Yasnaya Polyana

Yasnaya Polyana (-Russian: ????? ??????, German: Trakhenen, Lithuanian: Trak?nai, Polish: Trakenach) is a town in the Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia.

Related Topics:
Russian - German - Lithuanian - Polish - Kaliningrad Oblast - Russia

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The town of Yasnaya Polyana was once known as Trakhenen in the German province of East Prussia. The older name Trakehnen is derived from the Old Prussian word trakis meaning "field" or "wilderness." The town was home to the world-famous warmblood Trakehner horse breed stables.

Related Topics:
East Prussia - Old Prussian - Warmblood - Trakehner - Horse breed

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After the Soviet Union occupied East Prussia at the end of World War II and divided the province between the Kaliningrad Oblast and Poland, the town was renamed from Trakehnen to Yasnaya Polyana or Yasnaja Poliana ("clear glade"). Although the town received a new name, the Russian name retains the original reference to fields, as Polje means "field" or "glade".

Related Topics:
Soviet Union - World War II - Poland - Russian

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The land was off-limits to all people outside of the Soviet Union for 50 years and information was almost non-existent. After the fall of the Iron Curtain some East Prussian Germans have been allowed to go back to their birthplace. There they are setting up horse breeding stables for the Trakehner horses in the original location again, together with the Russians now living there.

Related Topics:
Soviet Union - Iron Curtain

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~