Kaliningrad is one of the most unusual places on the map of Europe. The Russian region is separated from the rest of the country and is located between Poland and Lithuania - two countries that are members of both NATO and the European Union. It is this geography that makes Kaliningrad one of the most sensitive points in the military confrontation between Russia and the West, writes NOVA, citing "Reuters".
On September 30, Moscow issued a new warning to NATO regarding a possible blockade and isolation of Kaliningrad. This was another escalation in relations between the two lands, in which there was talk of the intervention of a nuclear arsenal.
However, the history of the city begins long before it became a Russian exclave. Today's Kaliningrad has been known for centuries as Königsberg - a city with German and Prussian heritage. It is the capital of East Prussia and an important political, cultural and commercial center.
Today's Kaliningrad was founded in 1255 by the Czech King Ottokar II and was named Königsberg in his honor - literally "Royal Mountain". It is among the main cities of the Teutonic Order - the third great knightly order after the Order of St. John and the Order of the Templars. It was founded during the Crusades to the Holy Land in the Palestine region.