Liepona

Liepona
Country	Lithuania, Russia
Basin features
Main source	15 kilometres (9.3 mi) south of Kybartai 54°29′37.3″N 22°45′7.8″E / 54.493694°N 22.752167°E / 54.493694; 22.752167
River mouth	Širvinta, tributuary to Šešupė 54°41′4″N 22°43′35″E / 54.68444°N 22.72639°E / 54.68444; 22.72639Coordinates: 54°41′4″N 22°43′35″E / 54.68444°N 22.72639°E / 54.68444; 22.72639
Basin size	105 km2 (41 sq mi)
Physical characteristics
Length	35 km (22 mi)
Discharge	Average rate: 0.65 m3/s (23 cu ft/s)

Liepona (German: Lepone, Russian: Lipovka) is a small rivulet that flows for 22.9 km (14.2 mi) on the border of Lithuania and Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia. Left tributary to Širvinta, Liepona originates in Lithuania, near Kylininkai village. In 1980, a 26-hectare (64-acre) pond for irrigation was built about 16 km (9.9 mi) from the mouth.

It is famous for an incident in June 1940 when President of Lithuania Antanas Smetona had to cross the shallow river in order to reach Nazi Germany in the aftermath of the Soviet ultimatum to Lithuania. Liepona served as a natural border between Prussia and Lithuania since the Treaty of Melno of 1422 with the Teutonic Knights.

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Wikipedia