberg, there was absolutely no need to fight in East Prussia, but the Soviet command did not think so. The last German group remained in the western part of East Prussia, on the Samland Peninsula. It was captured on April 25, and Pillau fell at the same time (note that at that time there were already battles in the center of Berlin!). The remnants of the German troops (22 thousand people) retreated to the Frische-Nerung spit, now bearing the name Baltic, where they surrendered on May 9.
Results of the East Prussian operation
Of all the operations last year During the war, it was in East Prussia that Soviet troops suffered the greatest losses - almost 127 thousand people. killed, 3.5 thousand tanks, almost 1.5 thousand aircraft. The Germans lost at least 300 thousand people killed. To the Soviet losses directly in East Prussia, we must add significant additional losses during the assault on Berlin at the end of April (at the beginning of February it was quite possible to take it “on the move”).
Thus, the “citadel of German militarism” cost us extremely dearly, although the assault on Königsberg itself was carried out almost flawlessly.
The reasons for this are indicated above - the extreme saturation of East Prussia with defensive lines and the complete inability of the Baltic Fleet and the Soviet Air Force to neutralize German ships (all of them were sunk by British aircraft in April-May 1945, but by that time they had already done their “dirty deed”).
However, it is not a fact that the East Prussian operation should have been carried out at all. In fact, the Stalingrad mistake was repeated here when, while finishing off the “cauldron”, a much larger German group was missed from the Caucasus. Moreover, there was no need to finish off - Paulus’s army was doomed to death from cold and hunger. Two years later, the German group in East Prussia was also doomed and no longer had any opportunity to strike the flank and rear of the attack on Berlin Soviet troops, it could simply be contained by fairly limited forces without any assaults. Then Berlin would inevitably fall in February, which would end the war. But alas.
Kaliningrad. The westernmost regional center Russian Federation, its “foreign territory”, surrounded by European Union countries... But that’s not what this story is about.
Until July 1946, Kaliningrad was called Königsberg. The city became part of Russia by decision of the Potsdam Conference of the USSR, Great Britain and the USA, held in July 1945. Before that, Koenigsberg was part of Germany and was actually the “second capital” after Berlin.
In my opinion, the history of Königsberg began not in 1255 (the year the Königsberg fortress was founded), but a little earlier. In 1190, the Teutonic Order was founded in Palestine. The Order was officially approved by Pope Innocent III in 1198. 
Knights of the Teutonic Order
After graduation crusades The Order received some lands in Germany and southern Europe. In central Europe, the land had long been divided and therefore the gaze of the knights of the Order turned to the east.
At that time, Prussian tribes lived on the territory of the Kaliningrad region and part of present-day Poland. This group of tribes was related to the Latvian, Lithuanian and Slavic peoples. The ancient Greeks traded with the Prussians - they bought amber in exchange for weapons. Also, mentions of the Prussians can be found in the works of Pliny the Elder, Tacitus and Claudius Ptolemy. In IX - XIII centuries Christian missionaries visited Prussian lands more than once.
The conquest of Prussia by the Teutonic Order took a long time. In 1255, the crusaders founded the Königsberg fortress on the site of the Prussian village of Tvangeste (according to other sources - Tuvangeste or Twangste). There is a legend that the knights witnessed a solar eclipse. They considered this a sign, and therefore the Königsberg (Royal Mountain) fortress was founded on the site. The honor of founding the city is attributed to the Bohemian king Ottokar II Przemysl. However, there is an opinion that the name is more of a tribute to the knights' respect for royalty. 
Ottokar II Przemysl (1233 - 1278)
Königsberg Castle. Pre-war years
Three cities were founded around the Königsberg fortress: Altstadt, Kneiphof and Löbenicht. The cities were part of the Hanseatic Trade League.
Interestingly, the city of Königsberg appeared only in 1724, when Altstadt, Kneiphof and Löbenicht united. Therefore, some historians consider 1724 to be the year of the founding of Königsberg. The first burgomaster of the united city was the burgomaster of Kneiphof, Doctor of Laws Zacharias Hesse.
The oldest building preserved in Kaliningrad is the Juditten Church. It was built in 1288. The building successfully survived the Second World War, but was destroyed by settlers from the USSR. Only in the 1980s was the church actually rebuilt and now the Orthodox St. Nicholas Cathedral is located there. 
Juditten-Kirch. Modern look
The main symbol of the city of Kaliningrad is the Cathedral. It was founded in 1325. The first version of the cathedral was realized in 1333 - 1345, and was subsequently rebuilt many times. Initially it was just a church, and the name Cathedral was given only in the 17th century, possibly due to the presence of local church authorities there. The cathedral was very badly damaged by the British air raid on Königsberg on August 29-30, 1944 and the battles in April 1945. The outer part was restored only in 1994 - 1998, and now there is a museum there.
Cathedral. Modern look
One of the attractions of the cathedral is the large organ.
Since 1457, Königsberg was the residence of the masters of the Teutonic Order. At this time, the Order waged a war with Poland, which ended in 1466 with the signing of the Second Peace of Torun. The order was defeated and until 1657 was a vassal of Poland. The Order was already greatly weakened and already in 1525 Albrecht Hohenzollern secularized the lands of the Order and founded the Duchy of Prussia. 
Duke Albrecht (1490 - 1568)
Before taking such a step, Albrecht consulted, among other things, with Martin Luther. It is interesting that Luther's son Johann (Hans) is buried in Altstadt, in the church of St. Nicholas (which was demolished in the 19th century). The daughter of the great reformer Margarita married the Prussian landowner Georg von Künheim and settled on the Mulhausen estate (now the village of Gvardeyskoye, Bagrationovsky district). She died in 1570 and was buried in the local church.
The history of the Teutonic Order did not end with the secularization of its lands. The order was dissolved in 1809, restored in 1834 in Austria, existed until the Anschluss of Austria and the seizure of Czechoslovakia by Germany in 1938 - 1939. After the Second World War, the Order was restored and now the residence of the master is in Vienna.
In addition to the masters of the Order, one of the figures of German classical philosophy, Immanuel Kant, whose name is also associated with the city, is buried in the Cathedral. Nowadays the newly formed Baltic State University bears his name. Federal University.
Immanuel Kant (1724 - 1804)
The name of Albrecht Hohenzollern is associated with the founding of the Albertina University of Königsberg. Albrecht began his reign as Duke of Prussia in 1525 by ordering the collection of all the necessary books for the university library. Among those who helped Albrecht found the university was the Belarusian pioneer printer Francis Skaryna. A monument to him can now be seen in front of one of the buildings of the Baltic Federal University. I. Kant.
Monument to Francis Skaryna (left)
IN different years Johann Hamann, Johann Herder, Friedrich Bessel, Carl Jacobi, Ferdinand von Linderman, Adolf Hurwitz, David Hilbert, Hermann Helmholtz worked and gave lectures at Albertina; studied theology, the founder of Lithuanian fiction Kristionas Donelaitis; listened to lectures on philosophy by the writer and composer Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann. It is also worth mentioning that Immanuel Kant worked here.
The Albertina tradition is continued by the Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, which was founded in 2010 on the basis of the Russian State University them. I. Kant by decree of the President of the Russian Federation.
After Thirty Years' War Another war followed - the Northern War (1655 - 1660). In it, Sweden fought against Poland for the Baltic territories and dominance in the Baltic Sea. During this war, Prussia's dependence on Poland was ended. The Brandenburg-Prussian state was created, with Berlin as its capital. Elector Frederick III declared himself King Frederick the First of Prussia. During his reign, Peter I visited Königsberg several times, to whom Frederick presented the famous Amber Room and the pleasure yacht "Liburica". Frederick I himself, among other things, was very fond of tall soldiers and collected them throughout Europe. Therefore, Peter, as a return courtesy, presented the king with 55 selected grenadiers of the tallest stature. 
The Amber Room. Restored view
The Amber Room remained in Pushkin until 1942. Retreating, the Germans took the room to Königsberg, where it was mounted for display to a narrow circle of people. In 1945, it was hidden in the castle cellars. Further fate rooms unknown. According to one version, it is still located under the ruins of the castle. According to others, she could have ended up on board the Wilhelm Gustloff or somewhere in Germany. For the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg, the Amber Room was restored (including with the involvement of German capital) and is now available for visiting in the Catherine Palace.
Many people know Frederick II the Great. Interestingly, he settled the empty lands of Prussia, trying to increase the number of taxpayers. To increase employment, the king sharply opposed machine technology. In addition, the king believed that the roads should be in poor condition in order to impede the movements of the enemy army. The Prussian army was one of the best in Europe.
In 1758 - 1762 Koenigsberg was part of the Russian Empire. At that time, the city was governed by a governor. One of the governors was Vasily Ivanovich Suvorov - the father of the great commander Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov. After V.I. Suvorov, Pyotr Ivanovich Panin (1721 - 1789), who participated in the suppression of the Pugachev uprising, became governor. By the way, Emelyan Pugachev took part in the Seven Years' War and could well have visited Königsberg.
Vasily Ivanovich Suvorov (1705 - 1775)
We should also remember Queen Louise, the wife of King Frederick William III. Her life is continuously connected with the dramatic events of Prussia's struggle against Napoleon. She died in 1810, before the victory over Napoleon.
Queen Louise (1776 - 1810)
A city alley was named in her honor, and there was a Queen Louise shelter for poor women (the building has not survived). Also in 1901, the Queen Louise Church was built (nowadays a puppet theater is located there). In the village of Nidden (now Nida, Lithuania) on the Curonian Spit there was a boarding house for Queen Louise and a monument in her honor.
Church of Queen Louise. Modern look
According to the Peace of Tilsit, Prussia had to pay a huge indemnity. Of this amount, Königsberg owed 20 million francs (later the amount was reduced to 8 million). It is interesting that the city paid this amount to France until 1901.
During Napoleonic wars Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov visited Königsberg while passing through. The famous writer Stendhal visited Königsberg twice - first on his way to Moscow, captured by Napoleon. And then Stendhal had to flee Moscow. Moreover, he was in such a hurry that he overtook the retreating French army. Denis Vasilievich Davydov was also in Königsberg.
In the 19th and 20th centuries the city grew and developed. Until the mid-19th century, Königsberg bore the imprint of a typically medieval city - there were very few trees on the streets. It was only in 1875 that the Landscaping Union was created. In 1928, the green area of Königsberg was approximately 6,303,744 m2. Unfortunately, the city's green attire is now experiencing an increasingly persistent attack by industrial and residential buildings.
I have covered only a small fraction of what can be told about the history of Königsberg. The destinies of many people are connected with this city. To tell about everything, you need a book as thick as several volumes of War and Peace. However, what I told are very bright moments in the history of Koenigsberg, which should not be forgotten, 
Kneiphof after a British air raid. 1944
Second World War Koenigsberg was not spared. Many unique buildings have been lost forever. The city was not spared by the people who came to develop the new Soviet region. However, a piece of Königsberg is present in today's Kaliningrad, playing a direct role in the history of the new city.
It is worth adding that the Germans show a noticeable interest in the history of Königsberg - Kaliningrad. Constantly on the street you can see German tourists. In addition, in Duisburg there is a German center for the study of everything related to the history of Königsberg.
Kneiphof model. The author is a native of Königsberg, Horst Dühring.
To conclude, I will voice the motto of the Year of Germany in Russia: “Germany and Russia - create the future together.” I think this very accurately applies to the history of Kaliningrad - Königsberg.