The lands that make up the modern Kaliningrad region were once part of East Prussia. The history of these places is saturated with a wide variety of events, many historical monuments of architecture have been preserved here. One of them is the Schaaken castle, built in the 13th century.
History of the creation of the fortress
The Teutonic Order is a monastic association that arose during the Third Crusade (beginning of the 12th century). It was this organization that built the fortification, which went down in world history under the name Schaaken Castle (Saken). The first mention of this building dates back to 1258. A new fortress began to be erected on the site of an older one - Prussian, which was called Zoke. Shaaken was built in accordance with the traditions of the Teutonic Order. This castle is located not on a high ground, but on the contrary - in a swampy lowland. What is noteworthy, such a landscape was created specifically. The builders of the fortress built a dam, thanks to which the swamp began directly from the fortress walls. And this is an excellent natural defense no less effective than deep ditches and mounds. Interestingly, Shaaken received his name in honor of the surrounding area, literally this beautiful word is translated as “grass”. And this is not at all surprising - after all, thickets of sedge are often found in swamps.
The former majesty of the castle of Schaaken
During its heyday, the fortress boasted good conditions of comfort. Schaaken Castle had a central heating system. Also, baths and toilets were organized in it, while sewer wastes drained directly from the walls of the fortress into a swamp. The layout was also thought out - the first floor was always used for household needs, and the monks lived on the second and third. For the first time, the castle was captured and quite badly destroyed only at the beginning of the 16th century. And at the turn of the XVI-XVII centuries there was a serious fire. The fortress was completely restored only by the end of the 17th century. Today, during a tour of Kaliningrad, tourists are often told which of the great figures of the past have been in these places in past centuries. Peter I visited Shaaken, legends go that the king was delighted with the simplicity and severity of the fortress. Once he brought Catherine to these places with him, but she did not like the ascetic castle, she did not come here anymore.
The modern history of the fortress
Many beautiful buildings of past centuries were severely damaged or completely disappeared from the face of the earth during the 1917 revolution and the Great Patriotic War. Schaaken Castle is a happy exception, none of the listed wars caused serious damage to him. After the war, an orphanage was located on the territory of the fortress, and then stables were arranged here. There were once in the ancient fortress the most real communal apartments. All this time, the ancient architectural monument was ruthlessly exploited and remained at the same time without due attention and regular repairs. Until our time, the fortress reached in a dilapidated and very dilapidated state. In the early 2000s, the castle was finally interested as an ancient building. The ruins were leased to individuals who were engaged in the reconstruction of the fortress and offered new excursions in Kaliningrad with a visit to Shaaken. However, on the restoration of a relatively small section of the fortress wall, the restoration was completed due to a lack of necessary funds. Since 2011, the fortress has been run by the Russian Orthodox Church.
Tourism program today
You can visit the historic fortress today. Despite significant devastation, tourists are offered several interesting objects for inspection at once: a
museum of torture of the Inquisition, a stable, a fireplace room. There is no doubt that the general view of the fortress makes a special impression. Schaaken Castle offers a variety of excursions, including night ones, during which you can admire the view of this impressive building in the light of torches. Knightly fights and other costumed medieval performances are held on the territory of the fortress. For tourists there is a medieval-style restaurant. What is most pleasant - the cost of visiting the
ancient castle is only about 100 rubles.
How to get to the Shaaken fortress?
Address of ancient attraction: Kaliningrad region, Guryevsky district, Nekrasovo village. If you go on a tour from Kaliningrad - you can buy a ready-made tour from local operators. An alternative is to travel by public transport to the village of Nekrasovo, here any local will tell you how to get to the Shaaken Castle. How to get to this attraction by car? From Kaliningrad you need to move towards Nekrasovo, you have to pass the village of Khrabrovo and Privolnoe. It’s more convenient to use the navigator, but if you wish, it’s easy to navigate along the road signs.
Tourists reviews
Among those who visited Schaaken, it is difficult to find people who remained indifferent. The castle, despite its neglected state, amazes and allows you to fully penetrate the atmosphere of the Middle Ages. The Inquisition Museum is also quite interesting. In his collection you can see genuine historical
instruments of torture and their modern reconstruction. For completeness, here and there one can observe severed limbs and skeletons of tortured prisoners. The real luck is to come to history during some festivals and reconstructed knightly fights. If you have the opportunity, be sure to visit the Shaaken castle (Kaliningrad region), this is an inexpensive, accessible tour for everyone, during which a lot of new experiences are guaranteed!