The Strait of Baltiysk (Russian: Балтийский пролив, Polish: Cieśnina Piławska, German: Pillauer Tief) is a strait enabling passage from the Baltic Sea into the brackish Vistula Lagoon, located in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia. The constructed strait separates the Vistula Spit from the peninsula (called Pillau Peninsula in Russia: Пиллауский полуостров, after the Pillau Fortress [de]) which was part of the Vistula Spit in the 15th century and now is part of Sambian Peninsula.
Sambian peninsulaLandsat satellite photo taken circa 2000
The strait is the shipping connection from the high sea to the important Russian ports of Baltiysk and Kaliningrad in the northeastern lagoon, as well as to the Polish ports of Elbląg, Braniewo, Tolkmicko, Frombork, Sztutowo, Krynica Morska, and Nowa Pasłęka in the southeastern lagoon.[1] On 17 September 2022, Poland opened a new canal through the Vistula Spit, which will allow ships to enter the Polish port of Elbląg without passing through the Strait of Baltiysk in Russia's Kaliningrad region.[2]
Russian blockadeedit
The Strait of Baltiysk is a strait where international navigation is governed by a non-suspendable innocent passage regime under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (dead-end strait).[3] Despite the law since the 1990s Russia periodically blocks navigation via the strait to Polish ports.
Since 2006, Poland has considered digging another canal across the Vistula Spit in order to circumvent this restriction.[1] The Vistula Spit canal started construction in 2019 and opened in 2022.
Historyedit
In 1497 a storm surge dug a new gat, then called the Neues [Pillauer] Tief or Pillauer Seetief (New [Pillau] Deep, Pillau Sea Deep), through the Vistula Spit. In 1510 another storm surge widened and deepened that gat to navigability. It measured 550 metres (1,800 ft) in length and 360 metres (1,180 ft) in width. In 1626 King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden landed with 37 ships next to the gat, at a spot already slightly fortified, transforming it into the Pillau Fortress [de], and holding it for ten years (till the Treaty of Stuhmsdorf), also in order to pressure his brother-in-law George William, Duke of Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg, to support him in the Polish–Swedish War and the Thirty Years' War. The Swedes extended the adjacent Pillau village and built its first place of worship, a Lutheran church. In 1638 the Duke moved his residence to the close-by ducal capital Königsberg in Prussia.
In the 1960s the gat was expanded and now it measures 400 metres (1,300 ft) in width and 12 metres (39 ft) in depth.
strait, baltiysk, russian, Балтийский, пролив, polish, cieśnina, piławska, german, pillauer, tief, strait, enabling, passage, from, baltic, into, brackish, vistula, lagoon, located, kaliningrad, oblast, russia, constructed, strait, separates, vistula, spit, fr. The Strait of Baltiysk Russian Baltijskij proliv Polish Ciesnina Pilawska German Pillauer Tief is a strait enabling passage from the Baltic Sea into the brackish Vistula Lagoon located in Kaliningrad Oblast Russia The constructed strait separates the Vistula Spit from the peninsula called Pillau Peninsula in Russia Pillauskij poluostrov after the Pillau Fortress de which was part of the Vistula Spit in the 15th century and now is part of Sambian Peninsula Sambian peninsula Landsat satellite photo taken circa 2000 Contents 1 Shipping 1 1 Russian blockade 2 History 3 ReferencesShipping editThe strait is the shipping connection from the high sea to the important Russian ports of Baltiysk and Kaliningrad in the northeastern lagoon as well as to the Polish ports of Elblag Braniewo Tolkmicko Frombork Sztutowo Krynica Morska and Nowa Pasleka in the southeastern lagoon 1 On 17 September 2022 Poland opened a new canal through the Vistula Spit which will allow ships to enter the Polish port of Elblag without passing through the Strait of Baltiysk in Russia s Kaliningrad region 2 Russian blockade edit The Strait of Baltiysk is a strait where international navigation is governed by a non suspendable innocent passage regime under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea dead end strait 3 Despite the law since the 1990s Russia periodically blocks navigation via the strait to Polish ports Since 2006 Poland has considered digging another canal across the Vistula Spit in order to circumvent this restriction 1 The Vistula Spit canal started construction in 2019 and opened in 2022 History editIn 1497 a storm surge dug a new gat then called the Neues Pillauer Tief or Pillauer Seetief New Pillau Deep Pillau Sea Deep through the Vistula Spit In 1510 another storm surge widened and deepened that gat to navigability It measured 550 metres 1 800 ft in length and 360 metres 1 180 ft in width In 1626 King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden landed with 37 ships next to the gat at a spot already slightly fortified transforming it into the Pillau Fortress de and holding it for ten years till the Treaty of Stuhmsdorf also in order to pressure his brother in law George William Duke of Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg to support him in the Polish Swedish War and the Thirty Years War The Swedes extended the adjacent Pillau village and built its first place of worship a Lutheran church In 1638 the Duke moved his residence to the close by ducal capital Konigsberg in Prussia In the 1960s the gat was expanded and now it measures 400 metres 1 300 ft in width and 12 metres 39 ft in depth References edit a b What Changes will a Canal on the Vistula Spit bring in Polish Poland to open new shipping canal near Russia next month Officials Bugajski Dariusz R 2021 Navigational rights and freedoms in the international law and practice pp 273 277 ISBN 978 83 961549 1 0 OCLC 1267382284 54 38 28 N 19 52 42 E 54 64111 N 19 87833 E 54 64111 19 87833 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Strait of Baltiysk amp oldid 1205733986, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
