Ruins of the Teutonic Order in Centuries

All photos of this series were taken in Kaliningrad, the former Königsberg, which belonged to Germany till the end of WW II. From 1945 to nowadays this is a region of the Russian Federation. Last traces of Germans in this area are presented by ruined castles and churches. They were built between 13th and 16th centuries by the once majestic and militant Order of the Teutonic Knights, who came to conquer a Prussian land in 12th century. Now there is almost nothing left from the old castles and cathedrals except pitiful remnants that melt under the onslaught of time and weather. Nobody needs them, nobody cares. They seem to get lost like strangers in the middle of the current reality. Old ruins have become a part of the familiar landscape, nobody notices them. Life goes on. Fascinated by the nobility, the majesty and the serenity of the abandoned ruins, encouraged by their history, fragility and transience, I went to Kaliningrad where I took images, full of documentary realism and artistic romanticism. I photographed carefully all the ruins I could find there, trying to show all aspects of their current state. While working, I have realized that maybe just in few years they will be little different, and probably some of them will disappear forever. Since no action was taken for the restoration or conservation, it means that soon only the photo will be keeping the story of the ancient glory and its last days. Under each photo you will find the original name of the building, which it had until 1945, and the name of place where it stands today. After the annexation of Konigsberg all of the old titles and names have been withdrawn. All villages have been renamed, as well as Königsberg itself has been renamed to Kaliningrad.