Zelenogradsk

Not to be confused with Zelenograd.

Zelenogradsk (English) Зеленоградск (Russian)
-  Town  -
250px View of Zelenogradsk
Location of Kaliningrad Oblast in Russia
Zelenogradsk Location of Zelenogradsk in Kaliningrad Oblast
Coordinates:
70px
Flag
Administrative status (as of December 2013)
Country	Russia
Federal subject	Kaliningrad Oblast
Administrative district	Zelenogradsky District
Town of district significance	Zelenogradsk
Administrative center of	Zelenogradsky District, town of district significance of Zelenogradsk
Municipal status (as of May 2015)
Urban okrug	Zelenogradsky Urban Okrug
Administrative center of	Zelenogradsky Urban Okrug
Statistics
Population (2010 Census)	13,026 inhabitants
Time zone	USZ1 (UTC+02:00)
Founded	1252
Previous names	Cranz (until 1945), Krants (until 1946)
Postal code(s)	238326, 238530
Official website
[[:commons:Category:{{#property:Commons category}}|Zelenogradsk]] on Wikimedia Commons

Zelenogradsk (Russian: ), prior to 1946 known by its German name Cranz, is a town and the administrative center of Zelenogradsky District in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, located 34 kilometers (21 mi) north of Kaliningrad, the administrative center of the oblast, on the Sambian coastline near the Curonian Spit on the Baltic Sea. Population: 13,026 (2010 Census); 12,509 (2002 Census); 10,786 (1989 Census).

In its heyday, Zelenogradsk (as Cranz) was a popular seaside resort on Germany's eastern Baltic coast, comparable to Bognor Regis in England. Since the end of World War II and the Soviet takeover, much of its tourist traffic has been diverted to nearby Svetlogorsk, formerly called Rauschen.

History

The site of today's Zelenogradsk was originally an Old Prussian fishing village, in the proximity of Kaup, a Prussian town on the coast of the Baltic Sea in the Viking era. The area became controlled by the Teutonic Order and settled with Germans. The German name Cranz, originally Cranzkuhren, derives from the Old Prussian word krantas, meaning "the coast". For most of its history it remained a small village in East Prussia.

During the 19th century, Cranz became the primary seaside resort for the Kingdom of Prussia on the East Prussian coastline, especially after the construction of a railway line connecting it with Königsberg (now Kaliningrad) in 1885. From 1816 to 1895, it was known as das königliche Bad, or "the royal bathing resort". Despite the increasing numbers of tourists, the fishing industry remained strong; smoked flounder was a regional delicacy. Although Cranz had over 6,000 inhabitants by the start of World War II, it never received a town charter.

Old postcard of Cranz with the Ladies Bath

The area was overrun by the Soviet Red Army during World War II and annexed to the Russian SFSR, although it suffered minimally through warfare. The German population fled during the evacuation of East Prussia or was subsequently expelled by force. Cranz was renamed Zelenogradsk in 1946 and was granted town status in the subsequent years.

Administrative and municipal status

Within the framework of administrative divisions, Zelenogradsk serves as the administrative center of Zelenogradsky District. As an administrative division, it is incorporated within Zelenogradsky District as the town of district significance of Zelenogradsk.

Within the framework of municipal divisions, since May 15, 2015, the territories of the town of district significance of Zelenogradsk and of four rural okrugs of Zelenogradsky District are incorporated as Zelenogradsky Urban Okrug. Before that, the town of district significance was incorporated within Zelenogradsky Municipal District as Zelenogradskoye Urban Settlement.

Tourism

The tourism industry was neglected during the Cold War and Zelenogradsk's tourism primacy was relinquished to nearby Svetlogorsk (formerly Rauschen). This policy changed in recent years. Zelenogradsk is becoming more popular with Russian vacationers, and many rich Russians own private houses in the area.

Notable people

• Adolf Tortilowicz von Batocki-Friebe (1868–1944), politician
• Abel Ehrlich (1915–2003), composer
• Volker Lechtenbrink (born 1944), actor
• Beate Uhse-Rotermund (1919–2001), aviator and entrepreneur
• Mary Saran (1897–1976), journalist
• Patrick White, a 1973 Nobel laureate, visited Cranz in the early 1930s "during the early stages of my love affair with Germany".

Twin towns and sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Russia

Zelenogradsk is twinned with:

• Braniewo, Poland
• Łeba, Poland
• Borgholm, Sweden

References

Sources

• Калининградская областная Дума. Закон №463 от 27 мая 2010 г. «Об административно-территориальном устройстве Калининградской области», в ред. Закона №281 от 6 декабря 2013 г. «О порядке рассмотрения Калининградской областной Думой предложений о присвоении наименований географическим объектам или их переименовании, информирования населения и выявления его мнения о присвоении наименований географическим объектам или их переименовании на территории Калининградской области». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Калининградская правда" (вкладыш "Ведомости Правительства Калининградской области"), №112, 26 июня 2010 г. (Kaliningrad Oblast Duma. Law #463 of May 27, 2010 On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Kaliningrad Oblast, as amended by the Law #281 of December 6, 2013 On the Process Used by the Kaliningrad Oblast Duma to Consider the Proposals to Assign Names to Geographic Objects or to Rename Them, to Inform the Populace and Gather Their Opinion on Assigning Names to Geographic Objects or Renaming Them on the Territory of Kaliningrad Oblast. Effective as of the day of the official publication.).
• Правительство Калининградской области. Постановление №640 от 30 августа 2011 г. «Об утверждении реестра объектов административно-территориального деления Калининградской области», в ред. Постановления №877 от 21 ноября 2011 г «О внесении изменения в Постановление Правительства Калининградской области от 30 августа 2011 г. №640». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Калининградская правда" (вкладыш "Официально"), №170, 15 сентября 2011 г. (Government of Kaliningrad Oblast. Resolution #640 of August 30, 2011 On the Adoption of the Registry of the Objects of the Administrative-Territorial Divisions of Kaliningrad Oblast, as amended by the Resolution #877 of November 21, 2011 On Amending the Resolution of the Government of Kaliningrad Oblast #640 of August 30, 2011. Effective as of the day of the official publication.).
• Калининградская областная Дума. Закон №420 от 27 апреля 2015 г. «Об объединении поселений, входящих в состав муниципального образования "Зеленоградский район", и организации местного самоуправления на объединённой территории». Вступил в силу по истечении десяти дней со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: Официальный интернет-портал правовой информации http://www.pravo.gov.ru, 5 мая 2015 г. (Kaliningrad Oblast Duma. Law #420 of April 27, 2015 On the Merger of the Settlements Comprising the Municipal Formation of "Zelenogradsky District" and on the Organization of the Local-Self Government on the United Territory. Effective as of after ten days from the day of the official publication have passed.).