# Forum About Russia Russian Cities  Kaliningrad

## TATY

Has anybody been there? Apparently it is a dismal place and has one of Europe's highest HIV rates. It is completely surrounded by the European Union now too.

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## Niamh

I *just* read an article about it by A.A.Gill {but it's a few years old}. According to this it is appaulingly dismal and the trend among women {who are, as always, stunning} is to dye their hair flesh coloured.

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## MasterAdmin

I guess we need to hear from someone who actually _was_ there.

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## Pravit

VM, we need you!

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## JB

Is he on vacation?  ::

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## kalinka_vinnie

I wasn't there last year!

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## TriggerHappyJack

So was it like the Eastern Europe depicted in Euro Trip? O_o

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## garmonistka

I was in KG in 2001 in winter. Thought it was great, went by train from Poland. I'd recommend it as "Russia light".

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## pierrot

Hello, 
I never been there but I was interested in travel to Kaliningrad some month ago to have Russian lessons.
See the link and you will have some information about the region too.  http://www.myrussian.ru/ 
Pierrot

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## VendingMachine

Кёниг (this is how we actually call it) is a great place to be. It's probably more Russian than the rest of Russia.

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## Dr.

Я живу в Калининграде если все еще он вас интересует могу рассказать много интересного и не очень. И выложить фотки. А вообще Калининград к сожалению менее всего похож на Россию, в плане людей и культуры.

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## Cyberellium

Hi, 
I was considering taking a course in Russian next year in Russia.
I've heard Kaliningrad is one such place that offers some great courses and as I have family in both Denmark and Sweden its not so far from them also. 
I'm from New Zealand myself. 
What I'm wondering is there anybody who I could get in contact with from Kaliningrad for some first hand information, facts etc. 
Thanks in advance, 
Shaun

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## TATY

> Hi, 
> I was considering taking a course in Russian next year in Russia.
> I've heard Kaliningrad is one such place that offers some great courses and as I have family in both Denmark and Sweden its not so far from them also. 
> I'm from New Zealand myself. 
> What I'm wondering is there anybody who I could get in contact with from Kaliningrad for some first hand information, facts etc. 
> Thanks in advance, 
> Shaun

 From what I've heard, from Russians and non-Russians, Kaliningrad is not somewhere you want to go to. If you want to study Russia why not study in Russia proper.

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## Бармалей

> Originally Posted by Cyberellium  Hi, 
> I was considering taking a course in Russian next year in Russia.
> I've heard Kaliningrad is one such place that offers some great courses and as I have family in both Denmark and Sweden its not so far from them also. 
> I'm from New Zealand myself. 
> What I'm wondering is there anybody who I could get in contact with from Kaliningrad for some first hand information, facts etc. 
> Thanks in advance, 
> Shaun   From what I've heard, from Russians and non-Russians, Kaliningrad is not somewhere you want to go to. If you want to study Russia why not study in Russia proper.

 I can't really comment on Kaliningrad itself, but I wouldn't advise going to Kaliningrad just for the sake of being closer to Denmark/Sweden (and I'm not really familiar with anyone ever saying that a Kaliningrad program was vastly superior to what you'd get on the Russian mainland). In terms of both time/cost I doubt that being set up in St.Petersburg/Moscow/anywhere else in "European" Russia is really going restrict you from visiting those relatives for a few days. If you're coming from Siberia vs. Kaliningrad, yes there is obviously a huge difference. But  otherwise I wouldn't worry about that. All you have to do is fly to any European capital (or bus/train into Tallinn) and then hop on one of the budget airlines and you're good to go.

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## Cyberellium

I see, ok thanks for your assistance.

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## kalinka_vinnie

I don't know if this information will be of use to you or not, but I will write it anyway. I read somewher that Kaliningrad is probably the place in Europe with the highest HIV rates...  ::

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## tendu

its certainly not the hell hole everyone makes it out to be!  
i was just there... and i absolutely loved it! in fact... id happily move there if i could....

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