At Poland’s Border With Russia
After the Second World War, all the borders in the area we were staying changed dramatically.
Koningsberg, which had been German before the war and was largely destroyed during the war was the capital of East Prussia, and all the land around it became Russian, as did the previously independent Baltic States. What remained of the city, whichhad once been one of the largest and most cultured in Germany became Kaliningrad.
We were actually staying in the old East Prussia to the east of the town of Goldap, not far from the border with the Russian enclave that is surrounded by EU territory.
These pictures were taken at the border.
It doesn’t appear to be a very heavily-defended frontier.
Although none of us did anything that would threaten the Russians.
The Anonymous Widower 
After the WWII a section, well most, of East Prussia did indeed become part of Russia, however the Baltic states became republics within the USSR and not part of Russia.
About 10% of Finland did become part of Russia after the Winter War and WWII (the Finns sadly changed sides).
The nascent Soviet government made large concessions in 1918 to exit WWI.
The USSR [re]annexed the Baltic states in 1940. They became independent again after the fall of the iron curtain.
After WWII the USSR shifted its border with Poland well to the west, but moved Poland’s border with Germany to west (Oder Neisse line) – to the victor the spoils and all that.
Comment by Mark Clayton | January 29, 2016 |
Agreed! Have you ever been to the area? I shall be posting some other thoughts soon.
Comment by AnonW | January 29, 2016 |
[…] I have been to the Polish border with the Russian enclave. I wrote about it in At Poland’s Border With Russia. […]
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