Lower Pond in Kaliningrad

Kaliningrad

Kaliningrad is a seaport and the administrative center of Kaliningrad Oblast, the Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea...

, Kaliningrad Oblast

Kaliningrad Oblast

Kaliningrad Oblast is a federal subject of Russia situated on the Baltic coast. It has a population of The oblast forms the westernmost part of the Russian Federation, but it has no land connection to the rest of Russia. Since its creation it has been an exclave of the Russian SFSR and then the...

, Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

, is a large artificial pond in the north of the city. The pond is about one kilometre long, north to south. Along its length, its width varies between about 50 and 100 metres.

The source of the water is from the north. The water eventually drains underground down to the river Pregel

Pregolya

The Pregolya or Pregola is a river in the Russian Kaliningrad Oblast exclave.It starts as a confluence of the Instruch and the Angrapa and drains into the Baltic Sea through Vistula Lagoon. Its length under the name of Pregolya is 123 km, 292 km including the Angrapa. The basin has an...

 to the south. During the winter months, the pond can freeze over.

Before the Russian annexation in 1945, the city was Königsberg

Königsberg

Königsberg was the capital of East Prussia from the Late Middle Ages until 1945 as well as the northernmost and easternmost German city with 286,666 inhabitants . Due to the multicultural society in and around the city, there are several local names for it...

, capital of East Prussia

East Prussia

East Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. The capital city was Königsberg.East Prussia...

, and the pond was called Schlossteich (Castle Pond), named after nearby Königsberg Castle

Königsberg Castle

The Königsberg Castle was a castle in Königsberg, Germany , and was one of the landmarks of the East Prussian capital Königsberg.- History :...

.

The pond was created when the Teutonic Knights

Teutonic Knights

The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...

 in the 13th Century dammed up the earth leading to the Pregel.

Schlossteich (Königsberg)

Schlossteich was famous. It had a scenic promenade around it and was a favourite recreational area for the people of Königsberg, especially students. Schlossteich was surrounded by cafés and was central to many important buildings and places, including Königsberg Castle to the southwest, the new Albertina University building to the west, and Münzplatz at the southern end of the pond.

Next to the west side of Schlossteich there was a statue called "Der Bogenschütze" or "Der Bogenspanner" (The Archer), and next to the east side there was Burgkirche (Castle Church) and Bellevue (hotel & restaurant).

The Pond Today

Nearly everything surrounding the pond before World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

was destroyed because of the war, and today the area looks very different.