The touch on the history of Sweden in the depth of Saxony

Not long ago I've gotten a wonderful opportunity to visit another interesting place located in Saxony and linked closely with the history of Sweden. Nowadays a small village of Altranstädt, located 10 kilometers away from Leipzig, definitely doesn’t play such important role like in the very beginning of 18^th century when Swedish king Charles XII stayed there for one year until he began his fatal Russian campaign of 1708 concluded with the defeat of Swedish army in the Battle of Poltava on 27 June 1709. You hardly could meet a large crowd of tourists there. Just a few local lovers of history or those who came from Sweden, Poland or Russia could break the silence of Altranstädt castle. I couldn't help feeling like the time has stopped in endless castle corridors with century-old oak floor for some completely incomprehensible reason.

In April 1945 the Western Saxony was conquered by American troops, under the command of General Patton. The Eastern Saxony, at the same time, was occupied by Soviet troops. The agreement on post-war occupation zones, during the Potsdam Conference, provided that the entire state of Saxony would come under Soviet control. As such, West Saxony was transferred to the Soviet Zone, by the American occupation forces in July 1945.

During the Soviet occupation the castle was turned into dwelling-house except a few rooms where negotiations have taken place in 1706 and 1707. Soon after the German reunification the castle was declared a national monument and a small museum located in two rooms has been completed. Not long ago the castle has been renovated although still remains unknown for many Germans. You can see a few pictures taken in the castle a few weeks ago.

The Treaty of Altranstädt (1706) was concluded between Charles XII of Sweden and Augustus the Strong of Saxony and Poland-Lithuania, on 13 October 1706. Augustus had to renounce his claims to the Polish throne and his alliance with Russia. Augustus the Strong made peace with the Swedish Empire and accepted Stanisław Leszczyński as the Polish king. Stanisław Leszczyński was crowned king of Poland on 4 October 1705. An allied attempt to regain control in Poland-Lithuania was thwarted by Charles XII in the Battle of Grodno and by Carl Gustav Rehnskiöld in the Battle of Fraustadt, both in the first months of 1706.

The Treaty or Convention of Altranstädt was signed between Charles XII of Sweden and Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor on 31 August 1707. It settled the rights of Protestants in Silesia. While the Protestant Reformation had strongly affected Silesia, the Habsburg emperors had subjected the province to the counter-reformation in the 18th century. Especially in Upper Silesia, these measures were successful: in the early 18th century, almost half of the Silesian population was Roman Catholic and some 1,000 churches had been rededicated from Protestant to Roman Catholic. During the Great Northern War, Charles XII of Sweden had marched his armies through Silesia and occupied the Electorate of Saxony, where he forced his adversary, elector August the Strong, into the Treaty of Altranstädt (1706). During his one year-long stay in the small town of Altranstädt near Leipzig, Charles XII negotiated a further treaty with the Habsburg emperor. Joseph I returned 125 churches to the Protestant communities and dispensed with any further counter-reformatory policies. Three Protestant consistories were permitted, restoring and stabilizing Silesian Lutheranism.

Nowadays Altranstädt is a village in Saxony, Germany, a part of the Markranstädt district of Leipzig. The village is historically famous for two treaties that were concluded there.

Aug 12, 2012 (Radio Free Europe). Russia is marking the 100th anniversary of its air force with an aviation parade and parachute drop at the Zhukovsky airfield outside of Moscow.  Lieutenant General Viktor Bondarev opened the celebrations and noted that 69 foreign countries had sent delegations to the event. Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a statement saying that "the development of military aviation is the priority of the country's military policy." He promised on August 11 that the air force will receive over 600 new combat planes and 1,000 helicopters by 2020 as part of a $720 billion military-reequipment effort.

Fifty States to Attend Moscow Missile Defense Conference

April 26 (RIA Novosti)  BRUSSELS.

Participants from 50 countries will attend a missile defense conference in Moscow on May 3-4, Chief of the Russian General Staff, Army Gen. Nikolai Makarov said. “There will be more than 150 participants from 50 states,” Makarov told journalists in Brussels on Wednesday after the NATO-Russia Council meeting. “NATO’s 28 member states have confirmed their participation.”
The conference, to be held by the Russian Defense Ministry, will also be attended by representatives of China, South Korea, Japan, the CIS and Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) countries. The proposed U.S.-led missile shield in Europe remains a major source of tension between Russia and the United States, and the Kremlin has threatened to deploy tactical weapons close to Europe if it is not made full partner in the scheme. 

Russia deploys S-400s in Kaliningrad

April 7, 2012 (Associated Press) A Russian newspaper Izvestia has reported that the military has begun deploying S-400 mobile surface-to-air missiles in Kaliningrad, the Baltic exclave bordered by Poland and Lithuania. Izvestia cited unnamed military officials as saying the missiles arrived Friday, but did not say how many. The Defense Ministry declined comment on the report. S-400s, Russia's most advanced surface-to-air missiles, have a range of 120-400 kilometers (75-250 miles). The report comes amid rising tension between the U.S. and Russia over Washington's plans for a missile-shield system in Europe, which Russia contends threatens its own defenses. S-400s are already deployed around Moscow and are planned to be placed in the Pacific Far East this year.

KYIV, November 10, 2011 (UKRINFORM). Ukraine regards with understanding the construction of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, which should ensure the transit of additional volumes of gas produced in northern Russia, Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Minister Yuriy Boiko has said.

"We regard with understanding the construction of Nord Stream, realizing that additional volumes of gas that will be produced at the Shtokman field and on the Yamal Peninsula require additional transit flows," he said.

At the same time, Boiko said that the Ukrainian gas transport system would remain the most economically attractive route for Russian gas transit to Europe.

"Our national interests correspond to the position that our gas transport system should be operated at full capacity. And we are demonstrating the reliability of our gas transport system, as well as its potential and economic attractiveness, to all of our European partners and Russian colleagues," Boiko said.

As reported, on November 8, the leaders of Germany, Russia, France and the Netherlands launched the first line of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, which was completed in June 2011. This line is expected to transport 27.5 billion cubic meters of gas per year. The second section of the pipeline, which is almost 70% finished, is to be commissioned next autumn.

Ukraine is the largest supplier of Russian gas to Europe. Gazprom's plan on gas transit through Ukraine this year is 102.7 billion cubic meters, of which over 99 billion cubic meters will be supplied to Europe.

Ukraine to start demarcation of border with Russia from Chernihiv region

KYIV, August 29, 2011 (UKRINFORM). Ukraine and Russia can begin the demarcation of the state border in September 2011. Such a conclusion was made by the Ukrainian-Russian interstate commission.

The border demarcation will start from Chernihiv region. The first border pillars on an over 2,000-kilometer-long border will appear in the village of Senkivka. As reported, on June 4, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kostiantyn Hryshchenko said he expected the demarcation of the Ukrainian-Russian border to start in the second half of 2011. The joint Ukrainian-Russian demarcation commission held its first meeting in December 2010.

The commission began its work on the basis of an agreement on border demarcation, which was signed in May 2010 and which foresees the demarcation of the border in line with the agreement of January 29, 2003. Ukraine and Russia have no disputable issues concerning the land border.