For this edition of Russian Life, euronews travels to the Kaliningrad exclave. Isolated from the rest of the country, it is the smallest, youngest and greenest of Russia’s territories.
Its convenient location and nice weather make the bicycle a popular way to get around the city.
Gennady Mikhailov, Executive Director, Kaliningrad region Cycling Federation:
“We’re 30 minutes from the sea, the place is environmentally friendly, with clean air, lots of green trees and interesting terrain. And everything in Kalingrad is close by – you can cross the whole city on foot in around an hour and a half.”
Not much is left of the original German enclave of Koenigsberg, as this region was known before it was passed to the Soviet Union at the end of the Second World War. Allied air raids ruined the historic centre before the city was taken by the Soviet army.
One of the few surviving buildings is the medieval cathedral. Daily concerts on its recently restored pipe organ bring in visitors from all over Russia and the rest of the world.