City Sovetsk - Heir to the Famous Tilsit

The first mention of the settlement of people on the site of modern Soviets dates back to 1276. The status of the city was acquired in 1552. Now it is the second largest settlement of the Kaliningrad region. It is located practically on the very border with Lithuania, on the left coast of Neman, 123 kilometers from Kaliningrad itself.

The current name of the city was in 1946. Before that, it was called Tilsit and was one of the largest cities in East Prussia. The indigenous population is the Prussians, the nationality of the Baltic group, which today does not exist anymore.

In the XIII century, the city was conquered by the Teutonic Order, after which the share of the German population in it increased to 50%. By the XIX century it was already 70%. The XIX century is the time of especially intensive development of the city, accompanied by the active construction of civil, military, industrial and engineering facilities, which have survived to our time.

In 1807, he attracted the attention of the leading countries of the world, because it was here that the fateful Tilsit peace treaty between Russia and France was signed.

During the Second World War, the city was badly damaged: almost all the buildings along the Neman River were destroyed. By decision of the Potsdam's conference held in 1945, it moved to Russia and in 1946 it was renamed Sovetsk.

Today it has the status of an independent municipal entity. The economic base of the city is very developed, and the socio-cultural sphere is also distinguished by a high level. Sovetsk in the Kaliningrad Region is a major transport hub and river port. With all the Baltic republics and its bordering regions, Russia is connected by the Railway and numerous motor roads.

In the city there are more than 43 thousand people, of which about 34 thousand are Russian. Also here live Lithuanians, Ukrainians, Byelorussians, Poles and representatives of other nationalities.

The architectural appearance of the city is quite contrasting: it combines both examples of historical architecture and modern industrial buildings. In recent years, restoration work has been actively carried out to restore the facades of historic buildings. This helps create an atmosphere of a cozy European town.

The peculiarity of the city is that because of its border position, it is a place of concentration of military forces.

The Kaliningrad region has the status of a special economic zone. This makes Soviets very attractive for foreign capital. The competitive advantages of the city for investors are the following: geographic location, developed network of highways and railways, high population density in the presence of highly qualified personnel. Now in the city there are 13 enterprises with full foreign ownership, as well as 17 joint enterprises with the participation of foreign capital.

The most developed branches of the economy are pulp and paper, food, light industry, engineering, metal processing, and transport services. In 2001, Sovetsk entered the number of the best small cities in Russia in the entrepreneurial climate.

On the territory of the city there are 166 monuments of culture and history. Among them is the entrance arch of the bridge over the Neman named after Queen Louise. This bridge was erected in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Peace of Tilsit. Today it is the main symbol of the city.