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Regions

03

The cathedral and Fishermen’s Village, a modern develop- ment showcasing the city’s architectural heritage

GAVIN HELLIER_GETTY IMAGES_FOTOBANK

This page was prepared in cooperation with Gazeta.ru

WESTERN OUTPOST

KALININGRAD

Living on the outside looking in

RUSSIA NOW’S SERIES ON REGIONS STARTS WITH THE COUNTRY’S EX- LAVE IN THE MIDDLE OF EUROPE, WHERE THOUGHTS SOMETIMES TURN TO THE LIFESTYLES OF ITS NEAR NEIGHBOURS

Lonely Kaliningrad could become the model for constructive dissent; opposition activists are cautious but say they are starting to be heard.

ALEXEI LEVCHENKO

GAZETA.RU

Kaliningrad gave the Krem- lin a wake-up call when op- position groups staged anti- government rallies early this year, drawing thousands of people to its central square to protest high taxes and du- ties and cuts in programmes. Opposition leaders com- plained bitterly and openly about the ruling United Rus- sia party and the region’s in- creasingly unpopular gov- ernor. Some say that the protests have led to change, and even some openness. Could a

IN HIS OWN WORDS

Governor Georgy Boos on the recent wave of protests

POLITICAL PARTY: UNITED

RUSSIA

IN OFFICE SINCE: 2005

Why have social conflicts aris- en in Kaliningrad?

This is a perfectly normal phe- nomenon for any democratic so-

ciety. And it shows that the in- habitants of the Russian exclave are active and have a high de- gree of civic awareness. It is al- so a result of external post-crisis factors: reduced living standards as a consequence of the reces- sion and a rise in certain taxes and utility charges.

Have you succeeded in dealing with the protests?

One of the main lessons for me is that we need a new format for dialogue between the authorities and society. This is already hap- pening. One new form of com- munication is the regional TV channel’s live video link. I have already received more than 1,500 appeals from various parts of the region, some of which I have been answering for four hours and the rest of which have been sorted and will receive a reply.

Kremlin-appointed gover- nor feel an increasing sense of duty to his constituents? No, say members of the op- position. However, opposition leader Konstantin Doroshok called off protests at a local farm- ers’ market in favour of a dialogue with governor Georgy Boos which was due to be broadcast live on local TV. Dissenters showed up anyway, armed with man- darins, a reference to Gian- ni Rodari’s children’s stories

The Adventures of Cipollino,

about political oppression, which has been popular throughout Russia, on TV and film. Opponents claim that the governor’s recent, more sym- pathetic actions are just publicity stunts, but others contend that there is a

kinder, gentler Boos. “The authorities changed their be- haviour after the protest ral- lies,” one bystander said.

The outsider

Nearly five years ago, the Kremlin sent a young and ambitious businessman close to Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov to govern the area. Kaliningrad was a wild and neglected frontier. The re- gion, known as Russia’s western outpost, was rocked by corruption and problems after the introduction of Schengen visas in neigh- bouring EU states. “Before 2004, we travelled freely to Poland and the Bal- tic countries and getting a visa was no problem,” said one regional official. The area was not considered part of Europe, yet it was cut off from mainland Russia. Meanwhile, the economy was stagnating despite the region’s many privileges and status as a special econom- ic zone. Since the riots, a cautious optimism has followed on the heels of revitalisation ef- forts and concessions to the opposition. To this day, Kaliningrad has a strong sense of belonging only to itself. Before World War II, it was a part of Ger- many called Eastern Prus- sia, with its capital of Koenigsberg. In 1945, Koenigsberg fell to the So- viets. Initially, the Russian authorities paid little atten- tion to the region, but in the eventful Nineties, there was a movement to return it to Germany and rename it Koenigsberg. Perhaps in honour of its Germanic roots, Boos start- ed his term as governor by building a modern auto- bahn. Well-lit and smooth, it is a section of the planned £200m Maritime Ring, which should one day link Kalin-

ingrad with the beach hol- iday resorts in the west and north of the region. The highway, which has now nearly reached Zele- nogordsk, is probably the best road in the country. Locals grumble about the highway. “We don’t care if the drive to the seaside takes 20 or 40 minutes. We are more concerned about traf- fic jams in the city,” said Solomon Ginsburg, an op- position deputy in the re- gional parliament. The road is the governor’s

I decided to go into politics to defend the rights of businessmen like myself

most tangible achievement. Ambitious plans to build a luxury marina on the Bal- tic coast and a Formula One track remain on the table, while other initiatives were wrecked by the economic crisis. Indeed, it was the cri- sis and the way the author- ities handled it that brought the people into the streets in January, demanding the resignation of Boos and prime minister Vladimir Putin. The protests were triggered by increases in housing and utility rates, and in the transport tax. Doroshok, leader of the Jus- tice movement and a rally organiser, once made a liv- ing by bringing in second- hand cars from Europe. He was politicised four years ago when he and other small businessmen faced outra- geous tax claims. The final blow to his business was the prohibitive import duties slapped on used cars that the federal government in- troduced during the crisis, mainly to shore up the be-

leaguered Soviet-era Av- toVAZ, maker of Ladas.

Voices of dissent

Businessman Vitautas Lopa- ta became an opposition pol- itician because he “was fed up with inspections. The former mayor did not allow cafés to be built. So I decid- ed to go into politics to de- fend the rights of business- men like myself.” Asked how he manages to pay his taxes without kill- ing his business, he said that he cannot expand the busi- ness, hardly ever takes a hol- iday and can’t buy a new car.

Lopata and other opposition members admit that the gov- ernor has changed since the rallies, however. Ginsburg remarked: “While previously he thought only about mega-projects and ig- nored criticism, he now reg- ularly meets with the oppo- sition, has become aware of everyday problems and re- acts to our ideas.” The opposition’s original de- mands have been met: the transport tax rise has been revoked and utility rates have been declining.

Tourism

The question that remains, however, is what will drive the region’s growth? Tourism could provide part of the answer, but the indus- try is in need of a major re- vamp. The best-known hol- iday resort in Soviet times was Svetlogorsk, where a creaky elevator takes you from the city’s beach to the high Baltic shore for less than 70p. To the north lies Kurskaja Kosa, a Unesco nature re- serve, with sand dunes that mirror a desert landscape and strange, twisted trees reminiscent of modern art, known as the “dancing for- est”. In the Nineties, the sandbank was developed chaotically and is woefully short of tour- ist services. Of all the road- side cafés, only a small stall is open in April. Its owner sells stale crisps and suspi- cious-looking shashlik. In nearby Yantarnoye, “there is a lot of room for tourist development”, admits the town’s mayor, Alexander Blinov. He started his tour- ist project from scratch. Five years ago, Yantarnoye was mainly known for its amber quarry, the prey of looters. Now there are sign- posts everywhere directing visitors to landmark sites; German houses are restored and a hotel is being built. “We promote tourism and hold various festivals and sporting events, which at- tract a constant flow of tour- ists. We provide the best pos- sible environment for investors,” said Blinov. A lot of work remains to be done. The state of the Posei- don diving club makes drowning look like a pleas- ant alternative. But a viable holiday resort could well be in this outpost’s reach.

IGOR ZAREMBO_PHOTOXPRESS

A ‘mandarin flash mob’, in a reference to Gianni Rodari’s children's tale about political op- pression, gathered outside the local produce market in Kaliningrad earlier this year

Amber markets, above, are to be found everywhere, particularly on the Kurskaja Kosa, north of Kaliningrad city

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