Why is Kaliningrad not part of Lithuania (or Poland)?

[Blue3]

Why is Kaliningrad not part of Lithuania (or Poland)?

Both Lithuania and Kaliningrad were in the same country, the Soviet Union, but when all the other states broke away, Russia kept small Kaliningrad, smudged right in-between Poland and Lithuania. It has prevented many families in Kaliningrad from permanently reuniting with their families in nearby Lithuania or Poland.  

I know, my Polish great-grandmother immigrated from the area near Vilnius around 1908, and after all the turmoil in that area in the 20th century, most of her Polish cousins and nieces/nephews are stuck in Kaliningrad, with a few in Lithuania, and one in Belarus, though they're all Polish (both my grandmother here in RI and her first cousin in Kaliningrad, who she never met in real life but have been pen pals since the 1930s/1940s, are still alive and in their mid-90's).

It used to be part of East Prussia and then Germany (once their capital, before Berlin), but was annexed and purged of Germans by the Soviet Union in April 1945. But the natives of the land continue to be Polish/Lithuanians, and the Soviets forced more to migrate there out of Poland and Lithuania, like my distant cousins.

Why did Russia hold onto it? Why is it not part of Lithuania?



For those who might never have noticed it on a map... or noticed, thought it was odd Russia still had a bit over there, but didn't think much of it and didn't know the name:

[Blue3]

Why did Russia hold onto it? Why is it not part of Lithuania?

Kaliningrad was already a part of the Russian Soviet Federative Republic, which transformed into Russia we know today.

Yes, but why? Why didn't they transfer it to Lithuania while they were in the same country for decades?

Because it was geographically connected to the U. S. S. R.

It was part of the USSR, so was Lithuania.

The entire population is ethnic Russian. There are no Lithuanians or Poles there at all, and never really were, at least in the last few centuries. It was nearly 100% German, and then, after the Germans were expelled, was settled almost exclusively with Russians (not Poles or Lithuanians).

So my family doesn't exist?

[Blue3]

Exactly which bits of the Soviet Union went into which 'Republic' was at the time not terribly relevant; the Empire was not a genuine federal entity and it was never supposed to break up.

Yes, so why wasn't this part of Lithuania, since it's not continuous with the rest of Russia?

It's strategically important - assigning Kalingrad to Lithuania would mean Russia would have lost its only permanently non-frozen port.

St Petersburg? All the ports in the Black Sea? All their ports in the far east? (like say, Vladivostok)

St. Petersburg freezes in winter.

And that is why, aside of other strategically important reasons, Russia wouldn't and won't give up the oblast.

But when it was the Soviet Union, that didn't matter.

And now, in order to get anything out of the oblast in wintertime to the rest of actual Russia, it needs to either pass through NATO states by air or land...

[Blue3]

Yes, so why wasn't this part of Lithuania, since it's not continuous with the rest of Russia?

My guess is Uncle Joe simply playing Divide et Impera.

And now, in order to get anything out of the oblast in wintertime to the rest of actual Russia, it needs to either pass through NATO states by air or land...

You still have the sea route. Beside, Russia is certainly very happy to have such an enclave in the middle of NATO territory, just like Americans, British and French valued West Berlin.

If they still have the sea route, then there's no need for Kaliningrad.

It used to be part of East Prussia and then Germany (once their capital, before Berlin)

Huh? Königsberg was never the capital of Germany.

Prussia

[Blue3]

Königsberg (RIP) was only ever the capital of the part of the Hohenzollern domains outside the boundaries of the Holy Roman Empire; i.e. what was then known as the Duchy of Prussia and which later became East Prussia.

East Prussia, Prussia.

I read it here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%B6nigsberg

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Yes, so why wasn't this part of Lithuania, since it's not continuous with the rest of Russia?

My guess is Uncle Joe simply playing Divide et Impera.

And now, in order to get anything out of the oblast in wintertime to the rest of actual Russia, it needs to either pass through NATO states by air or land...

You still have the sea route. Beside, Russia is certainly very happy to have such an enclave in the middle of NATO territory, just like Americans, British and French valued West Berlin.

If they still have the sea route, then there's no need for Kaliningrad.

I'm sorry, but I don't see any sense in this post.

You said they still have a sea-route into the rest of Russia from Kaliningrad.

But you said they need Kaliningrad because it's the only seaport that's not frozen in the winter in that area of Russia. And I said it still doesn't make much sense, since anything that's imported into Kaliningrad would need to go through NATO countries by air or land to make it to the rest of Russia.

[Blue3]

But you said they need Kaliningrad because it's the only seaport that's not frozen in the winter in that area of Russia. And I said it still doesn't make much sense, since anything that's imported into Kaliningrad would need to go through NATO countries by air or land to make it to the rest of Russia.

So? Why should it make Kaliningrad not being strategically important for Russia?

I don't understand what you don't understand.

You said it would be needed as a port, as the only port that doesn't freeze in winter in that area of Russia.

I said anything that is at that port, in order to make it to or from the rest of Russia, would need to go through NATO by land or air.

You said, no, by water.

I said: "but you said all the other ports in that area would be frozen in winter, and that's why they need Kaliningrad in the first place."


I'm not sure where we are miscommunicating...