The city of Yasnaya Polyana in the Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, (formerly Trakehnen in Prussia) was home to the world famous warmblood Trakehner horse breed stables. Trakehnen is derived from a West Baltic language, Old Prussian word 'trakis' meaning field or wilderness.

This land had been taboo, off limits to all people outside the Soviet Union for 50 years and information was almost non-existent. Under the Soviet Union the town of Trakehnen was named Yasnaya Polyana or Yasnaja Poliana ("clear glade"). The Russians retained the original name meaning "Field" because they used the Russian equivalent, which is derived from "Polje" ("field").

After the fall of the Iron Curtain new beginnings for this devastated land have been started by East Prussians now after 50 years being allowed to go back to the homeland. There they are setting up horse breeding stables for the Trakehner horses in the original location again, together with the Russians now living there.

Yasnaya Polyana is also the name of the home of Russian writer Leo Tolstoy. For many years, the estate has been a museum.

See also

List of cities of Kaliningrad Oblast

External links

• http://www.euronet.nl/~jlemmens/trakehnen.html
• http://www.trakehner.ru/
• http://www.imh.org/imh/bw/trak.html