Poland decided to rename Kaliningrad. The Kremlin is furious

Baku/10.05.23/Turan: Poland's Committee on Standardisation of Geographical Names Outside the Republic of Poland has recommended changing the name of the Russian city of Kaliningrad to Królewiec, and the exclave's wider area to Obwód Królewiecki, citing the negative connotations associated with the current name in Poland.

The committee noted that the name Kaliningrad had no connection to the city or region and was linked to Soviet politician Mikhail Kalinin, who was involved in the execution of thousands of Polish prisoners of war in 1940.

The recommendation, while not binding, is expected to be adopted by Polish state bodies. In response, the Kremlin has criticized the move as a "hostile act," as tensions between Russia and Poland remain high following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Historically, relations between the two countries have been strained, with Poland accusing the Soviet Union of imposing a communist regime after World War II.

Poland has also supported Ukraine in the ongoing conflict with Russia and has recently increased its efforts to remove Soviet-era memorials across the country.

Kaliningrad was known by the German name of Koenigsberg until after World War II, when it was annexed by the Soviet Union and renamed to honour Soviet politician Mikhail Kalinin.