Resettlement of Germans to Kaliningrad: German-style fraud

ИА REGNUM. The German Government has absolutely nothing to do with the initiative of the Russian-German Rusformstroj wosroschdenie GmbH company to carry out a program to resettle Russian Germans to Russia, German Consul General to Kaliningrad Guido Herz told a REGNUM correspondent on August 22, while commenting on an August 22 article in Dvornik weekly (Kaliningrad). 

“I would like to point out that the German Government has never had a program to resettle Russian Germans and, naturally, will not have any in the future. This is a purely private program,” Herz said.

Dvornik’s article says that Germany’s Russian-speaking newspapers of up to 500,000 copies are carrying out a large-scale advertising campaign: they publish articles headlined: “Compatriots, Russia is Waiting for You!” The articles say that “well-known Russian-German company Rusformstroj wosroschdenie GmbH is acting in the framework of a Russian state program to support the voluntary resettlement to Kaliningrad and Kaliningrad region.”

The authors of the articles say that they in Kaliningrad have already created favorable conditions for German resettlers and their relatives from Siberia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. For example, the beneficiaries will be able to buy in Kaliningrad region housing designed and built “according to traditional German technologies” – a 43 sq m flat in a six-storied apartment house will cost just 19,900 EUR, while a two-storied mansion of 129.6 sq m – just 58,500 EUR. The newspapers even publish the photos of the houses. 

Besides, Rusformstroj wosroschdenie GmbH promises the German resettlers low bills, free travel by train, free phone installation, opportunity to get both Russian and German pensions, dual citizenship. 

Those wishing to take part in the program should make a contract and pay the first installment – 20% of the cost of the house – by September 1 2006, says Dvornik.