On a promontory of the Russian city of Neman, overlooking the peaceful Neman River in the enclave of Kaliningrad, a castle is being restored. With thick brick walls, a watchtower and water as the final rampart, its defense is solid. And the view of neighboring Lithuania, a stone's throw — or arrow — away, is impregnable. Yet this image is deceptive. While the crisis between Vilnius and Moscow has reached a critical level, with the Russian territory of Kaliningrad at stake, an armed confrontation is not yet on the agenda. Besides, Ragnit Castle (the old Prussian name for Neman) would not be of much use in a modern war.
Those who undertook the renovation of this structure built by the Teutonic Order in 1409 are just peaceful lovers of history and old stones. "My brother has Lithuanian citizenship," said their "leader," Ivan Artioukh, a successful entrepreneur who started the project in 2018, first on his own and then with support from the region. Yet Mr. Artioukh and his friends in the NGO Defenders of the Ruins, committed to preserving Kaliningrad's Prussian heritage, are not spared from the buildup of regional tensions.
On June 17, the Lithuanian authorities informed Moscow that they were refusing transit through their territory of products sanctioned by the European Union in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The detailed list runs to a hundred pages: metallurgy, electronics, aircraft parts, oil and gas equipment, fertilizers, but also several everyday consumer goods such as perfumes, alcohol, cigarettes, earthenware, plumbing, jewelry, caviar and truffles...
It is now forbidden to transport these goods to or from Kaliningrad by road or rail, the umbilical cord linking the enclave to the "mainland." From August 10, coal and gasoline will be added to this list of products, some of which are already in short supply in Russia. Further south, at the Chernichevskoye border crossing, the gravity of these restrictions is visible: The line of trucks stretches for several kilometers because of reinforced controls. The drivers are preparing to wait in the scorching heat for several days, perhaps a week. Trains, it is said, are suffering the same setbacks.
Moscow promises a strong response
In Ragnit Castle, too, the decision's impact was immediately felt. For a few weeks now, the construction site has been working in slow-motion. There is a shortage of wood from Siberia and steel beams used for the roofing. "Fortunately, I had a good supply of cement," said Mr. Artioukh. The entire business of the 49-year-old entrepreneur, a local patron, is suffering. As the head of a laundry company, he can no longer supply his Belgian machines with spare parts. The cheese factory next to the castle, his latest passion, could also be threatened. The castle needs a thousand little elements – mirrors or pretty furniture – that Mr. Artioukh, the owner, loves and brings from Europe. Foreign tourists have disappeared since the Covid-19 pandemic. Fortunately, the Russians still come.
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