Kaliningrad - Changing Kaliningrad's Name

Changing Kaliningrad's Name

Königsberg was renamed Kaliningrad in 1946 after the death of Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR Mikhail Kalinin, one of the original Bolsheviks. Today, there is some debate as to whether to revert the name of the city back to "Königsberg" in the same way that several other Russian cities have reverted to their pre-Soviet names, e.g. Saint Petersburg and Tver, which were known in the Soviet era as Leningrad and Kalinin, respectively. "Kyonig" (Кёниг, a shortened form of "Königsberg" via Russian) is often used in advertisements for tourism companies in the region. Another possibility would be to give it a Russian name based on its historic designation in other Slavic languages, such as "Korolevets".

Others have suggested slightly modifying the city's name to "Kalinograd", thus removing its overtly Soviet connotation. The Kalina, or Guelder Rose is a plant which possesses sacred connotations within Slavic folklore. The Kalina is a common motif found in scores of traditional folk songs, particularly those symbolizing youth and innocence, as well as those associated with weddings and funerals.