Lesnoy, Kaliningrad Oblast
Lesnoi (Russian Лесной, such as " forest village"; until 1946 German Sarkau; Old Prussian Sarkaw, Lithuanian Šarkuva ) is a village in Rajon Selenogradsk ( circle Cranz ) of the Kaliningrad Oblast ( region Königsberg ( Prussia), Russia) and belongs to Selskoje posselenioje Kurschskaja Kossa (Town Curonian Spit ). It had until 1944 German population and today about 350 Russian citizens. The place is situated on the Curonian Spit, at the narrowest point with 350 m of the Spit.
Political affiliation
Lesnoi now belongs to Rajon Selenogradsk of the Kaliningrad Oblast. From 1874 to 1945 Sarkau in the District Rossitten (now Russian: Rybatschi ) incorporated, and by 1939 the village belonged to the circle Fischhausen (now Primorsk ) to; 1939-1945 County Sambia, which was formed on 1 April 1939 the two circles Fischhausen and Konigsberg country. 1939 Sarkau counted 705 inhabitants.
Because of its affiliation with the Soviet Union from 1945, the village now called Lesnoi came to the newly formed Rajon Selenogradsk ( circle Cranz ) in Kaliningrad Oblast. From 1947 to 2008, the place in the Rybatschi Selski was soviet ( village soviet Rossitten ) incorporated and is a "municipal " since 2008 (Russian: possjolok ) classified within the village Selskoje posselenije Kurschskaja Kossa (Town Curonian Spit ).
History
Sarkau (of Old Prussian Sarke for Elster) is probably one of the oldest settlement sites on the Spit ( Curonian cemeteries on Sarkauer area ). The first historical mention is found in 1362 in the Prussian document book. 1408 an inn on the post road to Memel / Klaipėda is mentioned. The bird population was very large. A privilege from 1656 states that had to be paid for a bird stove, crows and throttle catch, annual interest rate of 1 Taler and 6 dimes. The population of the Spit improved their diet on by the consumption of black birds that are similar to taste like dove. The birds were caught with nets and killed quickly and painlessly in the head with a bite. Therefore, the Sarkauer " crows biter " ( Krajebieter ) were called. The fishing season lasted from October to December, the catch rate was 60-100 pieces per day, mostly crows. Later, the crows were used not only for enriching your dining slip, but also offered by the Sarkauern on the market in Cranz and Königsberg and sold to hotels and restaurants, partly as crows, but also under names such as " Nehrungstauben " or " Sarkaugänse ".
Since the time of the German Teutonic Knights were in Sarkauer area ( forestry border ) until well into the 18th century, a famous falconry, provided the hunting falcon at many European courts. Exact figures on the history lie since about 1531/1532 before the Schaakener official statement. Then, in place lived Sarkau the innkeeper as well as 35 vessels and 12 Insten (Half Fischer). In 1569, the official statement from 2 Krüger ( innkeepers ), 32 fishermen and 19 Half- fishermen. From about 1570 the first signs of silting by shifting sand dunes made themselves felt and the place was, like many other places laid on the Spit. The old Sarkau was about 1.5 km north of the present village location.
Silting and plague were the greatest plagues that afflicted the Spit. Due to the increasing impoverishment of the fishermen Sarkauern was granted the privilege to fish in the entire Curonian Lagoon. Other fishing villages were allowed to fish in designated parts of the lagoon. Compliance with the fishing rights woke the local inspector. Fishing in the villages of the Curonian Spit was performed predominantly Haff, but also in the Baltic Sea. Sarkau had here because of the particularly narrow spit the only community in both a lagoon - like a sea beach directly at the location. In the Baltic Sea flounder and turbot were mainly caught but Sarkau had also a significant cod and salmon fishing on.
In the late 18th century, the Sarkauer Fischer " nomadic fishermen " were. They left in the spring of their place and settled over the summer in places where fishing promised good catch. It was not until 100 years later with the burgeoning tourism fishermen from Sarkau were re- settled.
1811 began between Cranz and Sarkau the reforestation of the Spit to protect against sand dunes by the Danish forester Soren Bjorn.
On the night of 3rd to December 4th 1924 crashed in a violent storm 13 Sarkauer fishing in the Baltic Sea. The size of the place lost in the tragedy many families their fathers and sons as breadwinner. In the entire German Reich families Fund was for the Sarkauer collected and furnished the bereaved could pay off a modest pension. In memory of this disaster 10 years was inaugurated the Sarkauer Fischer Memorial later in 1934, which was located in the center of the village on the village street. It now no longer exists.
Until 1944 Sarkau remained a fishing village with a small spa and bathing. Appreciated were mainly smoked flounder from the numerous Räuchergruben of the place. These received their special Räuchernote by adding pine cones for smoking.
The population fled in late 1944 and in January 1945 from the advancing Red Army.
By joining the RSFSR, 1945, the town name was changed to Lesnoi. Since the 1990s, created here a number of houses and dachas.
Church
Church building
A former fishermen's church was built in 1901 replaced by a new brick church. For them, the Empress Auguste Viktoria donated a specially encased in silver Bible. Unusual was the north-south direction of the church, the tower stood in the north.
During and after the Second World War remained of the house of God, only the nave. It has been misused and used by a Fischerkolchose as a warehouse, which was demolished after 1965. On the foundations was built a cultural center, with some old parts of the wall were used. The question of whether the Russian Orthodox Church takes over the building is open.
Parish
Sarkau was an old and already in pre-Reformation time existing Kirchdorf. Since entry of the Reformation to 1551 it was used by Rossitten (now Russian: Rybatschi ), then until 1808 by Kunzen (Russian: Krasnoretschje, today no longer exists ) from supplies. Then Sarkau was again a branch church of Rossitten and belonged to the parish of Königsberg Land II in the Ecclesiastical Province of East Prussia the Church of the Old Prussian Union. Within this church district Sarkau changed again in 1885, when it (now Russian: Selenogradsk ) according to Cranz was umgepfarrt. In 1897, belonged to the parish Sarkau ( with the Venue parish boundary which no longer exists today ) 415 church members.
Since the 1990s, is again part of an Evangelical Lutheran church in their catchment area Lesnoi today in Selenogradsk ( Cranz ). The parish official supervision lies with the clergy of the Church of the Resurrection in Kaliningrad (Königsberg ) within the Kaliningrad provost of the Evangelical Lutheran Church Europäoisches Russia.
Attractions
Today Lesnoi again has a modest, mostly Russian tourism. In the resort, the hotel is Kurschskaja Kossa, and the old school house an office for ecotourism. About two kilometers north lies a home or Nehrungsmuseum at the Bay View. At the Bay View a Russian bank has built a sophisticated guesthouse.