Why lie? It _is_ a tourist location, with > 2mln tourists annually (for their 1 mln permanent population). It also has quite a diverse economy, with Avtotor being a major car assembler (though not quite what it was pre-war), a fishing industry, amber mining, a TV manufacturer, &c. With a significant military presence, of course, but "giant military base in the middle of nowhere" is just ridiculous.
Crazy what the Russians destroyed... (you?)
Yes, we Russians are entirely responsible for British carpet bombing.
(I, of course, do not agree with the decision to demolish the remaining ruins in 1968; it could have been handled better.)
Hey, old military installations (albeit ancient) are still a type of tourist attraction lol.
Most places in Russia are hunting and fishing locations too, hah.