What to see on Sakhalin for the first time? Guide to. Sakhalin Island - cities, history, sights, photos of Sakhalin Island. Beautiful and interesting places of Sakhalin Island

Directly in the same place, the chef will prepare dishes for you, and much can be eaten raw and it's simple & delicious! Ski resort " Mountain air» One of the favorite vacation spots for Sakhalin residents. The complex is connected to the city by road and cable cars. Sports and adventure tourismSakhalin-Iturup group air tour, 12 days / 11 nights Group Tour along Sakhalin and Iturup with a visit to the Warm Lakes, the Frog Mountain, the Museum of Local Lore, the White Rocks, the Second Yankito natural site, hot springs, the Baransky volcano and other attractions of the islands. Excursion toursGroup tour "Autumn Ballad", 8 days / 7 nights Autumn Sakhalin is impressionism in nature, these are landscapes descended from the paintings of Monet, Sisley or Degas. Blue sky, blue sea and fascinating multi-colored watercolor forests covering numerous hills. Excursion toursGroup tour "Sakhalin-Kunashir", 12 days / 11 nights Group tour for 12 days around Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands with a visit to the Warm Lakes, GC "Mountain Air", Mendeleev volcano, Golovnin volcano, Cape "Stolbchaty" and other attractions of the islands. Sports and adventure tourismNorth-South Sakhalin group tour, 10 days / 9 nights How many of you woke up on the shores of the boundless wayward ocean, when the pink-purple dawn breaks into the tent to the vocal and unknown songs of sea birds? How many of you washed your face with the sea along with the Japanese cranes? We are waiting for you to go through these routes together and fill you with love for Sakhalin! Excursion toursGroup tour "Heart of Sakhalin", 8 days / 7 nights The main attraction of Sakhalin is nature. Of course, it is impossible to see everything, but in this program we offer some of the most beautiful places south of Sakhalin, located on the eastern, western and southern coasts of the island. Mud volcano Sakhalin is the only Far Eastern territory where mud volcanism is represented. Mud volcanism is one of the remarkable natural phenomena, which, according to the generally accepted opinion, accompanies the manifestation of oil and gas. Sports and adventure tourismWinter fishing in the north of Sakhalin, 8 days / 7 nights Dear tourists! We offer you winter fishing in the north of Sakhalin (Okhinsky district) from early December to April. Sports and adventure tourismWinter fishing: catfish smelt fishing Catfish smelt (or "bison" as it is called on Sakhalin) is caught at sea. Fishing starts in late January or early February in the Mordvinov Bay area. Sports and adventure tourismWinter fishing: catching smallmouth smelt Smallmouth smelt on Sakhalin begins to be caught from the beginning of December until the last ice. It is caught mainly in lakes and rivers. Sports and adventure tourismWinter fishing: catching navaga Navaga lives near the shore almost all the time of the year, so in summer it is caught with baubles, bottoms, and in winter with jigs. You can catch it from the very beginning of freezing up to the very last ice. The main places of fishing: the First river, the sea, the Naiba river, the Lyutoga river. Lighthouse "Aniva" Cape Aniva is one of the most beautiful and inaccessible parts of the Sakhalin coast. Cape "Giant" Ridge Cape "Giant" - a reserve on south coast Sea of Okhotsk. A very accurate and wise name of the cape, because it is difficult to find on Sakhalin such greatness of stone arches and columns created by the wind and sea waves. Sports and adventure tourism One-day tour "Rock remnant of the Frog + sightseeing tour of the city" Program for 7 hours with a visit to the rock "Frogs" in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and a sightseeing tour of the city. Sports and adventure tourismOne-day tour "Tikhaya Bay" One-day program with a visit to the Tikhaya Bay. One-day tour "Aniva Lighthouse" (from the village of Pervaya Pad by boat) One-day program with a visit to Cape and Aniva Lighthouse. Sports and adventure tourismOne day tour "Cape Aniva and lighthouse Aniva" (from the village of Novikovo on rubber boats) One day program with a visit to Cape Aniva and the lighthouse "Aniva". Sports and adventure tourismOne day tour "Cape Velikan" Program for one day with a visit to Cape Velikan. Sports and adventure tourismOne day tour "Cape Evstafiya" southeast coast Sea of Okhotsk. Chekhov Peak Chekhov Peak rises 1045 meters above sea level. And it bears the name of the great Russian writer A.P. Chekhov, who visited Sakhalin in 1890. Sports and adventure tourismFishing in Nabil Bay Nabil Bay is located in the northeast of Sakhalin Island. It is considered one of the most interesting for fishing. There are a lot of kunja, Sakhalin taimen in the bay. Pacific salmon also feed on their way to the river. Sports and Adventure TourismFishing in Piltun Bay Piltun Bay is one of the largest and richest in fish bays in northern Sakhalin. Taimen, kunja feed in it, a huge number of Pacific herring come to spawn. Flounder, smelt, navaga, rudd are caught. Sports and Adventure TourismFishing on the Langeri River The Langeri River is considered one of the best rivers in central Sakhalin. In addition to the fact that there are a lot of fish in the river, it has very beautiful landscapes. Throughout it flows in a deep canyon, quiet reaches are replaced by stormy rifts. Sports and Adventure TourismFishing on the Lutoga River Lutoga is the largest river in southern Sakhalin. The length of the river is more than 100 km, it flows from north to south and flows into Aniva Bay. In this river, almost the entire composition of the fish living in the south of the island is represented. In the period from May to July, Sima is actively caught on the river, from July to August, pink salmon, and in autumn, Siberian trout and chum salmon. Sakhalin - island winter 2018, 9 days / 8 nights Hills, "delicious" air and crisp snow, skiing, sea, ice fishing, picnics on the coast, seafood, Far Eastern and Asian cuisines - all this in one place and at once - only on Sakhalin! Rock "Frog" Rock "Frog" is a unique piece of nature, 70 million years old. With its outlines, the eight-meter rock really resembles a frog sitting on the ground. Sports and Adventure TourismRafting on the Val River The Val River is located in the northeastern part of Sakhalin, flows from west to east and flows into a bay that connects with the Sea of Okhotsk. A large number of coho salmon, kunja, and char enter the river. Taimen stands in the pits, the record specimens of which reach a weight of more than 30 kg. Sports and adventure tourism Rafting on the Dagi River The Dagi River is an association for all Sakhalin anglers with huge taimen, trout and coho salmon. One of the richest rivers in Sakhalin, where the largest taimen are found.

Sights of Sakhalin

The river is almost deserted and difficult to access. Tour "Aleksandrovsk-Sakhalinsky" West coast of Sakhalin Island, on the coast of the Tatar Strait, 561 km from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. SealsTour “Seals Island. Cape Patience”, 3 days / 2 nights Tyuleniy Island is a unique rookery of Red Data Book fur seals and sea lions, incredible in its scale. Only two countries in the world can be proud of the presence of such beautiful animals on their territories - Russia and the USA. In addition, here is the largest bird market in the Far East and one of the largest in the world. SealsTour “Seals Island. Cape Patience, 5 days / 4 nights The island has the largest bird market in the Far East and one of the largest in the world. Especially nesting guillemots. Up to 600 thousand of these birds flock here every year. A few kilometers before the protected area, you can hear the roar of marine animals and the cries of birds. Sports and adventure tourismTour to Cape Kuznetsov (base "Kordon") 2 days / 1 night Cape Kuznetsov - state monument nature. It is located on the southwestern coast of the Crillon Peninsula. The underwater world of the cape is very beautiful and interesting, in many ways similar to the island of Moneron. Amber Coast On the east coast of Sakhalin there is a place where the sea willingly shares amber with us, bringing to the shore pieces of fossilized resin of ancient trees, which are millions of years old.

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk- the administrative center of the Sakhalin region, located in the southeastern part of Sakhalin Island, on the Susuya River. The area of the city is 898.2 km². The population is 195 thousand people. The distance to Moscow is 10417 km.

City `s history
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk was founded in 1882 as the village of Vladimirovka, which in 1905 received the status of a city. For a long time, Sakhalin was officially a place of exile and hard labor. From 1905 to 1945, the city was part of Japan, was called Toyohara and was the center of Karafuto Prefecture. At the end of the Great Patriotic War, the city was occupied by Soviet troops, in 1946 it was renamed Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and appointed the administrative center of the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, and then the Sakhalin region. Today Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is the economic, industrial, scientific and cultural center of the Sakhalin Region.

Culture, museums and theaters in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
One of the main cultural attractions of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk are its museums. The Sakhalin State Regional Museum of Local Lore is one of the oldest cultural institutions of the Sakhalin Region, which contains unique collections on the history and cultural heritage region, archeology and ethnography, materials on the nature of Sakhalin and the Kuriles, ancient national items and attributes. The Sakhalin Regional Art Museum contains collections of ancient Russian and modern fine arts, works by Far Eastern artists and decorative and applied arts of the countries of the East. Unique in its profile is the city literary and art museum of A. Chekhov's book "Sakhalin Island", which contains genuine items of members of the Chekhov family, materials telling about the creation of the book "Sakhalin Island", as well as its fate in Russia and abroad. Among the museums of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, it is also worth highlighting: the Museum of Railway Engineering, the Geological and Archaeological Museums, the Museum of Military Glory, etc. In Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, the International Theater Center named after. A. Chekhov, who united the Drama Theater. A. Chekhov, Theater for Children and Youth and Musical Theatre, productions of which have won recognition at many all-Russian and international theater festivals. Also operating in the city are: the Sakhalin Regional Puppet Theatre, the City Chamber Orchestra and the Sakhalin Regional Philharmonic. It has become a tradition for Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to hold various cultural and creative festivals and competitions, including: the annual city "Chekhov Readings", the Interregional Festival of Author's Songs, the Festival of National Cultures "Commonwealth", the Far Eastern Folk Music Festival "Living Springs", etc.

Sights of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
The city has an interesting history, in which Russian and Japanese cultures are closely intertwined, a hard labor past and a rapid modern development reflected in numerous monuments of architecture, monumental art and memorial complexes military glory. Decoration and one of the main attractions of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is the Resurrection Cathedral (1995), made in the old Russian tradition and became the spiritual center of Sakhalin Orthodoxy. The original historical and architectural monuments include the building of the Sakhalin Museum of Local Lore (1937), built in a neo-national Japanese style, combining the decorative forms of medieval Japanese buildings and elements of modern architecture, as well as the building of the Sakhalin Art Museum (1930), located on the site of a former Japanese bank. The pages of the city's history are immortalized by a military memorial on Victory Square and a memorial complex with an Eternal Flame on Glory Square in memory of Soviet soldiers who fell in the battles for the liberation of South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands from Japanese militarists in August 1945.

Beautiful abandoned places in the south of Sakhalin

Among the sights of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk it should also be noted: Church of St. Innocent of Moscow, Roman Catholic Church, Monuments to V. Lenin, A. Chekhov, B. Pilsudsky, Monument to St. Andrew the First-Called, Sculpture group dedicated to the Sakhalin border guards, Memorial complex in honor of those killed in the earthquake in Neftegorsk and others. Y. Gagarin, which harmoniously combines a great location, magnificent nature, artificial and sculptural structures. No less significant and interesting are the natural attractions of Sakhalin, such as: Novoaleksandrovsky relict forest, Sakhalin mud volcano, Sinegorsky mineral water, a natural monument - Cape Velikan, wonderful unique lakes Tunaicha, Changeable, Vavaisky, numerous spawning rivers and beautiful sea coasts.

Hotels in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
Hotels are open for guests of the city: Mega Palace, Santa Resort, Far East, Rubin, Strawberry Hills, Pacific Plaza Sakhalin, Yubileinaya, Sakhalin Sapporo, Tourist, Oriental, Eurasia, Lada, Anchor, Gagarin, Imperial Palace, Rybak, Panorama, Airport, Geologist , Moneron and others.

Other articles: Yakutsk attractions,
Yaroslavl attractions

Sakhalin makes an indelible impression on the traveler. It is enough to look at the photographs of these places, you fall in love with this amazing land in absentia, the local landscapes are so beautiful. There are attractions that are historical heritage, but the main wealth of the Sakhalin region is its natural monuments.

The local history museums of the region present expositions reflecting the life of indigenous peoples.

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk: where to visit and what to see for a tourist

In addition, here you can see exhibitions dedicated to the modern culture of the countries of the East, walk around Chekhov's places. Of course, the museum of railway equipment in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is interesting, which, by right, is considered one of the most visited attractions in the region.

The museum is interesting, first of all, for its unique equipment, as well as the narrow-gauge railway, which has no analogues in the whole world: its gauge is 1067 mm. and it is in full working order. So part of the museum's collection is located directly under the open sky. Here you can see a variety of wagons, mini-locomotives of the 30s of the XX century, and other old equipment.

Also of interest are such island rarities as the old railway line located between Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and Kholmsk, or the Nogliki-Okha narrow-gauge railway, which operates to this day in the north of Sakhalin and other monuments of the heritage of the Karafuto governorate, as well as lighthouses with centuries of history, an unusual tunnel in the form of a broken line on Cape Zhonkier, not far from Aleksandrovsk-Sakhalinsky, laid in hard rocky ground by convicts, sites of an ancient man and much more.

However, the greatest interest is created not by man, but by nature itself. A place that any tourist wants to see is a tiny piece of land in the Sea of Okhotsk east of Sakhalin, which is marked on all maps of the world as Tyuleniy Island. Here is a unique rookery of fur seals, you can see such an accumulation of these marine animals only here and near the Commander Islands in the USA. And although no ship has the right to approach the protected area closer than 30 miles, and aircraft are prohibited from flying over this place, you can get here on an excursion.

The sights of Sakhalin include its thermal springs: Lesogorsky (near the village of Lesogorsk, along the Lesogorka river), Lunsky (on Lunsky Bay, near the isthmus), Daginsky (in the village of Goryachiye Klyuchi, half a kilometer from the Nogliki - Okha highway).

In the region of Krasnogorsk, you can see a grove of relic yews, not far from the village of Vakhrushev, admire the amazingly beautiful waterfall of the Nitui River, marvel at the huge stone sculptures that look like idols from Easter Island on Cape Stukabis or the rocky arches of Cape Velikan, and not far from the villages of Staradubskoye and Vzmorye collect Sakhalin amber is the color of thick tea with a cherry tint, which is not inferior to the Baltic in its qualities.

This, of course, is not all the wonders of Sakhalin, with which these lands are so generously endowed. You just can't tell everything. Perhaps the last thing I would like to mention is salmon spawning, which is also one of the main natural attractions of the Sakhalin Region. Anyone who has never seen how stubbornly this sea fish goes to spawning grounds, jumping over rapids and overcoming waterfalls that flow into the ocean of streams, it will be extremely interesting to observe this amazing natural phenomenon.

Excursion tours2-hour excursion "Sightseeing tour of the city" A two-hour sightseeing tour of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk with a visit to the main attractions. Excursion tours 4-hour excursion "Korsakov port city and LNG plant" Program for 4 hours with a visit to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and the LNG plant in Korsakov. Sports and adventure tourism 4-hour excursion "Amber coast" Program for 4 hours with a visit to the Amber coast in Starodubsky. Sports and adventure tourism 4-hour route "Mud Volcano" One-day program with a visit to the Mud Volcano. Hiking route on the old Japanese railway. Sports and adventure tourism 4-hour tour "Picnic on the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk" Program for 4 hours with swimming in the Warm Lakes and a picnic. Sports and adventure tourism 4-hour tour "Rock of the Frog" Program for 4 hours with a visit to the rock "Frog" in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Tikhaya Bay Cape Tikhaya and Tikhaya Bay are located on the eastern coast of Sakhalin. From the west, the bay is covered by the spurs of one of the most beautiful ridges of Sakhalin - Zhdanko. Excursion toursGastronomic tour "Sakhalin - simple & tasty!", 8 days / 7 nights We offer you to get incredible gastronomic pleasure in the most beautiful corners of the island. You yourself will participate in the capture and collection of representatives of marine fauna and flora. Directly in the same place, the chef will prepare dishes for you, and much can be eaten raw and it's simple & delicious! Mountain-skiing complex "Mountain air" One of the favorite vacation spots of Sakhalin residents. The complex is connected to the city by road and cable cars. Sports and adventure tourismSakhalin-Iturup group air tour, 12 days / 11 nights Sakhalin and Iturup group tour with a visit to the Warm Lakes, the Frog Mountain, the Museum of Local Lore, the White Rocks, the Second Yankito natural site, hot springs, Baransky volcano and other attractions of the islands. Excursion toursGroup tour "Autumn Ballad", 8 days / 7 nights Autumn Sakhalin is impressionism in nature, these are landscapes descended from the paintings of Monet, Sisley or Degas. Blue sky, blue sea and fascinating multi-colored watercolor forests covering numerous hills. Excursion toursGroup tour "Sakhalin-Kunashir", 12 days / 11 nights Group tour for 12 days around Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands with a visit to the Warm Lakes, GC "Mountain Air", Mendeleev volcano, Golovnin volcano, Cape "Stolbchaty" and other attractions of the islands. Sports and adventure tourismNorth-South Sakhalin group tour, 10 days / 9 nights How many of you woke up on the shores of the boundless wayward ocean, when the pink-purple dawn breaks into the tent to the vocal and unknown songs of sea birds? How many of you washed your face with the sea along with the Japanese cranes? We are waiting for you to go through these routes together and fill you with love for Sakhalin! Excursion toursGroup tour "Heart of Sakhalin", 8 days / 7 nights The main attraction of Sakhalin is nature. Of course, it is impossible to see everything, but in this program we offer some of the most beautiful places in the south of Sakhalin, located on the eastern, western and southern coasts of the island. Mud volcano Sakhalin is the only Far Eastern territory where mud volcanism is represented. Mud volcanism is one of the remarkable natural phenomena, which, according to the generally accepted opinion, accompanies the manifestation of oil and gas. Sports and adventure tourismWinter fishing in the north of Sakhalin, 8 days / 7 nights Dear tourists! We offer you winter fishing in the north of Sakhalin (Okhinsky district) from early December to April. Sports and adventure tourismWinter fishing: catfish smelt fishing Catfish smelt (or "bison" as it is called on Sakhalin) is caught at sea. Fishing starts in late January or early February in the Mordvinov Bay area. Sports and adventure tourismWinter fishing: catching smallmouth smelt Smallmouth smelt on Sakhalin begins to be caught from the beginning of December until the last ice. It is caught mainly in lakes and rivers. Sports and adventure tourismWinter fishing: catching navaga Navaga lives near the shore almost all the time of the year, so in summer it is caught with baubles, bottoms, and in winter with jigs. You can catch it from the very beginning of freezing up to the very last ice. The main places of fishing: the First river, the sea, the Naiba river, the Lyutoga river. Lighthouse "Aniva" Cape Aniva is one of the most beautiful and inaccessible parts of the Sakhalin coast. Cape "Velikan" Ridge Cape "Velikan" is a nature reserve on the southern coast of the Sea of Okhotsk. A very accurate and wise name of the cape, because it is difficult to find on Sakhalin such greatness of stone arches and columns created by wind and sea waves. Sports and adventure tourism One-day tour "Rock remnant of the Frog + sightseeing tour of the city" Program for 7 hours with a visit to the rock "Frogs" in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and a sightseeing tour of the city. Sports and adventure tourismOne-day tour "Tikhaya Bay" One-day program with a visit to the Tikhaya Bay. One-day tour "Aniva Lighthouse" (from the village of Pervaya Pad by boat) One-day program with a visit to Cape and Aniva Lighthouse. Sports and adventure tourismOne day tour "Cape Aniva and lighthouse Aniva" (from the village of Novikovo on rubber boats) One day program with a visit to Cape Aniva and the lighthouse "Aniva". Sports and adventure tourismOne day tour "Cape Velikan" Program for one day with a visit to Cape Velikan. Sports and adventure tourismOne-day tour "Cape Evstafiya" A one-day program with a visit to Cape Evstafiya on the southeastern coast of the Sea of Okhotsk. Chekhov Peak Chekhov Peak rises 1045 meters above sea level. And it bears the name of the great Russian writer A.P. Chekhov, who visited Sakhalin in 1890. Sports and adventure tourismFishing in Nabil Bay Nabil Bay is located in the northeast of Sakhalin Island. It is considered one of the most interesting for fishing. There are a lot of kunja, Sakhalin taimen in the bay. Pacific salmon also feed on their way to the river.

Sakhalin Oblast Tourism

Sports and Adventure TourismFishing in Piltun Bay Piltun Bay is one of the largest and richest in fish bays in northern Sakhalin. Taimen, kunja feed in it, a huge number of Pacific herring come to spawn. Flounder, smelt, navaga, rudd are caught. Sports and Adventure TourismFishing on the Langeri River The Langeri River is considered one of the best rivers in central Sakhalin. In addition to the fact that there are a lot of fish in the river, it has very beautiful landscapes. Throughout it flows in a deep canyon, quiet reaches are replaced by stormy rifts. Sports and Adventure TourismFishing on the Lutoga River Lutoga is the largest river in southern Sakhalin. The length of the river is more than 100 km, it flows from north to south and flows into Aniva Bay. In this river, almost the entire composition of the fish living in the south of the island is represented. In the period from May to July, Sima is actively caught on the river, from July to August, pink salmon, and in autumn, Siberian trout and chum salmon. Sakhalin - island winter 2018, 9 days / 8 nights Hills, "delicious" air and crisp snow, mountain skiing, sea, ice fishing, picnics on the coast, seafood, Far Eastern and Asian cuisine - all this in one place and immediately - only on Sakhalin! Rock "Frog" Rock "Frog" is a unique piece of nature, 70 million years old. With its outlines, the eight-meter rock really resembles a frog sitting on the ground. Sports and Adventure TourismRafting on the Val River The Val River is located in the northeastern part of Sakhalin, flows from west to east and flows into a bay that connects with the Sea of Okhotsk. A large number of coho salmon, kunja, and char enter the river. Taimen stands in the pits, the record specimens of which reach a weight of more than 30 kg. Sports and adventure tourism Rafting on the Dagi River The Dagi River is an association for all Sakhalin anglers with huge taimen, trout and coho salmon. One of the richest rivers in Sakhalin, where the largest taimen are found. The river is almost deserted and difficult to access. Tour "Aleksandrovsk-Sakhalinsky" West coast of Sakhalin Island, on the coast of the Tatar Strait, 561 km from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. SealsTour “Seals Island. Cape Patience”, 3 days / 2 nights Tyuleniy Island is a unique rookery of Red Data Book fur seals and sea lions, incredible in its scale. Only two countries in the world can be proud of the presence of such beautiful animals on their territories - Russia and the USA. In addition, here is the largest bird market in the Far East and one of the largest in the world. SealsTour “Seals Island. Cape Patience, 5 days / 4 nights The island has the largest bird market in the Far East and one of the largest in the world. Especially nesting guillemots. Up to 600 thousand of these birds flock here every year. A few kilometers before the protected area, you can hear the roar of marine animals and the cries of birds. Sports and adventure tourismTour to Cape Kuznetsov (base "Kordon") 2 days / 1 night Cape Kuznetsov is a state natural monument. It is located on the southwestern coast of the Crillon Peninsula. The underwater world of the cape is very beautiful and interesting, in many ways similar to the island of Moneron. Amber Coast On the east coast of Sakhalin there is a place where the sea willingly shares amber with us, bringing to the shore pieces of fossilized resin of ancient trees, which are millions of years old.

The Sakhalin Region is the only Russian region entirely located on the islands (there are 59 in total). The largest island, which gave the name to the entire region, is at the same time the largest in Russia.

The most seismic region of the country.

Sakhalin region

In 1995, the most destructive earthquake in the history of Russia took place here.

sea depths

The water around Moneron is so transparent that you can see underwater landscapes and fauna at a depth of 30-40 m.

Moneron Island Natural Park

The land part of the island is famous for its waterfalls, rocks, alpine meadows, fur seal rookeries, and bird markets. There are also monuments of Japanese architecture.

Waterfall Ilya Muromets

One of the highest (141 m) waterfalls in Russia is located on about. Iturup.

mud volcanoes

Low hills, from which gases erupt from time to time, throwing water, clay and fragments of sedimentary rocks into the air.

Church of the Intercession Holy Mother of God in Aleksandrovsk-Sakhalinsky

The construction of the first temple began in 1891. In Soviet times, the church was destroyed, in 1993 a new temple was erected on its foundation.

Historical and Ethnographic Museum in Nogliki

The museum tells about the traditions, life and holidays of indigenous peoples. Here you can even try dishes prepared according to old recipes.

Regional Museum of Local Lore in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

Among the collections are ancient objects of the Sakhalin aborigines (Ainu, Nivkh, Uilta), amulets and shamanic attributes of the 17th - early 17th century. XX century, paleontological finds.

The highest of the four volcanoes on about. Kunashir erupts about once every 100 years. Considered one of the most beautiful in the world.

Monument to A.P. Chekhov in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

The writer came to Sakhalin to conduct a population census.

Kuriles smoked

The Kuril Islands are named so because their volcanoes smoke. In total, there are 160 volcanoes in the region, 40 of them are active.

O. Tyuleniy is a rookery of rare northern fur seals.

Fishing is one of the leading in the region.

Sights of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and the Sakhalin region of Russia.

A map of all the sights of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and the entire Sakhalin region with a brief, accurate and vivid description of tourist sites. Interesting local history places on the map of the Sakhalin Region of the Far Eastern Federal District

Sakhalin makes an indelible impression on the traveler. It is enough to look at the photographs of these places, you fall in love with this amazing land in absentia, the local landscapes are so beautiful. There are sights that are historical heritage, but the main wealth of the Sakhalin region is its natural monuments.

The local history museums of the region present expositions reflecting the life of indigenous peoples. In addition, here you can see exhibitions dedicated to the modern culture of the countries of the East, walk around Chekhov's places. Of course, the museum of railway equipment in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is interesting, which, by right, is considered one of the most visited attractions in the region.

The museum is interesting, first of all, for its unique equipment, as well as the narrow-gauge railway, which has no analogues in the whole world: its gauge is 1067 mm and it is in full working order. So part of the museum's collection is located directly under the open sky. Here you can see a variety of wagons, mini-locomotives of the 30s of the XX century, and other old equipment.

Of interest are such island rarities as the old railway line located between Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and Kholmsk, or the Nogliki-Okha narrow-gauge railway, which operates to this day in the north of Sakhalin and other monuments of the heritage of the Karafuto governorate, as well as lighthouses with centuries of history, an unusual tunnel in the form of a broken line on Cape Zhonkier, not far from Aleksandrovsk-Sakhalinsky, laid in hard rocky ground by convicts, sites of an ancient man and much more.

The attractions of Sakhalin include its thermal springs: Lesogorsky (near the village of Lesogorsk, along the Lesogorka river), Lunsky (on Lunsky Bay, in the isthmus), Daginsky (in the village of Goryachiye Klyuchi, half a kilometer from the Nogliki-Okha highway).

Mountain Sister Sakhalin Island

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT SAKHALIN

Sakhalin is the largest island in Russia, washed by the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan, separated from the mainland by the narrow Tatar Strait and the Nevelskoy Strait, and from the island of Hokkaido by the La Perouse Strait.

Until the 19th century, the status of Sakhalin was not defined. For the first time, it was assigned to Russia by the St. Petersburg Treaty of 1875, according to which Sakhalin Island passed to Russia, and the northern Kuril Islands became the property of Japan.

Immediately after the conclusion of this treaty, tsarist Russia identified Sakhalin as a place of exile and hard labor for criminals. After the end of the Russo-Japanese War and the signing of the Treaty of Portsmouth, Japan received South Sakhalin, but in 1920 the Japanese occupation of North Sakhalin began, which lasted until 1925. After the end of World War II, the entire territory of Sakhalin Island was included in the USSR.

Sakhalin attracts tourists primarily for its unique nature. Mount Vaida (height 900 meters above sea level) and the Vaida Cave are a unique natural complex. In the cave you can admire the bizarre stalactites and stalagmites and other wonders.

In addition to their healing properties, the Dagin thermal springs are also a unique natural monument. This is a very unusual sight - steaming ponds in which wild swans swim, surrounded by pristine nature.

Sakhalin is famous for its mineral springs and therapeutic mud. Near Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk there is a unique mineral spring Sinegorsk of carbonic hydrocarbonate-chloride sodium water with a high content of arsenic. This rare type of natural mineral water is used in the treatment of diseases with impaired cellular metabolism and radiation sickness. Procedures with carbonic acid-arsenic waters are also used for the treatment of hematopoietic organs.

On the banks of the Tatar Strait there are balneological health resorts using sea silt sulphide mud. These muds are used to treat slow-healing ulcers of various origins and other skin diseases.

The Dagin thermal springs of Sakhalin treat such severe diseases of the musculoskeletal system as arthrosis, arthritis, polyarthritis, neuritis, sciatica, osteochondrosis, as well as most skin diseases.

On the eastern outskirts of the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk there is a modern, well-equipped ski base "Mountain Air". About 10 kilometers ski slopes different categories of complexity laid on the slopes of Mount Bolshevik. A modern snow park equipped with springboards and rails has been built for snowboarders, and a special chute has been arranged for tubing enthusiasts. The slopes are equipped with a drag lift and a gondola chairlift.

Burunnaya Bay Sakhalin Island

GEOGRAPHY OF SAKHALIN ISLAND, WHERE IT IS, HOW TO GET TO

Sakhalin (Japanese 樺太，Chinese 库页/庫頁) is an island off the east coast of Asia. Part of the Sakhalin region. The largest island in Russia. It is washed by the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan. It is separated from mainland Asia by the Tatar Strait (in the narrowest part, the Nevelskoy Strait, it is 7.3 km wide and freezes in winter); from the Japanese island of Hokkaido - by the La Perouse Strait.

The island got its name from the Manchu name of the Amur River - "Sakhalyan-ulla", which means " black river”- this name, printed on the map, was mistakenly attributed to Sakhalin, and in further editions of the maps it was already printed as the name of the island.

The Japanese call Sakhalin Karafuto, this name goes back to the Ainu "kamuy-kara-puto-ya-mosir", which means "land of the god of the mouth." In 1805, a Russian ship under the command of I.F. Kruzenshtern explored most of the coast of Sakhalin and concluded that Sakhalin was a peninsula. In 1808, Japanese expeditions led by Matsuda Denjuro and Mamiya Rinzo proved that Sakhalin was an island. Most European cartographers were skeptical of the Japanese data. For a long time, on various maps, Sakhalin was designated either as an island or a peninsula. Only in 1849 did the expedition under the command of G. I. Nevelsky put an end to this issue, passing on the military transport ship Baikal between Sakhalin and the mainland. This strait was subsequently named after Nevelskoy.

The island is elongated meridionally from Cape Crillon in the south to Cape Elizabeth in the north. The length is 948 km, the width is from 26 km (the Poyasok isthmus) to 160 km (at the latitude of the village of Lesogorskoye), the area is 76.4 thousand km².

Tikhaya Bay Sakhalin Island

TOURISM ON SAKHALIN

Sakhalin Oblast Tourism

The tourist potential of the Sakhalin region is huge, although it has not been fully developed. The island of Sakhalin and the Kuriles itself is a treasure trove of Far Eastern nature. And the bet on tourism, which is being made today by local authorities and business representatives, will bring it to one of the leading positions in the economy of the islands.

The area, first of all, is of interest to Japanese tourists, which is due to the presence of natural and historical resources. As for the infrastructure, it is poorly developed. However, at the beginning of 2011, there were 57 travel companies operating in the region, including 34 tour operators and 23 travel agents.

The Sakhalin Region is an attractive territory for the development of ecotourism. True, most travel companies are still focused on outbound tourism. 90% of those entering are Japanese citizens who demand a high level of comfort from accommodation, transport, information services that is not inferior to Japanese. Therefore, today many hotels in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk strive to provide high quality services in terms of safety, sanitation and comfort. In many restaurants operating at hotels, a menu is presented, including oriental cuisine, and even separately Japanese.

In addition, with the assistance of the regional leadership, a number of measures have been implemented at the expense of investors, the purpose of which is to support and develop the tourism industry. As part of the preservation of monuments Japanese culture an action was carried out to improve the territory of the former treasury of the Karafuto jinja temple.

Sakhalin Energy, together with the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergency Situations for the Sakhalin Region, carried out a project to equip an ecological route to Chekhov Peak. The construction of a tourist complex in the village continues. Hot Keys of the Nogliki region. Landscaping of the territory of the tourist base "Aquamarine" (village Lesnoye, Korsakovsky district) was carried out. The issue of building a tourist complex on the territory of the Lesogorsk thermal mineral springs is being discussed. A catalog of investment proposals in the field of tourism has been formed, among them a proposal for the development of beach areas in the Sakhalin Region.

And finally, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is currently undergoing a mega-project to create the Sakhalin City Center, which will globally change the focus in the field of tourism, because investors expect that upon completion of the project, Sakhalin will become a tourist mecca, and inbound tourism will bring income.

natural rock arch at Cape Kuznetsov

Today, the Sakhalin Region has one of the best ski resorts in the region. For this type of recreation, the Sakhalin winter provides excellent opportunities. In the south of the island, abundant snow cover lasts for an unusually long time (up to 6 months) not only on medium-high mountain peaks, but also in the valleys, which is in perfect agreement with the standards of outdoor winter Olympic sports. If desired, skiers can extend the season for another couple of months on the slopes of the highest Sakhalin mountain Lopatin, which is located in the middle part of the island.

A wide variety of wellness routes with visits to thermal springs in different corners areas where you can take advantage of the unique composition of therapeutic mineral waters and muds that meet a wide range of medical needs, from gastrotherapy, neuropathology, to severe skin diseases and diseases of the musculoskeletal system.

Some travel companies are already ready to provide interesting entertainment and sports programs. This is water tourism, with kayaking, rafting and catamarans, sea voyages on yachts, and autotourism, and the most interesting hiking trails along Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands, and helicopter trips to completely inaccessible corners of the Sakhalin Region.

Well, exotic. Unique geological monuments of nature, abundance and variety of seafood, races on relic reindeer teams and ultra-modern snowmobiles, bear hunting, professional fishing, all kinds of water activities, visiting rookeries of marine animals and much more.

Sea of Okhotsk

ROUTES IN SAKHALIN

Routes around Sakhalin Island

The Sakhalin land is beautiful and amazing, there are so many interesting things here that you can fall in love with it in absentia. It is difficult to tell about everything, but it is easy to imagine how difficult the choice of a tourist is, because you want to see as much as possible. And this despite the fact that the tourism sector is not fully developed here, especially the Kuril Islands, which are part of the Sakhalin Region. The routes are very different, from quite budgetary ones to projects that are striking in their cost and scope, like helicopter trips to the South Kuril Islands or Sakhalin, for example, to the Upper Lake of Mount Shpamberg, which has no connection with the outside world.

Rather expensive tours include bear hunting and deer hunting. However, most belong to the category of ecological tourism, which includes fishing, picking berries, diving, boat trips on the lakes.

"Imperial Tour" LLC is ready to take you to the Dolinka River on an all-terrain vehicle, to Ainskoye Lake on a GAZ-66 car, to assist you in trips to the Kura River and Bird's Lake.

Travel company "Moguchi" LLC offers routes for corporate holiday, in particular, delivery to the hard-to-reach Sakhalin Peninsula - Cape Crillon. Here, vacationers are waiting for the rocky islands of Hirano, seal rookery, visits to historical sites (Cape Kanabeev, Ho Chi Minh trail, old Japanese bridges, grottoes), numerous waterfalls and weeping rocks. The huntsman-guide will demonstrate how commercial fishing for pink salmon goes, then he will show how to cook five-minute red caviar in field conditions, Sakhalin fish soup, and pink salmon baked in burdock. I must say that seafood and fish will always be on your table, regardless of the direction of the path you choose.

The company organizes trips to the north of Sakhalin, to its Okhinsky district, where you can hunt bears, fur-bearing animals and game birds, go fishing and just watch local birds and animals. From here you will certainly bring unique photographs.

A number of interesting routes are offered by Intur-Sakhalin. The 50th Parallel program is a journey through the Japanese places of the island. The route starts in Korsakov, then tourists visit lakes Tunaycha and Changeable, Poronaysk, the former border between the USSR and Japan, the so-called 50th Parallel, the settlements of Pobedino, Smirnykh, the city of Kholmsk.

The company organizes the route Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk - Tikhaya Bay, with a stop in the village of Vzmorye and a visit to a Japanese temple. There are many one-day programs in the Intour-Sakhalin arsenal: a tour to the mud volcano Mogutan in the village of Pugachevo and a geological monument in the vicinity of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, nicknamed the “frog” for its shape; tour of the territory of the South Sakhalin ski resort; Boat trip to Cape Windis and Cape Kuznetsov, on the slopes of the sea terraces of which countless cormorants, gulls, guillemots nest and where sea lions and seals can be seen all year round. In the form of one-day routes, you can also get acquainted with other sights of Sakhalin (Moneron Island, Cape Velikan, Cape Crillon).

In winter, at the service of those wishing to rest in Nekrasovka (Nogliksky district of Sakhalin) with sleigh rides in dog sled through Cape Tatiana to Moskalev and back.

In summer, a 6-day route to the Susunai Valley is good for relaxation (Lake Tunaicha, fishing on the Komissarovka River, in the vicinity of the village of Pervaya Pad and on the Warm Lakes, as well as a visit to Cape Svobodny on the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk). Sakhalin island

In the south of the island, Intur-Sakhalin offers to climb Mount Bolshevik by cable car, climb Chekhov Peak, relax on Lake Tunaicha and the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk and go to Starodubskoye to get acquainted with the collection site of amber that the sea throws ashore after the storm.

The route "Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk - Nogliki" includes a visit to the village of Goryachiye Klyuchi, not far from which healing hot springs are located. An exotic touch to the trip is added by the concert of the folklore ensemble "Nivkhinka".

A trip to Sinegorsk, which is known for its mineral springs and the Sinegorsk Mineral Waters sanatorium, can also be attributed to the health routes. Water from these sources is also used in medical institutions of Dolinsk.

There are routes for outdoor enthusiasts. One of them is the conquest of Mount Lopatina (1609 m).

As part of a 9-day tour, the Mishka Tour travel company offers a walking tour to an unusually beautiful natural monument - the Zhdanko mountain range. Accompanied by qualified guides and certified rescuers of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation, you can go on a speleological tour to the caves of Mount Vaida or climb the 20-meter Khomutovsky rocks, climb Peak Bold, take an ice climbing course on the unusually beautiful icefalls of the Zhdanko Ridge. Each participant of the excursion receives special equipment, undergoes a mandatory briefing and learns to work with a rope, at height and in caves. The leader of the route always has means to scare away animals (flares), radio stations, satellite telephone, first aid kit, rescue equipment.

An extreme tour in the Dolinsky district involves a rope crossing over a roaring rapid mountain river and deep canyon. You will have the opportunity to walk around the area and see the unique beauty of the place.

Also, with experienced instructors of the travel agency, you can dive in the area of Cape Yunona or in the place of the sea lion rookery in the Nevelsk area to observe the life of these animals under water, explore the seabed near the village of Prigorodnoye (Snorkeling), see gray whales from the lighthouse of Cape Piltun, challenge Sakhalin lakes, having mastered kayaking.

For lovers of extreme sports, a one-day rafting trip along the upper reaches of the Krasnoarmeyka River, with the passage of the Bykovsky threshold, one of the most difficult and beautiful in the south of Sakhalin. Another extreme route is a 3-day catamaran rafting on Lyutoga. Each participant of the excursion is provided with high-quality equipment. At other times and in a different way, you can come to the upper reaches of the Lyutoga to watch salmon spawning.

In addition, "Mishka Tour" provides one-day boat trips along hard-to-reach capes and bays off the western coast of the Tonino-Aniva Peninsula, along the ancient volcanoes of the Zhdanko ridge, a trip to Cape Burunny, to Cape Kuznetsov.

Ostrov travel agency specializes in fishing and hunting tours. It offers its clients routes to the Nyisky and Nabil bays, to the Dagi, Tym, Lyutoga, Poronay rivers, rafting on the Evay River with fishing in the Chaivo Bay, hunting in the central and southern parts of the island.

With the Tourist Company “Island Journey “Sivuch” LLC, you can see the most beautiful waterfalls of the island. Visit the shore of waterfalls on Cape Bird, admire the Uyunovsky and Aikhor waterfalls, as well as the waterfall on Olkhovatka, go to the Imperial Lake.

Zametny Island, Tikhaya Bay

RELIEF OF SAKHALIN ISLAND

The relief of the island is composed of medium-altitude mountains, low mountains and low plains. The southern and central parts of the island are characterized by mountainous relief and consist of two meridionally oriented mountain systems- West Sakhalin (up to 1327 m high - the city of Onor) and East Sakhalin mountains (up to 1609 m high - the city of Lopatina), separated by the longitudinal Tym-Poronai lowland. The north of the island (with the exception of the Schmidt Peninsula) is a gentle hilly plain.

The shores of the island are slightly indented; large bays - Aniva and Patience (widely open to the south) are located respectively in the southern and middle parts of the island. There are two large bays and four peninsulas in the coastline.

In the relief of Sakhalin, the following 11 regions are distinguished:

The Schmidt Peninsula (about 1.4 thousand km²) is a mountainous peninsula in the far north of the island with steep, sometimes steep coasts and two meridional ridges - Western and Eastern; highest point- Three Brothers (623 m); connected to the North Sakhalin Plain by the Okha Isthmus, the width of which at its narrowest point is just over 6 km;

The North Sakhalin Plain (about 28 thousand km²) is a gently undulating area south of the Schmidt Peninsula with a widely branched river network, weakly expressed watersheds and individual low mountain ranges, stretching from Baikal Bay in the north to the confluence of the Nysh and Tym rivers in the south, the highest point - the city of Daakhuria (601 m); the northeastern coast of the island stands out as a subarea, which is characterized by large lagoons (the largest are Piltun, Chaivo, Nyisky, Nabilsky, Lunsky bays), separated from the sea by narrow strips of alluvial spits, dunes, low sea terraces - it is in this subarea that the main Sakhalin oil and gas fields are located on the adjacent shelf of the Sea of Okhotsk;

The West Sakhalin Mountains stretch for almost 630 km from the latitude with. Hoe (51º19 "N) in the north to the Crillon Peninsula in the extreme south of the island; the average width of the mountains is 40-50 km, the largest (at the latitude of Cape Lamanon) is about 70 km; the axial part is formed by Kamyshovy (north of the isthmus Belt) and South Kamyshovy ridges;

The Tym-Poronai lowland is located in the middle part of the island and is a hilly-ridged lowland stretching for about 250 km in the meridional direction - from Terpeniya Bay in the south to the confluence of the Tym and Nysh rivers in the north; the maximum width (up to 90 km) reaches at the mouth of the Poronai River, the minimum (6-8 km) - in the valley of the Tym River; in the north it passes into the Nabil lowland; covered with a thick cover of Cenozoic sediments, composed of sedimentary deposits of the Quaternary period: sandstones, pebbles; the heavily swampy southern part of the lowland is called the Poronai "tundra";

The Susunai lowland is located in the southern part of the island and stretches for about 100 km from Aniva Bay in the south to the Naiba River in the north; from the west, the lowland is bounded by the West Sakhalin Mountains, from the east by the Susunai Ridge and the Korsakov Plateau; in the southern part, the width of the lowland reaches 20 km, in the center - 6 km, in the north - 10 km; absolute heights in the north and south do not exceed 20 m above sea level, in the central part, on the watershed of the Susuya and Bolshoi Takaya river basins, they reach 60 m; refers to the type of internal lowlands and is a tectonic depression filled with a large thickness of Quaternary deposits; within the Susunai lowland are the cities of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Aniva, Dolinsk and about half of the island's population lives;

The East Sakhalin Mountains are represented in the north by the Lopatinsky mountain junction (the highest point is the city of Lopatina, 1609 m) with ridges extending radially from it; two spurs of the opposite direction represent the Nabil Range; in the south, the Nabil Range passes into central ridge, in the north, sharply dropping, - into the North Sakhalin Plain;

The lowlands of the Patience Peninsula, the smallest of the districts, occupies most of the Patience Peninsula east of Patience Bay;

The Susunai Range stretches from north to south for 70 km and has a width of 18-120 km; the highest points are Mount Pushkinskaya (1047 m) and Chekhov Peak (1045 m); composed of Paleozoic deposits, at the foot of the western macroslope of the ridge is the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk;

The Korsakov plateau is bounded from the west by the Susunai lowland, from the north by the Susunaysky ridge, from the east by the Muravyovskaya lowland, from the south by the Aniva Bay, it has a slightly undulating surface formed by a system of flat-topped ridges elongated in a northeasterly direction; on the southern tip of the plateau on the shores of Aniva Bay is the city of Korsakov;

Muravyovskaya lowland (illustrated) is located between Aniva bays in the south and Mordvinov bays in the north, has a ridged relief with flat tops of ridges; within the lowlands there are many lakes, including the so-called "Warm Lakes", where South Sakhalin residents like to go on vacation;

The Tonino-Aniva Range stretches from north to south, from Cape Svobodny to Cape Aniva, for almost 90 km, the highest point is Mount Kruzenshtern (670 m); composed of Cretaceous and Jurassic deposits.

Cape Velikan, Sakhalin

SIGHTS OF SAKHALIN ISLAND

bird lake

A beautiful and amazing lake in the south of Sakhalin Island

Devil's bridge on Sakhalin

A unique building on Sakhalin, located in this moment in a semi-disassembled state.

Waterfall Bird

Most big waterfall Kunashir Island, which annually attracts a large number of tourists.

Volcano Golovnin

An active volcano on the island of Kunashir with two amazing lakes at the bottom of the crater

Cape and Lighthouse Aniva

Cape in the South-East of Sakhalin Island with the lighthouse of the same name

White rocks of Sakhalin

Amazing white rocks on the shore of the Sea of Okhotsk

Lake Tunaicha

One of the most favorite vacation spots of Sakhalin residents

Aihor waterfall Sakhalin

Volcano Tyatya

A huge active volcano located on Kunashir Island, Kuril Islands.

Iturup Island

south island Kuril ridge, a real treasure trove of natural attractions and a great place for outdoor recreation.

Cape Stolbchaty

Unique rock formation on Kunashir Island.

Hot springs of Sakhalin

A unique source of medicinal water in the north of Sakhalin.

Cape Crillon

Cape Crillon - the southernmost point of Sakhalin Island

Waterfall Ilya Muromets

One of the largest and beautiful waterfalls Russia.

Tatar Strait Sakhalin

CLIMATE OF SAKHALIN

The climate of Sakhalin is moderately monsoonal (the average temperature in January is from -6ºС in the south to -24ºС in the north, in August - from +19ºС to +10ºС, respectively), maritime with long cold snowy winters and average warm summers. Average annual temperature in the north of the island (according to long-term data) is about -1.5ºС, in the south - +2.2ºС.

The following factors influence the climate:

Geographical position between 46º and 54º N. latitude. determines the arrival of solar radiation from 410 kJ/year in the north to 450 kJ/year in the south.

In winter, the weather is largely determined by the Siberian anticyclone: at this time, northern and northwestern winds prevail, severe frosts can occur, especially in the central part of the island with a temperate continental microclimate. At the same time, winter cyclones can come from the south (which are practically absent in the mainland regions of the Russian Far East), which determine strong and frequent snowstorms. So, in the winter of 1970, a series of snowy cyclones, accompanied by numerous avalanches, hit the region. The wind reached hurricane force (individual gusts - up to 50 m / s), snow cover in the southern part of Sakhalin exceeded the norm by 3-4 times, reaching 6-8 m in some places. Snowstorms paralyzed the work of all types of transport, seaports, industrial enterprises .

The position between the Eurasian continent and the Pacific Ocean determines the monsoonal nature of the climate. A humid and warm, rather rainy Sakhalin summer is associated with it. Summer starts in June and ends in September.

Mountainous terrain affects the direction and speed of the wind. A decrease in wind speed in intermountain basins (in particular, in the relatively large Tym-Poronai and Susunai lowlands) contributes to cooling the air in winter and warming it in summer, it is here that the greatest temperature contrasts are observed; while the mountains protect these lowlands, as well as the western coast, from the effects of the cold air of the Sea of Okhotsk.

In summer, the contrast between the western and eastern coasts of the island is enhanced by the respectively warm Tsushima Current of the Sea of Japan, which reaches the southwestern tip of Sakhalin, and the cold East Sakhalin Current of the Sea of Okhotsk, which runs along the eastern coast from north to south.

The cold Sea of Okhotsk affects the climate of the island as a giant thermal accumulator, determining a protracted cold spring and a relatively warm autumn: snow in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk sometimes lasts until mid-May (and in 1963 heavy snowfall was observed on June 1), while flower beds in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk may bloom until early November. If we compare Sakhalin with similar (in terms of climatic indicators) territories of European Russia, then the seasons on the island succeed each other with a delay of about three weeks. For the same reason, the warmest month of the year on Sakhalin is August, and the coldest is February. average temperature September is almost always higher than the average June.

city of Nevelsk

Air temperature

The maximum temperature on Sakhalin (+39ºС) was noted in July 1977 in the village. Border on the east coast (Nogliki district). The minimum temperature on Sakhalin (-50ºС) was recorded in January 1980 in the village. Ado-Tymovo (Tymovsky district). The registered temperature minimum in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is -36ºС (January 1961), the maximum is +34.7ºС (August 1999).

The highest average annual precipitation (990 mm) falls in the city of Aniva, the lowest (476 mm) - at the Kuegda meteorological station (Okhinsky district). The average annual precipitation in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (according to long-term data) is 753 mm.

The earliest stable snow cover appears at Cape Elizaveta (Okhinsky District) and in the village of Ado-Tymovo (Tymovsky District) on October 31 on average, and the latest in Korsakov (on average December 1). The average dates of snow cover melting are from April 22 (Kholmsk) to May 28 (Cape Elizabeth). In Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, stable snow cover appears on average on November 22 and disappears on April 29.

Frequent cyclones are often accompanied by floods. The latter passed in the southern part of the island already in 2009. Both in June and July 2009, three monthly rainfall fell in the south of Sakhalin, on July 15-16, the amount of precipitation in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk reached 107 mm, that is, almost two monthly norms. Many rivers overflowed their banks, twice because of the destruction of the railway track, traffic on the Sakhalin railway, which connects the south and north of the island, was stopped.

The most powerful typhoon in the last 100 years, the Phyllis, moving with Pacific Ocean to the northwest, hit the island in August 1981. The maximum precipitation then occurred on August 5-6, and in total from August 4 to 7, 322 mm of precipitation fell in the south of Sakhalin (about three monthly norms). The typhoon was accompanied by catastrophic floods. The water in some rivers rose by 6.5 m, landslides and mudflows were observed. The situation was aggravated by stormy southeast winds, causing seawater surge on the coasts of Aniva and Patience bays. The flood caused human casualties, more than two thousand families were left without a roof over their heads. Anivsky, Smirnykhovsky and Poronaysky districts were especially affected.

Typhoon "Georgia" hit the south of Sakhalin on September 18-19, 1970. In a matter of hours, a monthly rainfall fell, the water rose by 5 m on the rivers, crops were flooded, a large number of livestock died, roads and railways were washed out. Hurricane winds led to massive destruction of power lines. There were human casualties.

The year 2002 turned out to be fruitful for powerful typhoons: from July 11 to July 15, typhoon Chataan and tropical depression Nerry caused very heavy rains in the south of Sakhalin, mudflows, landslides. Roads were washed out, houses were flooded. On September 2, Typhoon Rusa again brought heavy rainfall to the south of the island. The water in the rivers rose by 2.5-4.5 m. 449 houses were flooded, 9 bridges were destroyed. 80 mudflows descended in the Nevelsk region. Finally, on October 2-3, Typhoon Higos shifted from Japanese islands, crossed the southern part of Sakhalin and caused very heavy rains and storm winds. As a result of numerous accidents on power lines, there was no electricity in twenty settlements, and roads were washed out. A ship sank in the Gulf of Patience. In Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, a strong wind knocked down more than a thousand trees, several people were injured from their fall.

There are 16120 lakes on Sakhalin with total area about 1000 km². The areas of their greatest concentration are the north and southeast of the island. The two largest lakes of Sakhalin are Nevsky with a mirror area of 178 km² (Poronaisky district, near the mouth of the Poronai River) and Tunaicha (174 km²) (Korsakovsky district, in the north of the Muravyovskaya lowland); both lakes belong to the lagoon type.

Aniva Bay

NATURAL RESOURCES

Sakhalin is characterized by a very high potential of natural resources. In addition to biological resources, in terms of the reserves of which Sakhalin is one of the first places in Russia, the island and its shelf have very large reserves of hydrocarbons and coal. In terms of the volume of explored reserves of gas condensate, the Sakhalin Region ranks 4th in Russia, gas - 7th, coal - 12th (illustrated) and oil - 13th place, while within the region the reserves of these minerals are almost are entirely concentrated on Sakhalin and its shelf. Other natural resources of the island include timber, gold, mercury, platinum, germanium, chromium, talc, and zeolites.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Both the flora and fauna of the island are depleted both in comparison with the adjacent areas of the mainland, and in comparison with the island of Hokkaido located to the south.

The history of the floristic study of Sakhalin, probably begun by Fyodor Bogdanovich Schmidt in 1859, has been going on for more than 150 years.

As of the beginning of 2004, the flora of the island includes 1521 species of vascular plants belonging to 575 genera from 132 families, with 7 families and 101 genera represented only by invasive species. The total number of alien species on the island is 288, or 18.9% of the composition of the entire flora. According to the main systematic groups, vascular plants of the flora of Sakhalin are distributed as follows (excluding adventitious ones): vascular spores - 79 species (including lycopods - 14, horsetails - 8, ferns - 57), gymnosperms - 9 species, angiosperms - 1146 species (including including monocots - 383, dicots - 763). The leading families of vascular plants in the flora of Sakhalin are sedges (Cyperaceae) (121 species excluding aliens - 122 species including aliens), Asteraceae (120–175), grasses (Poaceae) (108–152), rosaceae (Rosaceae) (58 - 68), buttercup (Ranunculaceae) (54 - 57), heather (Ericaceae) (39 - 39), clove (Caryophyllaceae) (38 - 54), buckwheat (Polygonaceae) (37 - 57), orchid (Orchidaceae) (35 - 35), cruciferous (Brassicaceae) (33 - 53).

According to life forms, the vascular plants of Sakhalin are distributed as follows: trees - 44 species, lianas - 9, shrubs - 82, shrubs - 54, semi-shrubs and semi-shrubs - 4, perennial grasses - 961, annual and biennial grasses - 79 (all figures are given without taking into account alien species).

The main forest-forming species of the coniferous forests of Sakhalin are the Gmelin larch (Larix gmelinii) and the thin-scaled larch (Larix leptolepis) introduced from Japan, the Ajan spruce (Picea ajanensis) and the Glena (Picea glehnii), the Sakhalin fir (Abies sachalinensis), the introduced Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris). ). The predominant hardwoods are stone birch (Betula ermanii) and white birch (Betula alba), downy alder (Alnus hirsuta), aspen (Populus tremula), fragrant poplar (Populus suaveolens), dew willow (Salix rorida), goat willow (Salix caprea) and heart-leaved (Salix cardiophylla), chosenia (Chosenia arbutifolia), Japanese elm (Ulmus japonica) and lobed elm (Ulmus laciniata), yellow maple (Acer ukurunduense).

There are 44 species of mammals on the island, the most well-known of which are the bear, sable, otter, American mink, reindeer, wolverine, musk deer, represented here by a special Sakhalin subspecies, raccoon dog, sea lion and others. Approximately half of the Sakhalin theriofauna species are rodents.

378 species of birds have been recorded on Sakhalin; 201 of them (53.1%) breed on the island. The largest number of species (352) was recorded in the southern part of the island, 320 species were recorded in the central part, and 282 species in the northern part. Most nesting birds (88 species) are passerines; in addition, the avifauna contains a large proportion of shorebirds (33 nesting species), lamellar-billed birds (22 nesting species), owls and diurnal birds of prey (11 nesting species each).

seal rookery

RED BOOK

The fauna, flora and mycobiota of the island include many rare protected species of animals, plants and fungi. 18 mammal species recorded on Sakhalin, 97 bird species (including 50 breeding species), seven fish species, 20 invertebrate species, 113 vascular plant species, 13 bryophyte species, seven algae species, 14 fungi species and 20 lichen species (i.e. 136 animal species, 133 plant species and 34 fungi species - 303 species in total) have protected status, that is, they are listed in the Red Book of the Sakhalin Region, while about a third of them are simultaneously included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation.

Of the "federal Red Book" flowering plants, the flora of Sakhalin includes the heart-shaped aralia (Aralia cordata), bulbous calypso (Calypso bulbosa), Glen's cardiocrinum (Cardiocrinum glehnii), Japanese sedge (Carex japonica) and lead gray sedge (Carex livida), real lady's slippers ( Cypripedium calceolus) and large-flowered (Cypripedium macranthum), Gray's two-leafed (Diphylleia grayi), leafless chin (Epipogium aphyllum), Japanese kandyk (Erythronium japonicum), high pot-bellied (Gastrodia elata), xiphoid iris (Iris ensata), ailantolifolia nut (Juglans ailanthifolia ), seven-lobed calopanax (Kalopanax septemlobum), tiger lily (Lilium lancifolium), Tolmachev's honeysuckle (Lonicera tolmatchevii), long-legged winged seed (Macropodium pterospermum), whole-leaved miyakia (Miyakea integrifolia) (miyakia is the only endemic genus of vascular plants on Sakhalin), nest flower (Neottianthe cucullata), obovate peonies (Paeonia obovata) and mountain peonies (Paeonia or eogeton), rough bluegrass (Poa radula) and Wright's viburnum (Viburnum wrightii), i.e. 23 species. In addition, eight more "federal Red Book" plants are found on the island: two types of gymnosperms - Sargent's juniper (Juniperus sargentii) and spiky yew (Taxus cuspidata), three species of ferns - Asian half-flowered (Isoëtes asiatica), Mikel's leptorumora (Leptorumohra miqueliana) and Wright's mecodium (Mecodium wrightii), two species and one variety of mosses - Japanese bryoxiphium (Bryoxiphium norvegicum var. japonicum), northern necker (Neckera borealis), and dull plagiothecium (Plagiothecium obtusissimum).

POPULATION

Sakhalin is the largest island in the Russian Federation in terms of population. As of January 1, 2010, the population of Sakhalin and the Kuriles was 510.9 thousand people, the population of Sakhalin Island is about 493 thousand people.

According to the 2002 census, 527,268 people lived on the island, including 253,304 men and 273,964 women. About 84% of the population are ethnic Russians, the rest are Koreans (5.6%), Ukrainians (4.0%), Tatars (1.2%), Belarusians (1.0%), Mordovians (0.5%), less than 1% of the population are representatives of the indigenous peoples of the North - Nivkhs (0.5%) and Oroks (0.06%). From 2002 to 2009 the population of Sakhalin continued to slowly (by about 1% per year) decline: mortality still prevails over births, and the number of migrants arriving on the island from the mainland and from countries neighboring Russia (China, North Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan ), lower than the number of Sakhalin residents leaving the island.

The largest city of Sakhalin is the regional center Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (190,227 people), other relatively large cities are Korsakov (33,148 people), Kholmsk (29,563 people), Okha (21,830 people), Poronaysk (15,476 people). .), Dolinsk (11,885 people), Nevelsk (10,965 people).

HISTORY OF SAKHALIN

Archaeological finds indicate that people could appear on Sakhalin in the early Paleolithic era, approximately 250-300 thousand years ago. During the Pleistocene era, as a result of periodic glaciations, the level of the World Ocean dropped several times and land "bridges" appeared between Sakhalin and the mainland, as well as Sakhalin, Hokkaido and Kunashir. During the late Pleistocene period, Homo sapiens penetrated Sakhalin: sites of modern man, aged 20-12 thousand years, were found in the southern and middle parts of the island, at the same time along another land "bridge" between Asia and America, located on the site of the modern Bering Strait , Homo sapiens moved to the Americas). In the Neolithic (10-2.5 thousand years ago), the entire territory of Sakhalin Island was inhabited. Fishing and hunting for sea animals formed the basis of the material culture of the people of that time, who led a sedentary lifestyle along the sea coast.

The ancestors of modern Paleo-Asian peoples - the Nivkhs (in the north of the island) and the Ainu (in the south) - appeared on the island during the Middle Ages. At the same time, the Nivkhs migrated between Sakhalin and the lower Amur, and the Ainu migrated between Sakhalin and Hokkaido. Their material culture was similar in many respects, and their livelihood was provided by fishing, hunting and gathering. At the end of the Middle Ages (in the 16th-17th centuries), Tungus-speaking peoples migrated to Sakhalin from the mainland - the Evenks (nomadic reindeer herders) and the Oroks (Uilta), who, under the influence of the Evenks, also began to engage in reindeer herding.

Cape Kuznetsov

How Sakhalin was discovered

At the end of the 16th century, as a result of Yermak's campaign beyond the Urals, vast lands spread along the Tura, Tobol and Irtysh rivers were annexed to the Muscovite state. The Russians established themselves in these lands. The stories that reached them about the unprecedented riches of Siberia, about the innumerable abundance of the precious fur-bearing animal, attracted service people - Cossacks and brave industrialists further to the east. Moving in small detachments along the rivers and portages, crossing the virgin Siberian taiga, fighting against the militant local peoples, overcoming inhuman difficulties, cold and hardships, the Cossacks and industrialists for several decades traveled a long way from the Ob to the shores of the Pacific Ocean. They discovered new lands, produced as detailed descriptions of them as possible, and, by the right of discovery, annexed them to Russia. The names of Dezhnev, Khabarov, Atlasov, Poyarkov and many other explorers became glorious milestones in the history of our country.

In July 1643, Cossack foreman Poyarkov left Yakutsk with a small detachment to discover and explore new lands. He climbed with his detachment up the Aldan River, crossed the watershed ridge and went to the Zeya River, along which he descended to the Amur. The following year, 1644, Poyarkov reached the mouth of the Amur and went to sea. In the summer of 1646, Poyarkov returned to Yakutsk and brought back the first descriptions of the Amur, the Shantar Islands, and Sakhalin.

In subsequent years, Russians visited Sakhalin more than once. In 1742, a member of Vitus Bering's expedition, Lieutenant Shelting, on the double-boat Nadezhda, sailed along the eastern coast of Sakhalin and entered the strait, later called the La Perouse Strait, in honor of the famous French navigator, who in 1787 on the frigates Bussol and Astrolabe visited Sahalia. La Perouse gave French names to several points of the island, including the Douai River, as well as the bay de Castries discovered by him on the mainland.

In 1805, the first Russian round-the-world expedition of Krusenstern explored the shores of Sakhalin. The following year, 1806, Russian officers Khvostov and Davydov visited southern Sakhalin and raised the Russian flag there.

However, for a long time the geography of the lower reaches of the Amur and the island of Sakhalia remained unclear. Navigators who visited Sakhalin or passed near it believed that Sakhalin was a peninsula connected by an isthmus to the mainland. This conclusion was made both by La Perouse and Krusenstern and by the commander of the Russian brig "Konstantin" - Gavrilov, who was sent in 1846 to study the mouth of the Amur and Sakhalin. Only in 1849, the research of Captain G. I. Nevelsky on the Baikal transport proved that Sakhalin was an island.

[As it turned out later, the Japanese scientist Mamiya-Rinzo established back in 1808 that Sakhalin was an island, but the data on his journey, published in Japanese, were not known to Europeans.]

The narrow part of the strait that separates Sakhalin from the mainland now bears the name of Captain Nevelskoy.

Origin of the name Sakhalin Island

In the 18th century, on maps published in Western Europe, off the coast of the Pacific Ocean, north of China, the huge country of Tataria was depicted. The French navigator La Perouse was also convinced of the existence of this mysterious Tartary. Having reached on his ships the strait separating Sakhalin from the mainland, La Perouse, without hesitation for a long time, called it Tatar. As a result of this misunderstanding, the strait still bears an accidental and unjustified name to this day.

Everyone calls the Tatar Strait body of water separating the island from the mainland. The narrowest part of the strait bears the name of Nevelskoy. The part of the strait lying in the north merges closely with the Amur Estuary. Therefore, many, speaking of the Amur Estuary, mean northern part strait.

No less accidental is the name of the island itself. The Amur River was called "Sakhalyan-ulla" in Mongolian. On one of the maps of "Tataria", published in Western Europe and depicting Sakhalin as a peninsula, an inscription was made at the place of the mouth of the Amur: "Sachalien anga-hata", which in Mongolian means "rocks of the black river". After Captain Nevelsky established that Sakhalin is an island, the compilers of the maps attributed this inscription to the new island, which has since become known as Sakhalin.

The Japanese call Sahalia Karafuto or Kabafuto, which means "Birch Island".

The first steps in the development of the island

After the discovery of Nevelskoye, work on the study and development of Sakhalin was carried out quite intensively.

In 1852, midshipman Boshnyak was sent to Sakhalin, who was supposed to check information about the presence of coal deposits there. Boshnyak rode along the western bank to Douai, crossed the island and reached its eastern bank at the mouth of the Tym River. Boshnyak's research confirmed the information about the richness of Sakhalin in coal.

The following year, in 1853, a military unit with artillery was landed in the southern part of the island and the Russian flag was again raised over the island. On the southern coast of the island, the Korsakovskiy military post was created, and on the western shore, the Ilinskiy post.

In the same year, Rimsky-Korsakov on the schooner "Vostok" made a detailed survey of the western shores of the island and identified places suitable for parking ships.

Soon, small-scale mining of hard coal began at the so-called "Chikhachevsky breaks" in Douai.

In 1854, 1855 and 1856 the island was explored by the zoologist L.I. Shrenk. He made several long and very difficult trips around the island, covered the physical geography of Sakhalin in some detail, described its indigenous population, flora and fauna.

The island was visited by members of the large expedition of the Russian Geographical Society F.B. Schmidt, P.P. Glen, Lieutenant Rashkov, topographer Shebunin and Dr. Brylkin. As a result of their work, a map of Sakhalin was compiled.

In 1867-1868 the mining engineer Lopatin carried out geological studies of the island.

As a result of all these studies, the fossil, plant and fish riches of Sakhalin were more and more fully revealed, and the great strategic importance of the island became more and more obvious, which is a natural outpost of the Russian state in the Far East and covers Russia's outlets to the Pacific Ocean.

Sakhalin was inhabited by Ainu, Tungus, Gilyak and Orochons. They were engaged in hunting, fishing and reindeer herding. By the time of the first visits to the island by Russians, the indigenous inhabitants of Sakhalin were completely independent of any state whatsoever.

The Japanese did not settle on Sakhalin until the end of the 18th century. They came to the island only for the fishing season. Then, after the appearance of Russian Cossacks and industrialists, the Japanese began to gradually seize the island in their hands. In 1787, the Japanese built two small villages on the island. In subsequent years, they spread throughout the southern half of the island. Uninvited aliens exploited the Ainu, in fact turned them into their serfs, forced the Ainu to do the most difficult and exhausting work for free.

It took quite a long time until the tsarist government finally understood the importance of Sakhalin for Russia and sent the first military post there (in 1853). By this time, uninvited guests had already settled on the island. The appearance of Russian guards not only did not weaken the resettlement of the Japanese there, but, on the contrary, increased Japanese expansion. Russian detachments could not prevent the penetration of the Japanese. Japan soon laid claim to its "rights" to the island. According to the Shimoda Treaty of 1854, Japan achieved joint ownership of this island with Russia.

The capture of Sakhalin by the Japanese clearly threatened the Russian Far Eastern possessions and exits from the Amur. In addition, the Japanese rapaciously destroyed the natural resources of Sakhalin. Japan readily agreed to renounce its imaginary "rights" to Sakhalin on the condition that Russia transfer the Kuril Islands to her in "exchange". In 1875, this deal took place. Sakhalin completely passed into the possession of Russia, and Japan, as a result of this extremely beneficial deal for her, acquired the Kuril Islands, relying on which she could control Russia's outlets to the Pacific Ocean.

However, Japan did not refuse to exploit the natural resources of Sakhalin. The short-sighted tsarist government allowed the Japanese to keep fisheries in southern Sakhalin. At the end of the 19th century, Japan annually harvested 40-45 thousand tons of fish in Sakhalin. Fish catch by Russians did not exceed 13-15 thousand tons in those years.

Having bought off the Japanese at a high price, the tsarist government set about colonizing the island and developing its natural resources, showing no more ingenuity in this matter than in the "trade" of the islands.

Sakhalin penal servitude

The tsarist government found a peculiar use for Sakhalin - penal servitude was created on a distant island. The harsh natural conditions of Sakhalin, combined with the hard labor regime, were a severe punishment for the convicts. It was decided to use the labor of convicts in the development of coal, logging, etc. The flight of prisoners from the island, separated from the mainland by the stormy Tatar Strait, according to the organizers of hard labor, was impossible.

Convicts who had served their terms of imprisonment were supposed to be placed in a forced permanent settlement here, on the island, so that they were mainly engaged in agriculture.

In 1869, the first batch of convicts, consisting of 800 people, was delivered to Sakhalin. Since that time, the dark pages of the history of Sakhalin began. One after another, parties of convicts arrived. Hundreds, thousands of people. At first, only men. Then women also appeared: some of the convicts were voluntarily followed by their wives and children into exile on Sakhalin.

Shackled in hand and foot shackles, and sometimes chained in addition to a wheelbarrow, the convicts worked mainly in the coal mines in the areas adjacent to Aleksandrovsk.

Bad organization mining, the absence of any tools other than a pickaxe and a shovel, hard labor did not contribute to the development of the coal industry. The amount of coal mined was small. The coal was not sorted and went to the consumer along with the rock. From the mines, coal was taken out on stretchers or in bags, which is why it was crushed. All this sharply reduced the quality of coal and made it difficult to sell.

The heavy hard labor regime and the arbitrariness of the administration led to a mass exodus of convicts. Some fugitives managed to cross the Tatar Strait and return to European Russia. But many remained within the island. In order to earn their living, they robbed settlers who had already served their sentences.

The life of the settlers differed little from the life of convicts.

The complete arbitrariness of the tsarist administration also affected the organization of settlements. The convict, who had served his sentence, was given an ax, a hoe, a shovel, two pounds of rope, one saw for five people, and indicated the place where he was to settle. Places for settlement were chosen without any plan, without taking into account the surrounding conditions. It also happened that settlements were built in places completely unsuitable for agriculture, damp, flooded with water, etc. At the cost of enormous effort, literally bloody labor, the settler built himself a hut and created some sort of economy. But it did not bring him relief. He led a miserable existence. In addition, the exiled settlers did not have civil rights and lived on the basis of a special charter. At the first opportunity, the exiled settlers abandoned their huts and "farm" and fled to the mainland.

Despite the mass exodus of convicts and exiled settlers, the population of Sakhalin continuously increased due to new parties of convicts sent here. By 1904, there were about 40 thousand prisoners, exiled settlers and free residents on Sakhalin.

The exploration of Sakhalin did not stop during the hard labor. Meteorological stations were established in the village of Aleksandrovsky and the village of Rykovsky. were held great work for the study of the seas washing the shores of Sakhalin, for the study of its bowels, soils, vegetation and animals.

First Japanese intervention. The liquidation of hard labor. Capture of South Sakhalin by the Japanese

In 1904, Japan treacherously attacked Russia. The Japanese called Sakhalin. Having landed on the island, from where the Russian administration had already been evacuated, the Japanese began to manage in their own way. They shot most of the convicts held in prisons, established new rules for the exiled settlers. They soon felt that life under the Japanese was even worse than hard labor and masses rushed to the mainland. The number of Russians on the island decreased from 40 to 5-6 thousand.

After the end of the war, unsuccessful for Russia, Japan imposed the Treaty of Portsmouth on Russia, according to which the southern half of Sakhalin went to Japan. The border between the parts of Sakhalin that remained with Russia and the parts of Sakhalin captured by Japan ran along the fiftieth parallel. Along the border, across the island, a giant clearing was cut in the taiga and border posts were installed.

With grip southern half Sakhalin, Japan closed the island ring, with which she surrounded Russian possessions off the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Russia was left with only the northern half of the island. By the time the war ended [Russian-Japanese - approx. mine] there were almost no convicts left on it. Some of them were killed by the Japanese, some fled. The tsarist government did not try to renew hard labor here. And it was hardly possible with such close proximity to the Japanese.

Japanese colonization of southern Sakhalin.

After the division of Sakhalin under the Treaty of Portsmouth, the Japanese began to intensively populate the southern part of the island. Seaports, moorings, roads were built on southern Sakhalin. Characteristically, the settlement of southern Sakhalin went mainly at the expense of reservists trained in military affairs. Along with strategic construction, the Japanese organized fishing and forestry, vigorously engaged in reindeer herding and fur trade. The population of the Japanese part of the island in 1906 was 12 thousand people, in 1912 - 42 thousand, in 1923 - 140 thousand and in 1939 - over 300 thousand.

The Russian government, for its part, also took measures to settle Northern Sakhalin. But these measures were as little successful as in the days of the Sakhalin penal servitude. Sakhalin has won a sad reputation. Stories about the horrors of Sakhalin life were passed from mouth to mouth. The tragedy of the Sakhalin penal servitude was intertwined in these stories with the tragedy of the Russo-Japanese war. Of course, there was also a share of fiction in the stories, nature was portrayed in them as exaggeratedly harsh. But it is quite clear that there were few people who wanted to go to a distant island, standing "at the end of the world". And those who decided to go there had to sip a lot of grief.

Resettlement to Sakhalin was far from easy. The government did not take care to build a port on the island, or at least a convenient berth for ships. The steamboat, which anchored a few kilometers from the shore, disembarked passengers, with all their property, into boats, which, along the stormy waves of the strait, delivered the settlers to the deserted coast.

The gloomy Sakhalin taiga met the settlers unfriendly. The peasant, who moved from the central, steppe regions of Russia to the taiga Sakhalin, found himself in unusual conditions. In order to plow the plot, it was first necessary to uproot the taiga, and this required a lot of work. The terms and methods of cultivating the land, the timing of sowing and harvesting have not been studied by anyone. The settlers had to learn them on their own, hard experience.

Information about the conditions of life on Sakhalin, coming from the first settlers, did not at all contribute to the influx of new population. Therefore, until the establishment of Soviet power, population growth on Sakhalin was extremely weak. During the period from 1908 to 1917, the Russian population of the island increased by only 1600-1800 people. The tsarist government poorly understood that Northern Sakhalin, with its harsh climatic conditions and its enormous natural wealth, required not agricultural, but above all carefully thought out and prepared industrial colonization. As before, as in the days of hard labor, the tsarist government cared little about the development of the economy of the island and even less about creating normal living conditions for the settlers.

As a result, Northern Sakhalin, until the establishment of Soviet power, remained a sparsely populated outskirts, with a poorly developed economy and impassability characteristic of the outskirts.

The agriculture of the island did not develop. His products were not enough even for the small population of the island. Peasants usually combined agriculture with local crafts - hunting for fur-bearing animals and fishing. The coal and timber industry developed slowly due to the lack of a port and moorings. The question of the construction of the Sakhalin port did not move beyond numerous projects. Fisheries were significant, but in terms of technical equipment and profitability they were far inferior to Japanese ones.

Nevertheless, as a result of the colonization carried out by the tsarist government, a fairly large number of permanent settlements were created on Sakhalin, as a rule, not crowded. Roads were also laid, albeit very primitive ones, allowing wheeled communication between settlements and the coast of the island. The population little by little began to get used to the nature of the island. On the basis of experience, the necessary skills and rules of agriculture were developed. The times of hard labor were gradually forgotten, further and further they went into the depths of the past.

Work on the study of the island continued. New information about the natural resources of Sakhalin has appeared in the scientific literature. An instrumental survey of the coast and some inland parts of Northern Sakhalin was carried out, and maps were compiled. Exploration for oil began at a number of points. In the Okha region, oil was discovered by the Russians back in the 1980s.

The expedition of the Geological Committee, in which mining engineer P.I. Polevoy and geologist N.N. Tikhonovich took part, in 1908-1910 began to study the geological structure and minerals of the island. Representatives of the resettlement department studied the soil, climate and vegetation of the island, identified areas suitable for settlement.

Russian merchants and industrialists showed great interest in developing the natural resources of Sakhalin. With the assistance of the government, the economy of Northern Sakhalin could develop rapidly. But the tsarist administration not only did not provide this assistance, on the contrary, it created such conditions under which all attempts by the population and entrepreneurs to promote the development of the Sakhalin industry remained futile.

For Tsarist Russia, the backwardness of Sakhalin was no exception. Kola Peninsula, possessing fabulous wealth, located relatively close to St. Petersburg, was just as empty and deserted. The shores of the Pechora, rich in minerals, and many other outskirts of what was then Russia were also deserted.

As a result of the victory over Japan during World War II, the entire territory of Sakhalin Island (as well as all the Kuril Islands) was included in the Soviet Union (RSFSR).

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk was founded as part of the Russian Empire in 1882 under the name Vladimirovka. After the victory of the USSR and its allies in World War II, together with the entire island, it passed to the USSR.

Zhdanko Ridge, western Sakhalin

Transport

The public railway network covers most of the island (the farthest communication is from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to the village of Nogliki), there is also a sea ferry railway crossing to the mainland. The Sakhalin Railway is interesting in that it has a gauge of 1067 mm, unusual for Russia, which was inherited from Japan. In the USSR, diesel locomotives TG16 and TG22 were designed and mass-produced specifically for Sakhalin. Since 2004, work has been underway to remake the track to the standard Russian gauge of 1520 mm. They are planned to be completed, according to various forecasts, by 2016-2020.

Non-public railways (departmental narrow-gauge) carry out transportation in those areas where there are no public railways. Most of them have been dismantled, leaving a functioning narrow-gauge railway in the Uglegorsk region.

Roads connect almost all settlements of the region. The quality of the roads is poor, and there is asphalt pavement only in the southern part.

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is connected by air with Moscow, Krasnodar, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Vladivostok, Khabarovsk, Komsomolsk-on-Amur and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, with cities and towns of the Sakhalin Region (Okha, Yuzhno-Kurilsk, Burevestnik (on Iturup Island)), and also with Japan (Tokyo, Sapporo, Hakodate), South Korea(Seoul) and China (Harbin, and more recently Beijing). It is interesting that from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (regional center) there is no direct communication with the regional center Severo-Kurilsky, and you have to get there in a roundabout way - through Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND PHOTO:

Team Nomads.

Lutsky S. L. Sakhalin Island

Sakhalin - article from the Great Soviet Encyclopedia

Petukhov A. V., Kordyukov A. V., Baranchuk-Chervonny L. N. Atlas of vascular plants in the environs of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk // In the book: Introduction. (ISBN 978-5-904209-05-6) - Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk: Eikon, 2010. - P. 9

Barkalov V. Yu., Taran A. A. List of species of vascular plants of Sakhalin Island // In the book: Flora and fauna of Sakhalin Island (Materials of the International Sakhalin Project). Part 1. (ISBN 5-8044-0467-9) - Vladivostok: Dalnauka, 2004. - S. 39-66.

http://www.photosight.ru/photos/5591256/

http://sakhalin.shamora.info/Recreation-in-Sakhalin-region/WIKI-in-Sakhalin-region/Sights-of-Sakhalin-region/

Nechaev V. A. Review of bird fauna (Aves) of the Sakhalin region // In the book: Flora and fauna of Sakhalin Island (Materials of the International Sakhalin project). Part 2. (ISBN 5-8044-0507-1) - Vladivostok: Dalnauka, 2005. - S. 246-327.

Red Book of the Sakhalin Region: Plants. - Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk: Sakhalin. book. publishing house, 2005. - 348 p.

Population of the Russian Federation by municipalities as of January 1, 2013. - M.: Federal State Statistics Service Rosstat, 2013. - 528 p. (Table 33. Population of urban districts, municipal districts, urban and rural settlements, urban settlements, rural settlements).

Occupation of Northern Sakhalin and Japanese concessions

Wikipedia site.

Aleksandrov S. M. Sakhalin Island. — M.: Nauka, 1973. — 183 p.

Vasilevsky A. A. Stone Age of Sakhalin Island. - Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk: Sakhalin book publishing house, 2008. - 411 p.

Isachenko A. G., Shlyapnikov A. A. Sakhalin // Nature of the world: Landscapes. — M.: Thought, 1989. — 504 p.

Southern part of the Far East. — M.: Nauka, 1969. — 422 p.

http://ilp-p.narod.ru/sakhalin/ostrov/ostrov1.htm

Sakhalin is the true end of the world, a place where the mighty Pacific Ocean dominates, breaking powerful waves against the coastal rocks. The incredibly picturesque and remote island attracts adventurers who are not afraid of difficulties and lack of civilization, but who appreciate the beauty of wildlife and solitude.

At first glance, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is a typical, unremarkable city with Soviet architecture and a lack of significant historical sights, but on the other hand, it is a real mix of cultures, traditions and dialects. Who is not here: Japanese, Koreans, Americans, Russians. For the exotic, it is better to go to the local market, where you can buy seafood delicacies and plunge into the atmosphere of a busy port.

The best hotels and hostels at affordable prices.

from 500 rubles/day

What to see and where to go in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk?

The most interesting and beautiful places for walking. Photos and a short description.

Looking at the building of the local history museum, the question arises - what is it: the palace of the Japanese nobility or is it still a place where expositions are exhibited? This is not surprising, since the structure was built in 1937 in the traditional teikan-zukuri style, characteristic of the Land of the Rising Sun at a time when Sakhalin Island was under the jurisdiction of the Japanese authorities. The expositions of the museum are quite diverse. During the tour, you can learn about nature, the history of indigenous peoples, the culture and development of the region.

A ski resort and sports complex that, according to one version, has existed since the time of Karafuto Prefecture (1905-45). Even then, skiing and ski jumping competitions were held here. In Soviet times, sports competitions were also held in the "Mountain Air", tourists from the Union republics came here. After being abandoned in the 1990s and renovated in the 2000s, the resort has become one of the most modern in Russia.

The central city square with a characteristic landscape: a monument to Lenin, administrative buildings, a railway station, a fountain and paving stones. During the holidays, it becomes the main place for folk festivals and organizing all kinds of events. On weekends, townspeople walk here, foreign tourists visit it as part of sightseeing tour. In summer, the square turns into a rather pleasant and picturesque place.

The square is a memorial complex erected in honor of the liberation of Sakhalin from the Japanese invaders in 1945. It was built in the 1980s. The ensemble includes a monument to Marshal A.M. Vasilevsky, two sculptural groups depicting a soldier and sailors, the Eternal Glory to the Heroes stele, the Eternal Flame, the Alley of Glory with 14 busts of heroes and a memorial in honor of the soldiers who died during the Afghan and Chechen wars. Also on the square are samples of military equipment.

The complex was opened in 2016 in honor of the 70th anniversary of the Victory. It is a square and a building of a cultural and educational center, where historical expositions dedicated to the Russian-Japanese and Great Patriotic Wars, a conference hall and a cinema are located on 3 floors. The square is located next to the temple under construction, which in the future will also be included in the memorial complex.

The museum was opened in 2004 on the territory of the Railwaymen's House of Culture. Its exposition covers the period from the beginning of the 20th century, when railway tracks began to be built on Sakhalin. Visitors can see mock-ups of wagons, cross-sectional rails, various devices and equipment used to organize traffic, the uniform of the driver and station attendant. Under the open sky there is a real railway equipment.

On the territory of the Sakhalin region, the city art gallery is the only museum of this kind. In addition, it is quite young (it was founded in the 1980s). Temporary exhibitions are held on the first floor of the museum, while permanent exhibitions are available for viewing on the second floor: “Russian art of the 19th - early 20th centuries”, “Decorative and applied art of Japan”, “Contemporary art of Korea”.

The museum is dedicated to a very specific event - A.P. Chekhov's trip to Sakhalin in 1890, as a result of which he wrote a whole book. But, contrary to expectations, his collection is quite diverse: paintings, graphics, documents, photographic materials, coins, arts and crafts. There are even personal belongings of members of the Chekhov family and various items that belonged to the exiles (in the 19th century, Sakhalin was a hard labor island).

The island's main dramatic stage, formed in the 1930s. The name of the writer was assigned to her in 1954. In addition to performances, a stormy theatrical activity is organized here: festivals, creative laboratories, various cultural projects, competitions. The repertoire is dominated by plays by contemporary authors, although there are also classical productions. There is also an interesting program for children.

The theater was created in 1981 thanks to a team of enthusiasts. At first, the performances were held in the rented premises of the sports club, until 2011 the stage shared space with the pension center, then moved to a new building. The theater often has groups from Moscow, St. Petersburg and other major Russian cities, as well as from abroad, on tour. On the basis of the Sakhalin Puppet Theater, the festival "On the Islands of Wonders" is being held.

The new cathedral church of the city, erected in 2015 to replace the old one, which, due to its small size, could not accommodate everyone. The cathedral was created in the Novgorod style: five domes placed on a square and facades ending in symmetrical arches. The building is constructed from Indian red marble and granite, as well as ordinary white marble. The outer walls are decorated with mosaics created in Jerusalem.

The first cathedral church in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, built in the 1990s. For quite a long time, Christian churches were not built on Sakhalin at all, since from the beginning of the 20th century the island belonged to Japan, and since 1945 it became part of the USSR, which zealously fought against religion. The revival of temple construction on Sakhalin happened just in the 1990s. A significant part of the funds for the work was donated by the townspeople.

One of the largest zoos in the Far East, founded in 1993. More than 170 species of animals (500 individuals) live in it, dozens of which are listed in the Red Books of Russia and the world. The rarest representatives of the fauna are: the Ussuri bear, the African lion, the vulture turtle, the raccoon dog, the Amur tiger, the Far Eastern leopard and other rare and endangered species.

The city park grew out of a small garden that existed in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk in 1906. Naturally, it was decorated in a Japanese style with a characteristic harmonious combination of natural space, plenty of water and landscape design elements. After the entry of Sakhalin into the USSR, the territory was modernized by adding attractions, a dance floor and sports areas. In 1981, the park was almost destroyed by Typhoon Willis, later it was recreated from the ruins.

Chekhov Peak is over 1000 meters high and is one of the highest peaks on the island. During the reign of the Japanese, a temple house was built on the top, which is still there. A hiking trail leads up the mountain, in some places equipped with ropes and marked with signs. Rare animals live on the slopes of the peak, in some places there are thickets of bamboo and dwarf birch.

The remains of the Frog is a natural place of power of the island, where representatives of the indigenous people of the Ainu performed their mysterious rites. It is located about 20 km from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk near the village of Vestochka. The frog is included in the list of "seven wonders of Sakhalin", it is considered the local "good gin". Ayichka river flows nearby. People believe that its waters have healing properties.

Natural reservoir with clean clear water, the second largest on the island. This is a unique monument of nature and a place of attraction for fishing enthusiasts (about 30 species of commercial fish live in the lake, including valuable salmon species). In summer, lush greenery blooms around; in early autumn, a rich harvest of berries ripens on the banks. Tunaicha is connected to the Sea of Okhotsk through a narrow strait.

One of the most beautiful places on the coast, which is a coastal cliff covered with green grass. On the edge of the cape, nature has created bizarre stone arches, which are chosen by noisy seagulls. Near the rock there is a narrow strip of sandy beach. If you manage to get here in July-August, you can witness an amazing natural phenomenon - the spawning of Pacific salmon.

Cape Crillon is the southernmost point of Sakhalin, named after the French general. It is quite difficult to get here off-road, but the magnificent nature is worth it. There is rarely good weather on the cape, since the cold current of the Sea of \u200b\u200bOkhotsk joins the warm current of the Tatar Strait here. Rare visitors are greeted by stormy winds and rain, which really creates the feeling that this place is the real end of the Earth.

The narrow and rocky Cape Aniva is located in the southeastern part of Sakhalin. It resembles a huge stone ship, with difficulty overcoming the raging waters of the Pacific Ocean. In the 1930s, under the guidance of a Japanese architect, a lighthouse was built on the rocks in order to somehow reduce the number of shipwrecks. A little later, a village appeared nearby. Currently, the object and the settlement are abandoned.

Sakhalin makes an indelible impression on the traveler. It is enough to look at the photographs of these places, you fall in love with this amazing land in absentia, the local landscapes are so beautiful. There are sights that are historical heritage, but the main wealth of the Sakhalin region is its natural monuments.

The sights of Sakhalin include its thermal springs: Lesogorsky (near the village of Lesogorsk, along the Lesogorka river), Lunsky (on Lunsky Bay, in the isthmus), Daginsky (in the village of Goryachiye Klyuchi, half a kilometer from the Nogliki - Okha highway).

Sakhalin is the largest island in Russia, washed by the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan. Amazing natural monuments attract Sakhalin region hundreds of tourists, both from our country and abroad.

The beautiful landscapes seen here will remain in memory for many years. The treasury of the nature of the Far East gives rapid development to tourism. The direction of ecotourism is especially developed here. Travel companies offer interesting routes, entertainment and sports programs.

Acquaintance with the Sakhalin Region is best to start with the museum. It is one of the oldest cultural institutions of the Sakhalin region. The Sakhalin Regional Museum of Local Lore has gone through a difficult path of its formation and development. Now the museum plays the role of the custodian of the culture and history of Sakhalin.

The activity of the museum is primarily aimed at expanding knowledge about its native land bringing this knowledge to the visitors. Every year the museum is visited by about 70 thousand residents and guests of the region.

The museum has a basement, first and second floors. On the ground floor there are permanent expositions of historical geology, fauna of the Far Eastern seas. On the ground floor there are halls of flora and fauna, the hall "In the depths of the ocean", an exposition of ancient culture and indigenous peoples and an exhibition hall.

At the second, visitors get acquainted with the post-war period and the present, the pre-war period and the Second World War, the hall "Sakhalin - a hard labor colony of Russia", as well as "Discovery and development of the islands". The museum hosts traveling exhibitions and holds various competitions. The day off is Monday, the rest of the working hours: from 11 to 18-00.

Location: 29 Communist Ave., Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

"Mountain Air" - ski resort Sakhalin Island

In the period from 1905 to 1945, there was a tourist base on the territory of the modern complex "Mountain Air". Sports competitions in ski jumping were held there. In the winter of 1960, a Soviet ski base was opened here. It was from that time that the competitions took on a traditional character, they were held every year on the last December Sunday.

On the territory of the complex, services are offered for equipment rental, luggage storage, accommodation, you can choose an individual tour for relaxation, use the services of instructors, go on a walking route.

There are a lot of trails, different categories of difficulty. There are lifts on the slopes: chair, gondola, tow. There are three cafes on the middle and upper grounds of the complex. "Mountain air", "Liana", "Height". The opening of the winter season, as well as in the distant 1960, will take place on December 23. In the summer, various competitions are held here, such as photo contests, kite festivals, summer climbs on mountain. Working hours: on Thursdays and Fridays from 12:00 to 19:00, on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 to 20:00, three days off - Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

All Russian cities can boast of picturesque parks, alleys and gardens. Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is no exception. This glorious city has a unique park where people can relax and have fun in the natural environment. It's called

Children will really like walking in the park, as there are about 40 attractions. And for lovers of shooting, there are various shooting ranges in the park. At the entrance to the park, guests and residents of the city are greeted by a sculpture of the first cosmonaut of the Earth.

Health Alley is very popular among people who prefer a healthy lifestyle. Fresh air, tall trees, a paved road, many benches and lighting - all this is on the alley of health.

A couple of years ago, a health promotion called "Morning Physical Exercise" started here. Everyone can come on Saturday at 9 am to the alley and enjoy the joint exercise and cheerfulness of the morning. And also spend time in a pleasant company of friends and get positive emotions and a boost of energy for the coming week.

Location: Children's street - 1.

The Sakhalin Zoobotanical Park is an open-air museum, and its exhibits are alive. For residents and guests of the city, the zoo has become a place where you can have a great rest both with friends and family.

Here you can learn something new from the life of animals and enjoy communicating with them. The zoo has a huge number of inhabitants, representatives of amphibians, mammals, mollusks, insects, arachnids, birds, reptiles, fish, arthropods. Small children especially like the petting section of the zoo, where you can pet interesting animals such as rabbits, ducks, guinea pigs, pigeons, kids.

The Zoo is open from 10-00 to 19-00, on weekends and holidays until 20-00.

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov - the great Russian writer, made a long journey across the country, heading to Sakhalin Island, soon after which he wrote the book "Sakhalin Island". The community of the island decided to create a museum to commemorate this great event.

Items, furniture that belonged to the Chekhov family, personal belongings of the writer were purchased. The museum was opened in 1995. It tells in detail the writer's life, creative path and journey to Sakhalin. The museum also hosts various events

exhibitions, competitions, various excursions are offered, master classes are held that introduce people to folk art. Opening hours: Tuesday, Wednesday - 10.00-18.00, Thursday, Friday - 10.00-19.00, Saturday, Sunday 11.00-18.00, Monday - day off.

Location: Mira Avenue - 104, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

In the Aniva Bay of the Sea of Okhotsk, in the southern part of Sakhalin Island, there is a seaport, the port of Korsakov and the settlement of the same name.

Navigation in this largest port Far Eastern basin continues all year round. The work of the port is extensive, it includes the repair of ships, the extraction of fish, its processing, Passenger Transportation, transshipment of large cargoes, such as timber, coal, metal, equipment, oil products. The development of inbound tourism in the Sakhalin Region depends primarily on the port of Korsakov, because it is through it that with the help of ferry service foreign tourists can get to Russia. The observation deck in the port deserves special attention. It offers an excellent view of the sea, the port itself and the whole city. And at night it is even more beautiful thanks to the many lights in the port.

Location: Portovaya street - 10, Korsakov.

Lenin Square is located in the very center of the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Walking along it, you can see the fountain, and around it are wonderful flower beds. There are many benches installed here, which allows you to enjoy the beauty of the park for quite a long time.

Next to the fountain is a monument to V.I. Lenin. On holidays, the square gathers many residents and guests of the city, it is here that cultural events are held.

It is best to take a break from the noisy city by going to Lake Busse. Amazing views, a good fish catch, an unforgettable experience - all this is a vacation on Lake Busse.

Nature lovers admire the birds that live here, admire the large lilies that grow here, as well as the night starry sky. And the most important thing is the abundance of fish and oysters, which can be cooked immediately after the catch. It is better to stay on the lake for a few days. Glades on the banks are convenient for location, nature fascinates with its beauty, an ideal place for a family holiday.

Yacht club "Vodnik" in the city of Kholmsk

To diversify your holiday, you can visit sailing competitions. In the Sakhalin region, they are held in the city of Kholmsk, in the Vodnik yacht club. In this place you can see dozens of sailing yachts sailing on the waves.

Anyone can watch the competition. The sailing season starts in mid-April. Fans of water adventures will be interested in watching experienced yachtsmen, as well as beginners who are engaged in the first year. The most memorable experience will give a visit to the yachts on the opening day of the season dedicated to the Victory Day.

The lighthouse serves as a guide for ships going to sea. In every port city there is such an assistant. The lighthouse of the city of Kholmsk, like all other lighthouses, shows the sailors that the land is very close, that their home is already close. Inside the lighthouse passes spiral staircase, climbing the steps of which gives vivid emotions.

From the top of the lighthouse you have a wonderful view. In addition to it, there are 4 more lighthouses in Kholmsk, but the main lighthouse, opened in 1958, is of the greatest interest to tourists due to the best views of the surroundings.

The top of Chekhov Peak is very popular among mountain lovers. And it is located very close to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, only 15 km from it, which makes visiting this natural monument accessible to many. In these beautiful mountainous places there are insects and birds listed in the Red Book.

The vegetation is represented by dwarf birch, bamboo, blueberry bushes, mountain ash, wild rosemary grow here, and cedar grows higher in the mountains. And at the top of the stones and clouds. All this gives this area a unique beauty. From the top you can see the Sea of Okhotsk, the Aniva Bay, the mountains of the Kamyshovy Ridge, and the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk itself. When traveling around the Sakhalin Region, you should definitely spend a day at Chekhov Peak.

Sakhalin is rich in natural attractions. Mysterious landscapes attract tourists from all over the country. In the south of Sakhalin, when driving beyond the village of Okhotskoye, you can see Cape Velikan. The places here are very picturesque.

Right along the entire coast of the Sea of Okhotsk from Cape Bird to Cape Velikan there are many grottoes, caves, standing right in the sea, arches, pillars, and birds on them. It is recommended to admire the natural beauty in dry weather, since at such times the road by road is more accessible. Most of the routes are by car, but walking takes a lot of time. And, although the journey takes considerable physical strength, the benefits of it are much higher. After all, the best vacation is a vacation spent in nature.

There are mysterious places on our planet that hold many mysteries. People associate legends with them, visit them in the hope of unraveling the mysteries. In the Sakhalin region, the small island of Moneron, located between Russia and Japan, is considered a mysterious place. By origin, it is an extinct volcano, with an area of about 30 sq. km, and sea fog often hides it from prying eyes.

Most likely, such a natural phenomenon has become one of the main reasons for the mystery. The first secret: once the island was part of Japan, and for some reason they began to actively develop it. A lighthouse was built, communications, telephone communications were installed, a weather station was built, and much more, and most importantly, all this in the shortest possible time. This led to the idea of submarines hidden here, a school for combat swimmers, and even buildings for the isolation of leprosy patients.

During the Second World War, the island passed to Russia, the island was deserted, visiting it was limited, but tourist groups can afford to visit it.

The second secret: the graves, by the decoration of which one can judge that they belong to the period of Soviet power, because of the monuments with a red star. Where they come from is unknown. The third mystery: the mystery of the downed South Korean airliner, on board of which there were almost 300 people, their bodies were never found. The fourth mystery: did anyone live on this island in antiquity, and if so, who? Objects resembling the creations of human hands, reminiscent of places for ceremonies, were found here. The fifth secret: the secret of the nature of the island, because it is inhabited by animals that are unique to this area. There is clean water and clean air.

Secrets are created by people themselves, in most cases, legends appear from lack of information, in order to prove or disprove them, it is necessary to visit this mysterious place at least once. More and more tourists come here, and in memory of this intriguing place, each of them can take the found semi-precious stone for themselves.

Bears and fairy tales about them are familiar to everyone since childhood. And any mention of Russia by foreigners is associated with a bear. The Sakhalin region is visited by many tourists from neighboring countries, and it will be interesting for them to visit one of the best bear museums in Russia. The museum clearly shows and tells about the life of Russian residents.

Here is a Russian hut like in the fairy tale "Three Bears", national masterpieces of art, such as Tula samovars, clay and wooden toys, Khokhloma, Gzhel, Dymka, figures of bears made in various techniques. In addition to viewing fascinating exhibits, the museum offers visitors interesting workshops: wood painting, folk doll making, pottery workshop and many others. An excursion to the museum will interest both adults and children.

Location: 2nd Centralnaya street - 1B, City Mall shopping center.

In 1945, Soviet soldiers died in the battles for the liberation of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and the Kuril Islands during the Russo-Japanese War. A memorial was erected in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk in memory of their feat. The sculpture of a soldier, strong and brave, points forward with his hand, which means to Victory. A soldier is installed on a granite pedestal, which is decorated with the words: "Eternal glory to the heroes." The authors of the monument are sculptors Tyurenkov A.A., Loveyko I.I., Bronzov A.P. Making the first walk through the streets of the city, it is worth going to the memorial to Soviet soldiers and honoring their feat in the name of the life of future generations.