"Fisherman-Baltic"

Virtual tour: village Mysovka - Slavsky district. Curonian Venice - few know that in the Kaliningrad region there is a village, which in the last century was so called by the people. Karkeln (Karkeln) was one of the most beautiful and prosperous settlements in East Prussia. In the thirties of the twentieth century, this heavenly place received the status of exemplary village. Lush gardens, stretched on both sides of the river, which flows into the Curonian Lagoon, beautiful houses with orange, tiled roofs, wide, elevated roads. About a thousand people lived in the village. Apparently, these places had a rich history dating back centuries. During construction work carried out in 1905, a stone ax and fragments of boats were found during excavations of the hill, which made it possible to assume that people of the Stone Age lived here.

Fishing, agriculture, commerce and crafts flourished in these places. Along the banks of the river one could see a large number of fishing boats with large sails. The weekly market, which was held every Friday, gathered a huge number of people in Carkeln. The products of this village (in particular the cheese "Tilziter") was known far beyond the village. Separately, it is worth noting the transport system - in addition to the excellent highway, the village had its own railway station with a narrow-gauge railway - this was the way of communication with Koenigsberg (Kaliningrad) and Tilsit (Soviet). In addition to this, passenger steamers plied here, deep-sea coal vessels came in, which ensured the transport communication by water.

Noteworthy is how tourism flourished here. Boat trips to the Curonian Lagoon were often carried out daily, often combined with schoolwork. People from all over the region and even from Tilsit came to these excursions. In the summer, among the guests and locals of the village, the famous Weinberg Island in the lagoon, right in front of Carkeln, enjoyed particular honor. It was a beautiful sandy beach, separated from the village by a decent stretch of water, dotted with thousands of flowers of yellow and white water lilies. In 1896, 6 pumping stations operated, ensuring timely drainage of polder lands. To power these pumping stations, a central power station was built nearby. The first church in Carkeln was built in 1680 from wood and clay. In 1760 a stone church was built, and in 1900 the church was expanded with the addition of a sanctuary and a bell tower. On October 13, 1944, this very bell tower, with its alarming sound, broke the silence of the village. At that moment no one suspected what this bell alarm bell actually meant. This day is especially marked in the history of the Curonian Venice - on this day the civilian population began its evacuation. Residents were forced to leave their homes and most of them subsequently did not see their homes. Mayor Michael Mainus later wrote in his book that on January 20, 1945, the Wehrmacht and Volkssturm left Carkeln. 25 houses were burned, many were significantly damaged. The village was devastated. This ends the history of the Curonian Venice. Carkeln ceased to exist with the end of the Second World War, and now this village was named Mysovka (Slavsky District). I have special feelings associated with this village, because now my father is buried there.

Of course, at present this village does not carry within itself a thousandth part of the greatness that could be observed eighty years ago. However, from the picture from the air, you can at least imagine what was here a century ago ...