Exclavity of the Kaliningrad region: experience of explication

Abstract

The article explores the concept of exclavity using the Kaliningrad region as an example. The authors analyse the concept of exclavity, identify its key attributes and the degree of their relevance, describe indicators of exclavity as well as factors influencing it. The main attributes of the Kaliningrad region’s exclavity are geographical separation and remoteness. The authors distinguish two types of exclavity, absolute (attributive) and relative (functional), identify strategies for overcoming absolute exclavity and offer functional solutions to the ‘access problem’. Among these solutions are extraterritorial corridors and transit regimes. Exclaves are viewed as unique border territories where the balance between the barrier and contact functions of the border serves as an indicator of relative exclavity. The authors analyse key factors relevant to absolute exclavity and its functional state: the geopolitical context, the exclave policy of the parent state, the condition of the exclave as a territorial unit, and the identity of its population. The study employs a range of methods and approaches, including logical analysis, case studies, and comparative analysis.