Kaliningrad
City and Population
Kaliningrad is a seaport city in the Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea with a population of 430,000 inhabitants. Founded in 1255 by Prussians and Germans under the name of Königsberg, the city has a dramatic history due to its strategic location between East and West. Kaliningrad offers easy access with flights to Western Europe, while the port in Baltiysk provides ferry service to Denmark, Germany, Latvia and St. Petersburg.
Sights
Throughout its history Kaliningrad has been a focal point for many great thinkers such as the philosopher Immanuel Kant and for education in general. Museums, churches, ancient city gates and other historic buildings -- some of them re-constructed -- testify to the past, while modern times are represented through the ties to a number of cosmonauts, including the first man to walk in space, Aleksei Leonov.
Football
FC Baltika Kaliningrad is the local football club and is currently playing in the Russian First Division. The club was founded in 1954 as Pishchevik Kaliningrad and renamed Baltika in 1958. The best result was achieved in 1996, when Baltika finished 7th in Russia's top football division.
Stadium
As part of the bid, a special concept for new World Cup stadiums will be designed in line with FIFA requirements.
