Monument to Empress who conquered Prussia to be erected in Kaliningrad Region

The ceremonial laying of the foundation of a monument to Empress Elizabeth, whose rule saw East Prussia incorporated into the Russian Empire, took place in Baltiisk (Kaliningrad Region) on Friday, May 16. According to Rosbalt's correspondent, the ceremony was attended by Russian Culture Minister Mikhail Shvydkoi and Kaliningrad Regional Governor Vladimir Yegorov, who placed a memorial capsule in the future monument's foundation.

The bronze equine statue of the empress will be erected on the Baltic coast at Russia's most western point. A fort housing museum exhibits will also be built there. The monument has been created by the well-known sculptor Georgy Frangulyan. The statue is being paid for by a public fund to which Moscow and Kaliningrad businesspeople have contributed about USD 1.3 million.

The message enclosed in the capsule says that the erection of the statue, which is planned for the middle of September, is not just a major cultural event for the region, but also an important political act, which 'confirms Russia's unshakeable presence on the most westerly frontier of our country.'