W dniach 22-24 października oraz 5-7 listopada 2014 roku Urząd Miasta Ełku gościł dwie ostatnie  grupy młodzieży z Ozierska, które aktywnie spędziły czas w Ełku w ramach projektu „Rozwój turystyki aktywnej płaszczyzną polsko – rosyjskiej współpracy” współfinansowanego ze środków Unii Europejskiej w ramach Programu Współpracy Transgranicznej Litwa – Polska – Rosja 2007 – 2013.

Dzięki uprzejmości Gimnazjum nr 4 w Ełku, Gimnazjum nr 1 w Ełku oraz  Miejskiego Ośrodka Sportu i Rekreacji w Ełku udało się zorganizować atrakcyjny pobyt dla rosyjskiej młodzieży. W trakcie pobytu dzieci miały możliwość wzięcia udziału w integracyjnych zajęciach edukacyjnych, sportowych i plastycznych podczas spotkań z młodzieżą polską w ełckich szkołach. Młodzież sprawdzała również swoje możliwości w ełckim parku linowym i na basenie. Młodzież z ostatniej wymiany miała także możliwość skorzystania ze ścianki wspinaczkowej zlokalizowanej w hali sportowej przy Szkole Podstawowej nr 2 w Ełku. Ciekawą atrakcją był również spacer po Ełku, wizyta w Muzeum Kropli Wody oraz gra w kręgle.
W ramach projektu realizowanego we współpracy z miastem Oziersk z Obwodu Kaliningradzkiego odbyło się 10 wymian polsko-rosyjskich, w których w sumie wzięło udział 183 uczniów.  Wymiany były bezpłatne, wszelkie koszty z związane z transportem, wizami, noclegami i wyżywieniem zostały opłacone z projektu. Dla większości uczniów był to pierwszy zagraniczny wyjazd i jednocześnie pierwsze spotkanie z inną kulturą. Pomimo barier językowych młodzieży udało się znaleźć wspólny język i nawiązać międzynarodowe przyjaźnie.
Poza wymianami w ramach projektu w obu miastach powstały parki linowe, opracowany został Międzynarodowy Program Rozwoju Turystyki dla miasta Ełk i miasta Oziersk oraz powstała wielojęzyczna strona internetowa pełniąca rolę zintegrowanego systemu informacji turystycznej obu miast.

A mill, situated on the area of today’s Ozyorsky District, was built in 19th century and belonged to Karl Rosemund.
At the beginning of World War I, the mill had burned and was sold to R. Wiechert. He converted the mill into granaries, producing peeled wheat products. At the end of the thirties, the granaries were sold to A. Schmitt. In the building there was a brewery and a mineral water bottling plant. From the end of World War II until today the mill have been used as a warehouse and in the neighbouring villa there was a music school for children. Now the rooms are occupied by the administration.

In 1736 Darkemen became a garrison town. In April 1892 here came the Battalion of 59. Infantry Regiment. The soldiers were quartered on private flats and in October 1892 they were moved to the barracks built on ul. Pograniczna (Pogranichnaya). During the next few years the building of the garrison had been continued. The last building – a lazaretto – had been finished in 1901. The garrison was dissolved according to the resolution of the Treaty of Versailles of 1915, and after that, the buildings were used for social purposes. From 1918, the citizens who had lost their houses have inhabited them.

The territory of the Weedern estate is an area of 1276 ha. The second part of the estate, including villages of Szirgruponen, Amtshagen and Dalnee in the Gusevsky District was situated 30 km from Weedern and had a surface area of 1072 ha. There have been thoroughbred bred in Weedern from the 18th century. In 1800, the building of the stud had been started. Weedern became a place known in Prussland and abroad for the breed of the thoroughbred.
The Weedern complex comprised a big, beautiful house surrounded by a magnificent orchard, riding stables, many stables and various farm buildings. All of the buildings were located on the circuit of the rectangle, in the centre of which there was a representative stable, paved and sprinkled with sand in order to provide the animals’ safety.
Presently, the owner of the Weedern estate had rebuilt it, basing on the old pictures and sketches. The horse breed still runs there, what enables a continuation of the long tradition of the stud.

At the place of the huge forest, in 1847, Johan Friedrich Wilhelm Farenheid started a building of a park with ponds and wide alleys, decorated with sculptures. The castle-museum had been built for a long time – the works had not been finished until 1864. First visitors of the museum could have look at the chambers already in 1854. The estate had been known for antique sculptures and outstanding works of European painters.
Two officers, who had managed the first transport of the castle’s collection, burnt the castle wing, with a „Koren” chamber. Other exhibits were exported out of the region at night, by car. Until 1950 the remaining part of the museum had been available for tourists. There were few exhibits in chambers – mainly – massive sculptures. In 1955 there was a permission given to blow up the „Goering’s dacha” (as the people the building had been called amongst the citizens). There were only walls left from the castle, which began to fall apart. Only the arbour and front walls of former stables survived till our times.

One of the most important historical events connected with this building was the moment when the king of Prussia, Frederick William III with his wife Louisa and the Emperor of Russia Alexander I dwelled there.In 1869 the house had burned. At its place, the hotel „Sandacz” was build, renamed later as „Reimers Hof” (The Poet’s Manor). The hotel was regarded as the best in the province. After World War II the building served as a dormitory for a technical college students and the ballroom was turned into gymnasium. Presently the building is divided into parts and not used as a whole.

The house was built at the market place in 1903. The host had run an inn there. The citizens of Darkemen had called it „the village dog with a hoe”. For unknown reasons the house and inn were left host-less. Before World War I it was given to Gustaw Kort. Kort had run delicatessen and later – a grocery there. The sign, in large letters, stood from others visible at the market place. Kort was known as the cattle dealer, the owner of the hotel and the conductor of a band playing during the town’s events.
During World War I the house had not been destroyed – it was one of the three intact buildings at the market place. During the post-war period there was a huge courtyard adjoining the building at the place destined for the building of villas. The house was of great importance then. Peasants, arriving for fairs, were trying to make it to Kort. His place was considered the best for leaving horses (it was possible in many houses, but the Kort’s service was the best). The traders may have a break there, water and feed the horses and, at the end of a day – have a rest in the hotel, have a dinner, drink something and talk with the owner about cattle trade.
After World War II and now the ground floor of the building have been used as a shop. At first and second floor there have been seats of various organisations, now a Complex Centre of Social Services is situated there.

The protestant church was consecrated on 9th of October 1842. The church’s construction had a significant defect – the short tower had blocked the development of the city’s industry, because the chimneys could not stand higher than the cross at the tower. On the 50th anniversary of the creation of the church, the renovation had been conducted. There was a high tower added, on which the watchmaker – L. Rose put the three-face clock.
During the war, the church had not been destroyed. The organs and the parts of an altar were broken after the war. In 1948, the church was adapted for storage of agricultural machines. At the end of the eighties, the church was left ownerless and started to fall down quickly.

The Ozyorsk (Darkemen) market place was highly impressive because of its trading area – 3,25 ha. It was the biggest market place in the Kaliningrad Oblast. Between 1896 and 1897 there had been a post office built there, which survived till today. There is also the former Gustaw Korth’s House, built in 1903 and the former hotel Reiners Hof, in which, in 1807 dwelled the king of Prussia Frederik Willhelm III with his wife Louisa and the emperor of Russia Alexander III at the market place.
At the end of 19th century, the monument of the victims of Austro-Prussian war with Napoleon of 1806 and French-Prussian of 1866 and 1870-1871 had been raised at the west frontage of the market place. The names of the victims and other inscriptions are placed on the four sides of the pedestal and on the top, there was a Prussian Eagle. After World War II, a bust of Stalin was placed on the extant pedestal and later, in the sixties – a bust of Lenin.

In the former estate of Richard Wiechert falls open September 29, 2003, the museum historical tours. The museum has an interesting architectural layout. In the museum you can find information about the settlements in the region, businesses, interesting people who lived here or visited the area.