disputed border areas. Who claims the territory of Russia

"LOOST KARELIA-I"

During the Tartu Peace Treaty between the RSFSR and Finland in 1920, the entire Pechenga volost (Petsamo) departed to Finland in the Arctic, also West Side Rybachy Peninsula and most of the Middle Peninsula.

"LOOST KARELIA-II"

As a result of World War II, the USSR annexed Karelian Isthmus, Vyborg and the west coast Vyborg Bay, areas to the west and north of Lake Ladoga, a group of islands in the Gulf of Finland, part of the Rybachy and Sredny peninsulas in the Barents Sea, as well as the Pechenga region. The current Russian-Finnish border was fixed by the Paris Peace Treaty of 1947. In Finland, to this day there are forces that stand up for the return of the lost territories.

"ZANAROVIE AND PETSERIMAA"

The Tartu Peace Treaty was signed on February 2, 1920. According to the agreement, part of the territory of the Petrograd province and the Pskov province (Zanarovye and Pechora Territory) was transferred to Estonia in the form of annexations. In 1944, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR issued a decree according to which part of the lands of southeastern Estonia were included in the RSFSR (the Pskov and Leningrad region). In 2005, a border treaty between Russia and Estonia was prepared and signed. However, during ratification, Estonia added to it an amendment not agreed with Russia on the effectiveness of the Tartu Peace Treaty of 1920, according to which the pre-war border between the countries passed. Russia regarded this step as Estonia's intention to present territorial claims and withdrew its signature on the document. Only in 2014 did the foreign ministers of Russia and Estonia sign an agreement establishing the border between the two countries. Nevertheless, many in Estonia consider the signed treaty to be an act of betrayal by the Estonian political elites.

"PYTALOVSKY DISTRICT"

In 1920, according to the Riga Peace Treaty between Soviet Russia and Latvia part of the Ostrovsky district of the Pskov province (including the city of Pytalovo) was transferred to Latvia. In 1944, by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the Pskov Region was formed as part of the RSFSR. In its composition, with reference to the requests of the population, East End Abrensky district, on the basis of which Kachanovsky and Pytalovsky districts were formed. In 2005 V.V. Putin, commenting on the claims of the Latvian nationalists, uttered his famous catchphrase: "They will not receive the Pytalovsky district, but ears from a dead donkey." In 2007, Russia and Latvia signed a border treaty, according to which Latvia officially renounced its claims to the Pytalovsky region.

"LITHUANIA SMALL"

In the XIV-XVII centuries. the northeastern part of Prussia is inhabited by a Lithuanian-speaking population, which creates its own special type culture. The first Lithuanian book was published in Königsberg in 1547, and the first Lithuanian grammar in 1653. In the XVIII century. in the village of Tolkminken, the pioneer of the Lithuanian national revival K. Donelaitis worked. In the 19th century, during the era of the Lithuanian national revival, the idea of ​​"Lithuania Minor" was formed as the cradle of Lithuanian culture. In 2015, a group of enterprising Lithuanians created a community on the social network Facebook, in which they promoted the Lithuanian identity of Kaliningrad and called for the return of the city to Lithuania. Lithuanian nationalist politicians regularly express ideas of this kind.

Perhaps, there is no other country in the world with such a number of territorial claims that Russia expresses. Record-breaking spaces of the country do not allow many to sleep peacefully. And perhaps the most difficult geopolitical knot has been and remains the north-west of Russia, where it comes into contact with NATO and the European Union.

In 2014, Crimea "returned to its native harbor." To what extent is this reasonable in terms of international law, we will not argue. But the fact remains that Ukraine considers this an annexation, and it is unlikely that it will recognize this territory as Russia in the near future. It means one thing: controversial border areas Russia will for a long time be a stumbling block in international politics. However, Ukraine is not the only power that has claims against us. The disputed ones have been creating difficulties in international politics for many years. Which states want to bite off a piece of land from us and why? Let's try to figure it out.

At war

Few people know, but de jure our country is officially at war with a neighboring country. No, not with Ukraine, as many might think. Despite the loud statements of “occupation by Russia”, there was no announcement from the Poroshenko regime. Aggressive rhetoric sounds only for the domestic electorate.

We are currently at war with Japan for two reasons:

• Russia is officially the legal successor of the USSR. This means that all international legal treaties of a single now refer directly to us. Some say it's unfair. Like, there were many republics, but only Russia is responsible. But this should have been asked of our deputies in the early nineties, who received the entire gold reserve of the Union and a permanent seat in the Security Council with the right to veto any UN decisions.
• It is we who own the lands that we inherited after the collapse of the USSR, which are claimed by our eastern neighbor.

What does Japan want from us?

The disputed territories of Russia and Japan are among Kuril Islands and Sakhalin. The Kuriles include four islands that are part of our country: Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and the Khamobai archipelago. In 1956, the USSR was ready to transfer two islands (Khamobai and Shikotan). We wanted to keep Iturup and Kunashir for ourselves, in which a powerful military infrastructure, and the islands themselves are considered strategic objects. A country rising sun was ready to make concessions, but the United States intervened. They demanded that Japan not enter into such agreements and insisted on the return of all the islands. However, the USSR did not agree to this. In the end, no one gave anything to anyone. The disputed territories of Russia and Japan are with us. Let's delve into history. When exactly did the problem occur?

Synod treatise on friendship and trade

The disputed territories of Russia (the Kuril Islands) did not always belong to us. In 1855, Nicholas I signed a trade agreement with Japan, according to which the Russian Empire has no historical claims to the four disputed islands. Modern skeptics believe that this was a forced step. Russia was drawn into the Crimean War, in which we fought against everyone at once developed countries Europe. That is, Nicholas I had to look for allies in the East, but apart from Japan there was no one there. And she was still weak militarily and economically. Just started to come out of isolation.

The position of opponents of the transfer of the Kuril Islands is based on the fact that it was Russia who discovered these islands, which is not entirely true. The distance between them and the main Japanese territories is such that they observe each other from a telescope. There was no point in "opening" these territories to the Japanese. They were, in fact, open and were under their control in the 17th century.

Territory swap

The Synod treatise (1855) did not resolve the issue of Sakhalin. Both Japanese and Russians lived in this territory. Historically, it turned out that our compatriots settled in the north, and Asians - in the south. As a result, Sakhalin became a joint territory, but no one had de jure rights. The situation was changed by the treaty of 1875. According to it, all the islands in the Kuriles were transferred to Japan, and Sakhalin retreated to our country. Thus, the historically disputed territories of Russia (the Kuril Islands) should belong to the Land of the Rising Sun, if not for further events.

Russo-Japanese War

The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 ended with the signing of it, Russia gave up southern Sakhalin. This gives the supporters of imperialism reason to assert that the treatise of 1905 crossed out all the previous ones. It follows from this that previous agreements on the transfer of the Kuril Islands may not be respected. However, the tsarist regime, the Provisional Government and the communists in 1917 did not dispute these territories with documents.

The Second World War

Great Patriotic War ended in May 1945. However, World War II was still going on. Japan was the strongest state in pacific ocean after USA. The Kwantung Army in Manchuria, Korea, and Mongolia numbered up to a million men with high morale. The Soviet Union agreed to the transfer of the army from Germany to the east, with the authorization of the Allies to return the transfer of South Sakhalin and the disputed Kuril Islands. After the approval of the West, our grandfathers, instead of going home and establishing a peaceful life, were drawn into hostilities even before September 2. Because of this, as expected, the disputed territories of Russia appeared.

The results of the confrontation with Japan

Modern pro-Western human rights activists unanimously argue about the "illegal occupation" of the Kuril Islands. Of course, historically one can agree that they did not originally belong to our country. However, human rights activists forget that after the defeat in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. South Sakhalin went to the Asian state. War often results in territorial gains. If we use this principle in the construction international borders, then many countries must completely redraw their borders.

"Catherine, were you wrong?"

Are there disputed territories between Russia and the US? Every Russian patriot will say - "of course." Alaska, which was sold, and some even claim that it was allegedly leased by Empress Catherine II. Where does such a myth come from? Unclear. But the sale of Alaska took place relatively recently. In 1867, Russia sold this territory for $7.2 million. Of course, we can say that at that time it was a lot of money. But actually it is not. All the territories that the United States conquered from other countries (England, Spain, Mexico) were subsequently purchased. And these amounts were twice as much - from 14 million dollars. In fact, Alexander II sold twice. However, let's try to figure out why this was done?

Emperor Alexander announced his intentions to sell Alaska 10 years before. Historians have found correspondence with brother Konstantin. In it, the emperor consulted on the sale of North American possessions. Why did he do it? Was it necessary? Speaking objectively, yes, since the expediency of such an agreement is confirmed by the following facts:

• Russia's weakness in military and economic terms. Our country physically could not gain a foothold in this territory. In addition, it was necessary to choose: to gain a foothold in America or in the Far East. The loss of both was a reality. The government correctly decided that the preservation of America with the loss of the Far East would subsequently lead to the loss of the first component.
• Rising United States. Of course, by 1867 the United States itself was not going to take Alaska from Russia, as they did with Mexico, Spain and France. But the idea of ​​a "united America" ​​was already in the air then. Alaska was only a matter of time. By 1867, the States were simply not up to Russia with the northern territories. In addition, the expansion of the population to Alaska created a threat of free reunification with the rest of the States by the population. In this case, Russia would not have received anything.
• Allied relations with the United States and hostility old europe. Russia at this time surrounded itself with enemies. The Crimean War showed who is who. In this situation, the emperor decided to transfer the North American territories to his allies for money, since the likelihood of this territory being captured by England or France was high. Our sailing fleet could no longer withstand steamships, especially in such remote lands from the capital.

Bottom line: Alaska was sold for half the price the US paid its enemies after the annexation war. Conclusions suggest themselves. The United States did not really need this territory at that time either. Congress didn't want to buy it. Few people imagined what would happen in 100-150 years. About huge natural resources no one knew about this area either.

However, the presence disputed territories Russia and the United States exist without Alaska.

Although the treaty of 1867 alienated North American lands from us, the maritime boundary line was not finally determined. The parties proposed different methods of demarcation:

• Russia - loxodrome. There is a straight line on the map, a bend on the plane.
• USA - great circle. On the map, a bend, on a plane, a straight line.

As a result, they agreed alternative: the line was in the middle between loxodrome and orthodrome. However, this conflict has not been fully resolved. The United States took advantage of the weakness of the USSR and imposed a new treaty in 1990, which significantly worsened our situation in this region. But so far the treaty has not been ratified by our country, which gives the right to consider it null and void. Now this territory is considered disputable, and actions that can somehow aggravate relations in this territory are not being taken.

Disputed territories of Russia with other countries

However, Japan and the US are not the only countries with which such problems arise. The existence of disputed territories hinders international cooperation. What other states have claims against us? They are actually not so few:

• Norway;
• Ukraine;
• Estonia;
• China;
• Denmark;
• Canada;
• Iceland;
• Sweden;
• Finland;
• Azerbaijan;
• Turkmenistan;
• Kazakhstan;
• Iran;
• Lithuania;
• Latvia;
• Mongolia.

The list is certainly impressive. But why so many countries? The fact is that the disputed territories of Russia and neighboring states are not only lands, islands, but also water shelves, sea border areas. Many countries belong to the Arctic powers. Today is the battle for new continent. So far, only legal and scientific methods.

Battle for the Arctic

Several states are fighting for the Arctic at once. This is the only mainland that did not participate in the colonial division. It is understandable: who needs ice? So it was until the moment when humanity could not technically and economically develop new hydrocarbon deposits in the north. But the situation has changed. High prices for oil, the development of science and technology has made it profitable to extract gas and oil from northern ice. Several countries immediately became involved in the new colonial partition: Russia, Canada, USA, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway. In general, those countries that directly border the Arctic.

In the south, the waters of the Caspian Sea cannot be divided by Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan.

Disputed territories of Russia and Finland: it's not just about the Arctic

Russia and Finland have claims not only about the Arctic. The stumbling block with the northern neighbor is Karelia. Until the Winter Campaign of 1939, the Soviet-Finnish border passed just north of St. Petersburg. The leadership of the USSR understood that in the event of an impending war, this territory would be a good springboard for an invasion of our country. After some provocations, the Winter War of 1939-1940s began.

As a result, the USSR suffered heavy casualties and was not ready for such a war. However, the result was positive: the territory of Karelia became part of the Union. Today, Finnish revenge-seekers are demanding the return of these lands from Russia.

“What are you, your royal muzzle, scattering state lands?”

I would like to recall the famous phrase from the famous comedy film. But this is no laughing matter. Until 2010, there were disputed territories between Russia and Norway in the Barents Sea. We are talking about a pool of 175 thousand square meters. km. Until 2010, the parties found a compromise: both countries are engaged in fishing here, and hydrocarbon production was banned. Everything would be fine, but geologists have found huge reserves here. And here, as they say, "blew the roof off" our officials. Russia voluntarily abandoned 175 thousand square meters. km. fisheries in exchange for the joint production of gas and oil. A short-sighted step, especially with today's low prices for oil. In addition, the entire northern fishing industry was destroyed by one signature.

All for China?

Norway is not the only country who received a generous territorial gift from us. There were disputed territories of Russia and China. In 2004, our country gave away the disputed Tarabarov Island and part of the Ussuriysky Island to the "celestial kingdom". However, not all so simple. Having received one part of the territory, China immediately demands another. Now we must, according to Chinese historians, give up part of the territory in Altai and the Far East. And we will not talk about the vast territories in Transbaikalia, which were leased for half a century. Today these are our territories, for now, but what will happen in 50 years? Time will show.

"Ogonyok" presents the top ten completed and yet unresolved territorial disputes between the subjects Russian Federation

Prepared by Olga Shkurenko

1. Sunzha and Malgobek districts

The conflict arose in 1992 after the division of the Chechen-Ingush ASSR. Ingush President Ruslan Aushev agreed with the leaders of Ichkeria that they would not "divide the districts." Since then, the issue of the border between the regions has not been resolved. The conflict escalated in 2012, when the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, accused his neighbors of seizing "original Chechen lands" and promised to document his claims. Now two administrations have been established in the Sunzhensky district - Chechen and Ingush, and Malgobeksky is under the control of Magas.

2. Suburban area

In the fall of 1992, the dispute over the ownership of the Prigorodny District turned into an armed conflict between Ossetians and Ingush, which ended only after the introduction of federal troops and claimed the lives of over 500 people. The area has been transferred North Ossetia in 1944 after the deportation of the Ingush and the liquidation of the Chechen-Ingush autonomy. The conflict remains frozen, and the issue of the return of refugees who fled their homes in 1992 has not been resolved.

3. Norilsk

Since 1992 the authorities Krasnoyarsk Territory and Taimyr autonomous region argued about the distribution of taxes from the Norilsk MMC. The fact is that Norilsk, located on the territory of the district, was transferred to regional subordination in 1953 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR. Twice - in 1995 and 2002 - the presidents of the Russian Federation personally intervened in the dispute, supporting Krasnoyarsk. After the last aggravation, the idea arose to unite the regions, its implementation brought the conflict to naught.

4. Sokolsky district

In February 1994, the Federation Council approved the transfer of the Sokolsky District of the Ivanovo Region to the jurisdiction of the Nizhny Novgorod Region. locals have been achieving this since the 1950s, because after the filling of the Gorky reservoir, they were cut off from the main territory of the Ivanovo region. In 1993, a local referendum was held, in which 80 percent of the participants were in favor of the transition. After that, the authorities of the regions agreed to change the borders.

5. Sheremetyevo, Shcherbinka and Moscow Ring Road

Since the mid-1990s, Moscow and the Moscow Region have been unable to agree on the ownership of about 30 plots. The prerequisite has traditionally been the legal uncertainty of the times of the USSR. The most heated disputes unfolded around the territory of Sheremetyevo Airport (in 2006 the Supreme Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation assigned it to the Moscow Region), 390 hectares in Shcherbinka (in 2008 Supreme Court gave it to Moscow) and lands adjacent to the outer side of the Moscow Ring Road. Only in 2011, as part of the expansion of Moscow, the parties agreed to settle mutual claims.

6. Black lands

In January 2003, the Presidium of the Supreme Arbitration Court invalidated Kalmykia's claims to "Chernye zemli" - 390,000 hectares on the border with Astrakhan region. The case was initiated by Elista, who had been trying to get these territories for a long time. The origins of the dispute lie in the events of the 1940-1950s, when the Kalmyk ASSR was liquidated for a while, and its lands were divided among its neighbors. In 2004, after lengthy negotiations, Kalmykia also renounced claims to seven islands in the Caspian, including the Small Zhemchuzhny.

7. Mouth of the Nemda River

In December 2006, the Kostroma Regional Duma turned to the President with a request to adjudicate a dispute with the Ivanovo Region about the border crossing in the region of the mouth of the Nemda River rich in fish. The conflict was founded in 1956, when by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR the mouth was assigned to the Kostroma region, and on the map drawn up on the basis of the decree - to Ivanovo. In 2007, the residents of Kostroma prepared an appeal to the Constitutional Court, but it was not reported about its filing. The last negotiations between the parties took place in 2011.

8. Village Zarechnoe

In February 2007, the Federation Council approved the transfer of the village of Zarechnoye, formerly part of the Amur Region, to the Jewish Autonomous Region. The settlement was originally located on the territory of the Jewish Autonomous Region, but in the 1940s, due to a mistake by cartographers, it fell under the control of its neighbors. In 2006, at a rural gathering, the residents of Zarechny voted for the transition to the jurisdiction of Birobidzhan, which provided them with light, heat, communications and transport. But Blagoveshchensk still manages arable land, which the villagers now have to rent.

9. Settlements Central and Gruzdevsky

In 2008, the governors of Nizhny Novgorod and Vladimir regions created a working group to resolve the issue around the villages of Tsentralny and Gruzdevsky, as well as the Bolshoe peat enterprise. The situation arose due to the fact that due to the expansion settlements crossed the administrative boundary line. The issue is supposed to be resolved through an exchange: the Central will completely go to Nizhny Novgorod region, and Gruzdevsky and "Big" - to Vladimirskaya.

10. Pastures in the Neftekumsky district

In 2012, the embassy of the President of the Russian Federation in the North Caucasus federal district dealt with the dispute over the ownership of pastures in the Neftekumsky district of Stavropol. In 1954, by a decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, these lands were transferred to the Dagestan collective farms. In the 1990s they were transferred to the regional subordination, and in 2009 local authorities on the basis of a tender, plots were handed over to Stavropol tenants. The attempts of the Dagestan farms that previously occupied them to defend their right in the courts were not crowned with success. A working group has been set up to resolve the dispute.

On September 28, 1939, the Treaty of Friendship and Border between the USSR and Germany was signed. It was signed by German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop and People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the USSR Molotov. We decided to talk about the five disputed territories of Russia with other states.

The treaty between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union was concluded on September 28, 1939. It was signed after the invasion of Poland by the armies of Germany and the USSR by German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop and People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the USSR Molotov. According to this agreement, the territory of Poland was divided between Germany and the USSR. The text of the treaty and a map with the border line between the USSR and Germany were published in the Soviet press. Under this treaty, Lithuania passed into the sphere of influence of the USSR. This provided the Soviet Union with German non-intervention in relations with Lithuania, which resulted in the establishment of the Lithuanian SSR on June 15, 1940.

disputed islands

The Kuril Islands include 30 large and many small islands. They are included in Sakhalin region Russia and are of great military-strategic and economic importance. However southern islands archipelago - Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and the Habomai group - are disputed by Japan, which includes them in the Hokkaido prefecture.

Moscow's principled position is that the southern Kuril Islands became part of the USSR, of which Russia became the legal successor, and are an integral part of the territory of the Russian Federation on legal grounds following the results of the Second World War, enshrined in the UN Charter, and Russian sovereignty over them, which has an appropriate international legal confirmation, no doubt.

In Japan, they say that the northern territories are the centuries-old territories of this country, which continue to be under the illegal occupation of Russia. According to the Japanese position, in case of confirmation of ownership northern territories to Japan, she is ready to flexibly approach the time and order of their return. In addition, since Japanese citizens living in the northern territories were forcibly evicted by Joseph Stalin, Japan is ready to come to an agreement with the Russian government so that those living there Russian citizens did not suffer the same tragedy. In other words, after the return of the islands to Japan, she intends to respect the rights, interests and desires of the Russians now living on the islands.

They took one and a half islands

Problem disputed islands Tarabarov and Bolshoy Ussuriysky arose in 1964, when a new draft agreement on the border between Russia and China was developed. And the story was like this. In 1689, the Treaty of Nerchinsk was concluded, when Russia recognized China's rights to lands on the right bank of the Amur and in Primorye. In the middle of the 19th century, taking advantage of the weakness of China, Russia annexed 165.9 thousand square kilometers of Primorye, which were under joint control. China was left without access to the Sea of ​​Japan. During World War II, between Stalin and PLA commander-in-chief Mao Zedong, who controlled northern regions China, an agreement was concluded on drawing the border line along Chinese coast the Amur and Ussuri rivers. Thus, China was actually deprived of the right to use the fairway of these rivers, but received support from the USSR.

In 2004, an agreement was signed between Russia and China on the Russian-Chinese state border on its eastern part. The document defines the border in two sections: in the area of ​​Bolshoy Island in the upper reaches of the Argun River (Chita Region) and in the area of ​​the Tarabarov and Bolshoy Ussuriysky Islands at the confluence of the Amur and Ussuri Rivers near Khabarovsk. Tarabarov is completely given to China, and Ussuriysky is only partially. The border line, according to the document, runs both along the middle of the rivers and on land. The territory of both sites (about 375 sq. km) is distributed approximately in half.

Wanted to cut off a piece

Estonia lays claim to the Pechora district of the Pskov region and the right bank of the Narva River with Ivangorod. On May 18, 2005, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Russia and Estonia, Sergey Lavrov and Urmas Paet, signed agreements on the state border and delimitation of maritime spaces in Narva and Gulf of Finland, fixing the passage of the state border between the two states along the former administrative border between the RSFSR and the Estonian SSR "with a slight adjustment on the terms of adequate territorial compensation." One of the main subjects of negotiations on the Russian-Estonian border is the Saatse boot. It was planned to transfer it to Estonia, exchanging it for other territories. The agreement was not ratified by Russia, due to the amendments made to it by the Estonian side.

fish war

For almost half a century, Russia has been waging an undeclared fish war with Norway. Most of the fighting takes place on the territory of the famous "twilight zone" in the Barents Sea. This is controversial body of water half the size of Germany or Italy, two thirds of the UK.

The essence of the dispute boils down to the fact that Russia drew the border along the coast of the island of Svalbard, Norway believed that the border should be equidistant from Svalbard on the one hand and Franz Josef Land and the island New Earth with another. Since the states were on friendly terms, the dispute over the border rarely resulted in any actions, and occasionally there were detentions of Russian fishing boats. However, in the future, the dispute escalated, since hydrocarbon reserves were discovered in the Barents Sea, including in the disputed territories. In April 2010, the parties agreed that the new delimitation line would divide the disputed territory into two equal parts, the 40-year-old dispute was finally settled on September 15, 2010 after the signing of the agreement "On the delimitation of maritime spaces and cooperation in the Barents Sea and the North Arctic Ocean» transfer of 90 thousand sq. m. km. in favor of Norway.

Crimea territory of disputes

For many years, disputes around perhaps the most beautiful and favorite vacation spot of the Soviet people have not subsided. Crimea is not only an "all-Union health resort", but also a strategic territory.

In 1991, when it broke up Soviet Union relations between Ukraine and Russia deteriorated. The people living in Russia, after the loss of so many territories, remembered the Crimea, which could be returned, because. transferring it to Ukraine in 1954 was disapproved by many. At the same time, 80 percent of Crimean residents said they consider themselves citizens of Russia, and Crimea is part of its territory. But Ukraine had one very significant lever of pressure on Russia - the Black Sea Fleet. In January 1992, the then President of Ukraine L. Kravchuk announced that he had taken the Black Sea Fleet under his guardianship. It was a collapse for Russia. But the transfer of Crimea to Ukraine is a very huge loss for Russia.

Disputed territories that in the future may cause a conflict between Russia and its neighbors.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he would like to resolve the issue of ownership of the Kuril Islands with Russia and sign a peace treaty. According to him, “solving the issue of the northern territories is a long-standing desire Japanese people". How Japan intends to resolve the issue, Abe did not specify. Countries have not been able to sign a peace treaty since the end of World War II.
We decided to recall the history of the Kuril Islands, and at the same time other disputed territories, which in the future may cause a conflict between Russia and its neighbors.
The dispute between Russia and Japan over the Kuril Islands can be traced back to the 18th century. At that time, the islands were inhabited by the Ainu people and a permanent Russian or Japanese population did not yet exist on them. Expeditions to the Kuriles were carried out by both Russians and Japanese, but the parties did not exercise any real control over the territories until the 19th century.
The first full-fledged delimitation treaty was signed by Russia and Japan in 1855 - it recognized the right of the Japanese to the Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan islands, as well as to the Habomai group of islands. The remaining islands of the Kuril chain remained with Russia. It is on the basis of this treaty that Japan today puts forward claims to the territory of the southern Kuriles.
Subsequently, the islands changed hands more than once - in 1875, Russia, in exchange for South Sakhalin, gave Japan all Kuril ridge, and in 1905, after the defeat in the Russo-Japanese war, she also gave up South Sakhalin. In 1945, the USSR entered the war with Japan at the request of the United States on the terms of the subsequent return of the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin.
After the victory in the war, Soviet troops occupied the agreed territories, but Japan did not recognize the transfer of Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and the Habomai Islands to the USSR. The reason was that, according to Japanese cartography, they do not belong to the Kuril Islands, being the historical Japanese province of Chisima.
At the same time, the Soviet Union agreed to transfer the islands of Habomai and Shikotan to Japan in exchange for the recognition of the remaining territories for the USSR, but these conditions did not suit Japan and the peace treaty between the countries was never signed.
In the USSR, the very fact of contesting the territories was not recognized until 1991, so there were no political negotiations on this topic. The active political phase in the issue of the Kuril Islands resumed already between Japan and the Russian Federation.
In 2007, Russia was asked to return to the terms of the 1955 armistice with the transfer of Habomai and Shikotan, but Japan refused and preferred to continue to count everything southern Kuriles their "northern territories".
In 2010 and 2012, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev visited the disputed territories along with other high-ranking officials, which caused a disapproving reaction from Japan. A new attempt by the Japanese authorities to rapprochement on the issue of resolving the territorial dispute has not yet received a response from the Russian side.

2. Amur Islands and Altai

The eastern part of the border between Russia and China runs along the Amur River and its tributary, the Ussuri. In the channels of these rivers there are a huge number of islands, the territorial status of which was repeatedly disputed by the two sides throughout the 20th century.
So, in 1969, an armed conflict broke out between the troops of the USSR and the PRC over Damansky Island, as a result of which control over it actually passed from Soviet side to the Chinese. In 1991, the island was finally assigned to the PRC by signing an agreement.
In 2005, Russia and China signed another ​demarcation agreement between the two states, according to which 337 square kilometers of island territories were assigned to the PRC, which were previously under the de facto control of Russia. Part of Bolshoi Ussuriysky Island, Tarabarov Island and also other, smaller islands located near Khabarovsk, in the place where the Ussuri flows into the Amur, went to China.
According to the Russian authorities, the transfer of disputed territories to China was made in order to normalize relations between the two countries and avoid a possible military conflict in the future. At the same time, already in 2012, China demanded that a section of the border in the Altai Mountains be moved deep into the Russian Federation.
The PRC hoped to get 17 hectares of land, through which, perhaps in the future, a gas pipeline to the land of the rising sun would pass. Thus, by transferring disputed territories to China in 2005, the Russian authorities by no means got rid of Chinese claims to our land, but rather created a dangerous precedent.
At the same time, in China itself, the mood for the return of the former imperial borders is quite strong. The local press does not hesitate to publish maps on which the lands of Siberia and Far East designated as historical Chinese territory.

3. Pytalovo

In 1920, a peace treaty was signed between Soviet Russia and Latvia, according to which the parties recognized the sovereignty of the two states. At the same time, there was also state border. As a result, part of the Ostrovsky district of the former Russian Empire.
In 1940, Stalin brought Soviet troops into Latvia, and in 1944 the territory of the former Ostrovsky district again returned to the RSFSR, and it became the Pytalovsky district of the Pskov region.
After the collapse of the USSR, Latvia recognized its presence as part of the USSR as an occupation and, on this basis, put forward territorial claims to the Pytalovsky region. At the same time, the Russian authorities, referring to this issue, in the transfer of disputed territories Baltic country refused categorically.
In 2007, the Latvians made concessions and the border was finally fixed the way it remained after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Latvia decided that the claims were not worth the deterioration of relations with Russia, in addition, the country needed to resolve territorial disputes in order to join NATO.

4. Saatses boot

Estonia also had territorial claims against Russia. However, they were not connected with the historical right of Estonia to certain Russian territories, but with a banal inconvenience.
The fact is that one of the Estonian highways, built back in the USSR, partly passes through the territory of the Pechora district of the Pskov region, protruding into the lands of Estonia and resembling boots in shape. To drive along this road, one has to cross the state border twice.
Russia has introduced a special regime in this area, according to which Estonian vehicles have the right to pass the Russian section of the road without border inspection, but it is forbidden to stop and walk there.
The Russian authorities intended to resolve these inconveniences in 2005 by transferring the Saatses boot to Estonia in exchange for almost 100 hectares of forest land. But the signing of the already finished agreement fell through due to the introduction by the Estonian side of the text of amendments that did not suit the Russian Federation.
As a result, in 2014, the countries signed another demarcation agreement recognizing operating borders left over from the collapse of the USSR. Estonia, like Latvia, at a certain stage was forced to curtail the issue of transferring borders due to the rules for joining NATO.

5. Karelia

During its history, Karelia has become a disputed territory more than once. It belonged to the Novgorod Republic, Sweden and the Russian Empire. In 1920, after civil war and the first Soviet-Finnish war, the western part of Karelia was transferred to Finland.
The territory was returned after the Second World War, although part historical area Karelia has remained a part of Finland - the administrative units of North and South Karelia still exist there. Since the end of World War II, the Russian-Finnish border has not changed and has never been challenged by the official Finnish government.
However, in Lately, moods are growing in Finland for the return of Karelian lands - according to opinion polls, at least a third of the population is in favor of uniting Karelia under the Finnish flag. Recently, several political organizations have emerged advocating the return of the disputed territory.

6. Svalbard

The Svalbard Islands were first visited in the 12th century by the Pomors who inhabited Rus'. Finally opened they were famous Dutch navigator Willem Barents in 1596. Since then, whaling and walrus hunting have been regularly carried out on the island, until by XIX the animals were completely exterminated.
On Russian maps at that time, this territory was designated as part of the Russian Empire, although Denmark and Great Britain also had claims to it. At the same time, in fact, the islands remained without any control until the beginning of the 20th century.
In 1920, Norway, taking advantage of the collapse of the Russian Empire, declared its rights to Svalbard. After that, an international treaty was signed on a special legal status Svalbard, according to which the archipelago was recognized as the territory of the Norwegian crown.
At the same time, all countries that signed the treaty had the right to conduct commercial and research activities on the islands. Svalbard was also recognized as a demilitarized zone.
Between the world wars, coal mining was actively carried out on the archipelago, in addition, Svalbard became one of the centers of polar aviation. During the war, many mines were destroyed, but after mining resumed - mainly thanks to the efforts of Norway and the USSR.
By the time the Soviet Union collapsed, Svalbard's coal reserves had run out and the Norwegian settlements on the island refocused their economy on Arctic tourism. The Norwegian authorities took a position of protecting the ecological situation in the archipelago, introducing new laws in the 2000s that severely limited the activities of organizations on the islands.
The Russian part of Spitsbergen could not adapt to the new realities, and in this moment lives on government subsidies. However, Russian population Svalbard is no more than 500 people, most of whom live in the village of Barentsburg. At the same time, about two thousand Norwegians live on the islands.

Russia and Norway have not officially disputed the ownership of Svalbard, although the countries have recently had territorial claims against each other. They concerned primarily the drawing of the border in the waters of the Barents Sea. The Russian side drew the border along the coast of the island of Spitsbergen, while the Norwegians insisted that the border should pass at an equal distance from Spitsbergen and Franz Josef Land.
The dispute entered an active phase when hydrocarbon reserves were discovered in this sea area. In addition, there is a brisk fishing industry, and Russian and Norwegian border guards often arrested fishing boats here. In 2010, the dispute was resolved by the signing of a demarcation agreement, which was drawn up on a compromise basis.

7. Alaska

Alaska was discovered by Russian navigators in the 18th century and until 1867 was controlled by the so-called Russian-American company. However, after the unsuccessful Crimean War, it became clear that Russia was simply not able to protect such a remote and undeveloped territory as Alaska.
In addition, after Alexander II carried out large-scale reforms, the treasury was very short of money, and the government decided to sell the peninsula. The amount of the deal with the US authorities amounted to 7.2 million dollars, that is, 4.74 dollars per square kilometer.
Almost immediately after the sale, gold was discovered in Alaska, but the mining industry began to develop actively only towards the end of the 19th century, when a gold rush occurred in America. In 1959, Alaska became a state, and now there is extensive mining, including oil.
Since the sale of the peninsula, official Russia has never expressed its rights to it, although a reminder of the Russian past of Alaska keeps popping out of the lips of politicians. Of course, in the wake of these sentiments is Vladimir Zhirinovsky, who has long been proposing to demand Alaska back from the United States. After the events in Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea to the Russian Federation, talk about the return of Alaska resumed with new force, although most of them are more of a comic character.