The Wrangel Tower is a famous fortification located in Kaliningrad, the former German Koenigsberg, which was ceded to Russia as a result of the Great Patriotic War.
History of the tower
The Wrangel Tower is an integral part of the fortifications of the Prussian Koenigsberg. It was built in 1853. Her project was developed by a German military engineer named Ernst Ludwig von Aster. In Prussia, he was engaged exclusively in military engineering - he built fortresses. One of his most ambitious projects is the global reconstruction of the fortifications in Cologne, which was carried out in 1816. For the successful completion of this work, he received the rank of Major General.
In Koenigsberg, he worked on the project of the second rampart defensive bypass of this East Prussian city. The work was carried out over 17 years - from 1843 to 1860. Only a part of these fortifications has survived to this day - 7 city gates, Wrangel and Don towers, bastions, ravelins and the Kronprinz defensive barracks.
Rolled defensive bypass
The Wrangel Tower in Kaliningrad is one of the key partsrampant defensive bypass. The first object of these fortifications was the barracks "Kronprinz" (now it is located on the Lithuanian shaft).
The defensive belt of Koenigsberg included various bastions, as well as an earth embankment that protected the city from the north. At the very beginning there was Fort Friedrichsburg, which was surrounded by a stone wall instead of redoubts. It was protected by powerful gates and four towers at once. It has not survived to this day. The Germans themselves demolished it at the beginning of the 20th century during the construction of the city railway.
The Wrangel and Don towers were located in the southeast and southwest of the city, respectively. They were near the Upper Lake.
Over time, the second shaft bypass has lost its military significance for Koenigsberg. At the beginning of the 20th century, the military department sold it to the city. Some of the buildings were demolished so that the city could develop further. For example, on the site of two gates, the Hansa Platz was arranged. Today, the modern Victory Square in Kaliningrad is located here. But most of the structures have survived to this day.
Meaning of the tower
The Wrangel and Don towers were designed to protect Upper Lake, which was considered a weak point in the defense of the city.
Like many other fortifications of the second shaft bypass, at the beginning of the 20th century the first of them lost its defensive function. It was not used for military purposes until 1944. During the Great Patriotic War, military warehouses with small arms, communications equipment and military equipment were placed in the tower.
The tower came under the command of the Red Army on April 10, 1945 after the Soviet troops successfully stormed Koenigsberg.
At the moment, this building is an object of cultural heritage of the Russian Federation. It is under state protection.
How to get to the tower?
In the very center of the city is the Wrangel Tower in Kaliningrad. The address where it is located is Professor Baranov Street, 2a.
To get to this fortification, you can use private vehicles or public. Buses and fixed-route taxis passing through the city center always stop near the tower.
Nearby are the Central Market and Upper Lake. A little further - Victory Square, on which the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Kaliningrad was built.
Current State
Until recently, there was a restaurant in the Wrangel tower. The fortification passed into private hands in the 90s. In those days, the state did not have enough money to preserve architectural and cultural monuments, so the assets were willingly transferred to entrepreneurs who were ready to invest money.
A private investor appeared at the tower, who began to use the premises for commercial purposes, subject to the restoration of the tower. After that, many learned where the Wrangel tower in Kaliningrad was located. After all, for many years she stoodcompletely abandoned.
The plans of the new owner of the structure included the complete restoration of all engineering systems in their original form. In particular, the heating system was repaired. Since then, the restaurant has been heated exclusively with firewood, which the caring owners threw into the fireplace.
However, difficult times have come for tenants. The regional administration decided that the new owners were not properly fulfilling their obligations to restore the building, and decided to take it away.
It's hard to tell which side is the truth. The owner did invest in infrastructure and repairs, but what has been done is far from the original promises to recreate the tower in its original form. In addition, in recent years, the Wrangel Tower has become a venue for rock festivals. All this was accompanied by heavy drinking and inappropriate behavior by the guests.
In addition, the restaurant itself worked very mediocre. The kitchen left much to be desired. The owners relied on color and did not really care about the service and the attractiveness of the dishes. Of course, visiting such a restaurant is akin to going to a museum. Food fades into the background, but still such an attitude towards guests is not encouraging.
Managed by the Amber Museum
The Wrangel Tower in Kaliningrad (its photo is presented in the review) is currently taken from a private investor. Today, the building is managed by the regional agency for the protection of cultural heritage.
It's hard to say what will appear in this tower later. This should be decided by the council for culture under the governor. While the buildingdonated to the Amber Museum. Now the public and the authorities are discussing several options for how this room will be transformed.
It can be a museum of weapons, a museum of military and peaceful history of the region. The final decision must be made after the completion of the historical and cultural expertise. After that, the facade and interior of the building will be brought into proper shape at the state expense. It is also planned to restore the park that was adjacent to the tower, a moat with water, equip a historical platform in front of the entrance.
