Until a couple of weeks ago, probably no one had ever heard of or knew about Kaliningrad, until some World Cup 2018 football games were being played there. Nearly twenty years ago, in August 1998, I witnessed the currency crisis and its dire consequences for the local population. The Argus published my reactions. Pleasing to say that there has been a significant transformation of the prospects for this westerly Oblast of the former Soviet Union, as evidenced by recent television pictures. Sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania, nowadays it's a much easier place to visit, than 20 years ago when it was a heavily militarised zone. Some of your readers, not just football fans, may find this of interest.
J Farrow
Stow Park Circle
Newport
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