The Prussian volost Shaaken (Saken) is first mentioned in the Teutonic Order’s chronicle in 1258. Among the Prussians, before the conquest of these lands by the Teutonic Order, there was a fortified castle called Zoke. The name of the castle gradually transformed from Zoke to Shokin to Shaaken. All these words refer to the Old Prussian "shokis" — grass. Unlike other castles, this one was deliberately built in a lowland, among marshes, in thick grass. Its natural defense was an almost impassable swamp surrounding the castle. The first mention of the burg (fortress) Shaaken in the Order’s chronicles dates back to the 1270s. This was the time of suppressing the Great Prussian Uprising in Samland. The owner of the Zoke fortress sided with the rebels and was either expelled or killed.

The "History of Old Prussia" states that the Order’s wooden fortress in Shaaken began construction in 1261. Medieval builders laid their fortress not on the coast of the Curonian Lagoon, but about four kilometers from it. For construction, the Shaaken River (now Bolshaya Moryanka) was dammed, and a defensive fortification was built on the marshy, swampy ground. The chronicle also mentions that by 1270, the bishop’s wooden fortress in Shaaken was completed. Starting from 1328, it was rebuilt in stone.

Powerful walls up to 9 meters high, a surrounding water moat, three rings of defense, a well-trained and sizable garrison for those times of 20 knights and 100 infantrymen — Shaaken was never taken by assault. The fortress protected the eastern borders of Prussia from Lithuanian invasions from the lagoon side. Over time, the defensive structure lost its strategic importance. It was constantly rebuilt, acquiring elements of different styles and eras: Classicism, Renaissance, Baroque, Gothic. The castle preserved to this day (the main fortress building), for example, gained neo-Gothic battlements and corner towers in the early 19th century. Shaaken’s uniqueness lies in its oval shape. Order castles usually had a rectangular form.

Shaaken had two foreburges — a small one in the northwest and a large one in the east. Presumably, another foreburg could have been located in the southeast, which today can be proven through excavations. The small foreburg had the shape of a triangular island within an extensive system of moats. It was separated from the castle by an inner moat, and access was via the aforementioned bridge. The foreburg also had two exits via bridges to the west and to the second foreburg in the east, fortified by walls, to the inner side of which two long and narrow utility buildings were attached. They were arranged at right angles to each other and had a tower at the junction. The significantly more spacious second foreburg had a trapezoidal shape and was surrounded by a fortress wall and moats. The eastern part of the wall was reinforced by two corner towers. The large foreburg had an exit via a drawbridge to the south towards the mill and Lishka.

During the Order’s time, Shaaken was the residence of the Landvogt — the administrator of the castle and the nearby territory of Samland. Since 1397, it became part of the Königsberg Komturei. In 1398, a large number of craftsmen are mentioned here, two taverns (according to documents), two shoemakers, a baker, a merchant, a butcher, a tailor, and a gardener. They were given land and one horse shared among them for morning work. In the mid-14th century, a church was built two kilometers southeast of the castle, and around 1425 a Kammeramt (chamber office) was organized. Today, the names of 21 Order knights who held the position of castle administrator are known. The most famous are Henrich Holt, who rose in the Order hierarchy to the position of Grand Marshal during the time of Hochmeister Paul von Rusdorf, and Wilhelm von Eppingen, the fifth Vogt, who in 1471 became the Grand Komtur and right hand of Hochmeister Heinrich von Richtenberg. Many "Shaaken" names appeared in the history of the Order State in Prussia as Komturs in other castles.

After the colonization of Prussia, Prussian customs and language persisted in this area for several centuries. The church took into account the needs of the Prussian population and tried with missionary zeal to instill Christian customs and turn them away from "pagan superstitions." It is incorrect to say that the Prussian language was suppressed. On the contrary, many Landvogts of Samland knew the Prussian language due to the necessity of leading Prussian vitingas, with whom they repelled Lithuanian attacks and themselves repeatedly invaded Lithuania. As late as 1569, in a report on the inspection by Bishop Joachim Merlin, it is noted that in Shaaken, during the service, a translator of the Prussian language stood next to the pastor.

From the 13th to the 16th century, there are no mentions anywhere of Shaaken being taken by an enemy. Lithuanians repeatedly attempted to penetrate Samland via the lagoon, but all were repelled. The most powerful strike was delivered by a large Lithuanian army in the winter of 1370. Led by Princes Olgierd and Kęstutis, they bypassed Shaaken and reached Rudau (now Melnikovo settlement). The Grand Marshal of the Order, Johann Schindekopf, who was at his residence in Königsberg, waited for reinforcements from Lochstedt (now Baltiysk) and struck the Lithuanian forces. In a fierce battle, the Lithuanians were defeated. The marshal himself was mortally wounded and died on the way to Königsberg. At the battle site, in his honor, Hochmeister Winrich von Kniprode erected a commemorative column, which was repeatedly restored over the centuries.

In 1525, when the Teutonic Order’s possessions were secularized, the castle became a ducal residence. After the Order’s secularization in 1525, Prussia became a secular state headed by Duke Albrecht. At the same time, the castle briefly fell into the hands of rebellious peasants led by Hans Gerike or Gerike Talau from the Prussians.

In the 16th century, only three Prussian noble families remained in the Shaaken area: von Talau, von Merikke, and von Sallet. Among the German nobility, the last of the Jagenroth family moved to Sudnicken (Pirogovo). The castle itself housed the Samland land administration, headed by one of the duke’s four counselors.

The ancient fortress was destroyed by a severe fire in 1606. This was a time when the Prussian opposition sought to free itself from the authority of the Brandenburg Elector. The Shaaken district administrator Otto von der Greben, with his supporters, fled for help to the Polish king. In 1684, the castle began to be restored. During the works, significant architectural changes were made to the appearance of the castle’s interior.

During the Great Embassy’s journey to Europe in 1697, upon arrival in Memel (Klaipeda, Lithuania), they stayed there for two days. The delay was due to choosing the further route. On May 10, "many officials and their embassy people with all sorts of baggage went by water in boats through the strait called Hof-Shaaken to the town of Shaaken, six miles from Königsberg, while they themselves went from Memel by land on the same day on the elector’s carts and carriages." In total, 65 people arrived in Shaaken, along with luggage and 40 horses.

On November 11, 1711, on the way to Russia, Peter I stayed overnight in Shaaken with Catherine. The next day they sailed to Memel. The following year (1712), traveling on business to Pomerania, Peter and Catherine reached Memel via Riga, from where they arrived in Shaaken by the Curonian Lagoon – Haff. In 1717, returning from a long foreign trip, Peter chose the now traditional route through Prussia. On September 23, the tsar stopped for lunch with the burgomaster in Königsberg, then departed for Shaaken, arriving in the evening. After spending the night in the castle, on the morning of September 24, he departed by yacht to Memel.

Catherine the Great also stayed here, and the headquarters of General Vasily Suvorov — father of the great commander — was located here. A plaque commemorating this event was not removed even by the fascists. It disappeared several years ago.

Shaaken was practically undamaged during the Great Patriotic War. From late 1945, the castle housed a shelter for German orphaned children, which lasted until 1947. After the war, the castle grounds were used as a collective farm stable, which existed until the early 1960s. Then the castle was given over for housing, and the auxiliary premises were used for household needs.

In the 1980s, only one family lived in the castle, using the still habitable rooms. The lack of timely repairs, indifference, and irresponsibility of local authorities led to the destruction of the castle building, and the remaining structures turned into ruins.

In the 2000s, the castle was leased to private individuals, restoration work was underway, and part of the fortress wall was rebuilt. Tourist excursions were held in the castle, a museum exhibition was assembled, medieval prison torture devices were displayed, and exotic animals were kept (a children’s corner). In 2011, the castle was transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church. In 2012, a fire broke out on the premises.

Sources:

https://glukovarenik.livejournal.com/2329280.html

https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Замок_Шаакен

https://www.kaliningrad.kp.ru/daily/23727/267988/

https://obiskusstve.com/1299265479508232682/prussiya-v-kaliningradskoj-oblasti-zamok-shaaken/