Baltiysk

Baltiysk (1626, until 1946 Pillau, German Pillau, Polish Piława) - a city in the Kaliningrad region of the Russian Federation.

Population of 33,658 thousand inhabitants (2020).

Located on the shore of the strait connecting the Kaliningrad (Vislin) Gulf with the Baltic Sea. Baltiysk is the westernmost city of Russia.

Large seaport, ferry terminal, railway station. The largest Russian naval base on the Baltic Sea is located in Baltiysk. Every year, a parade of ships of the Baltic Fleet is held, timed to the Day of the Navy, and the festival of bard song "Uhana" on the Baltic Spit.

During its existence, the city several times came under the control of various states.

The history of Baltiysk originates in the XIII century - the first mention of the settlements of fishermen (Vogram village, located on the territory between the present Baltic and Mechnikovo village) in the area of the modern city date back to 1258 [1]. By 1363, the first mention of the settlement "Pile" or "Pil" (from the Prussian "Pilz" - fortress).

The settlement is now known as Old Pillau. Old Pillau was divided into two parts: Big Pillau and, closer to the sea, Small Pillau. The rapid development of the fortress was led by a strong storm on September 10, 1510. As a result of this storm formed the Frisch Gaff Strait, which to this day separates the Baltic Spit from the mainland. The strait became navigable and Pillau began to grow, becoming a major transportation hub. Then there was a division into Old Pillau and New Pillau.

In the XVI century, the city's infrastructure developed: in 1537 a blockhouse was built, in 1543 - warehouses for pilot equipment, in 1550 - military earthen fortifications. In the XVII century, as a result of the Prussian-Swedish war, the settlement was occupied by the Swedish army. On July 6, 1626, King Gustav Adolf of Sweden landed at Pillau from the sea and entered the city. Pillau was captured in three hours.

The Swedes laid one of the main attractions of modern Baltiysk - the star-shaped pentagonal fortress of Pillau (Pillau Citadel), which has survived to this day. In 1635, after the conclusion of an armistice with Prussia, this fortress (then unfinished) was bought by the inhabitants of the city for 10 thousand thalers, and a year later the Brandenburg troops entered Pillau. A relatively long period of peace began in Pillau after the conclusion of the Polish-Swedish peace treaty in 1660. By that time, the new Grand Elector, Friedrich Wilhelm, who understood the strategic importance of Pillau’s location, was making efforts to develop the city. A stone church, mill and lighthouse were built here. In addition, residents of the city were allowed to trade with ship cargo owners. In 1660, the population of New Pillau was 300 inhabitants.

In 1697, Tsar Peter I of Russia visited Pillau within the framework of the Grand Embassy with a retinue of 4,000 people. Peter I was here twice more - in 1711 and 1716 the city of Baltiysk - the westernmost city of Russia, located 50 kilometers west of Kaliningrad. Most of it is located on the shores of the Baltic Sea on the Zemland Peninsula, fenced off from the Baltic Spit by a narrow strait. The city occupies about five kilometers of coastal territory.

The total area of Baltiysk is about 50 km2, and the area of the Baltic city district, which also includes the city of Primorsk and several small settlements, is about 100 km2. The length of the beaches is about 42 km. In the past, the area was covered with dense coniferous forests, which have partially survived to the present day. On the coastal territory in the direction of Primorsk stretched two ancient barrier ramparts. The territory of the Baltic urban district includes a section of the Baltic Spit, which separates the Kaliningrad Gulf from the Baltic Sea. The total length of the Russian section of the spit is about 40 kilometers, the width is 300"1800 meters. The area of the spit is 25.7 square kilometers, and the width of the beaches is 30-40 meters. In Soviet times, this area was almost completely closed to civilians, because of this, the unique nature of the Baltic Spit has been preserved almost intact.