Interesting facts about Sakhalin briefly. The capital of the Sakhalin region: general information, history and interesting facts. Sights of Sakhalin and a general description of the island
There are so many stories, unusual facts and legends about him that it seems that there is no more mysterious and mysterious place on this planet. Sakhalin is a large and unusual island, 76,400 km, located in the east of Russia.
The secret of the Ainu people, Sakhalin
For a very long time it was believed that this is a peninsula. Only in 1849, thanks to G. I. Nevelskaya, it became known that this was an island. In what time period people began to live here, no one knows for sure, but thanks to archaeological work, human remains were found among the remains of mammoths, whose age is more than 63 thousand years!
The indigenous people of the island are the people Ainu. There are many issues associated with them that are still unresolved today. For example, archaeologists have discovered the remains of the culture of this people, which are more than 12 thousand years old, while it is clear from the artifacts found that at that time the culture of this people for that time was very high, at the level ancient China and India. The main evidence of the antiquity of their culture is considered to be the Ainu Jemon ceramics, which is officially the oldest in the world.
Regarding where people came from here, and even with such a developed culture, 2 main opinions have been put forward:
- The ancestors of the Ainu have always been here. categorically and incomprehensibly.
- In the early Paleolithic period, people sailed to Sakhalin from Australia.
Europeans first learned about this island only in 1295, and Marco Polo himself told them this amazing news. It is also available that he personally was not there either. But upon arrival in Europe, a Chinese map fell into his hands, in which the island was indicated. But Russian explorers should be given their due, because they put a lot of effort and work into the study of distant islands.
Sakhalin Island has many secrets. Many tourists come here to see the local volcanoes. By the way, many scientists are sure that in the very waters that wash them, there are still a lot of discoveries waiting for them. Speaking about the main Ushishir volcano, it is worth saying that this is generally an unusual place, because it is here that it is possible to conduct a study of chemosynthesis without diving into the ocean.
New mysteries constantly appear on Sakhalin. Some are unraveled, others are not. But having been in these parts, you will see the remains of hairy giant fish, anomalous zones, strange plants and hear about huge worms found, and much more. It is also worth adding that it is beautiful here.
How to get here
Undoubtedly, the best and most convenient, and most importantly, without transfers to get here by plane. Fly from Russia - about 8 hours. You can also buy tickets to Khabarovsk. And in the port of Vanino, buy tickets for the ferry to the island itself. The port can also be reached by car.
Sakhalin is an island region Russian Federation located off the Asian east coast. It is an area formerly owned by Japan, steeped in Japanese culture, rich in natural resources and with a small population of half a million. This island attracts tourists with its interesting mixed culture and unusual geographic location. Below are some interesting facts.
Sakhalin is Russian island, bearing the title of the largest. But earlier Sakhalin belonged to Japan and was called differently - Karafuto. Main city- the administrative and economic center of the island - Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk appeared in the nineteenth century as a convict settlement of Vladimirovka, and during the period of Japanese occupation it was called Toyohara. Literally translated into Russian, this means "fertile valley."
It's funny that the island looks like a silhouette of a fish, and quite long - the length of Sakhalin is almost nine hundred and fifty kilometers. By the way, the Sakhalin region is the only Russian subject in the form of an island.
About thirty thousand Koreans live on Sakhalin (about five percent), who were brought here by the Japanese for forced labor at a time when the island was still part of Japan and was called Karafuto. During the war years, Koreans brought here prepared the infrastructure for war. And by its end, more than forty thousand Koreans remained on the island.
The indigenous population of Sakhalin are the Nivkh and Ainu peoples. However, there are extremely few of them left here - about one percent. And the bulk of the population is the Russian people, accounting for about eighty-five percent.
This island was for forty years hard labor and a place where people were sent into exile. Perhaps this was due to the climatic conditions that prevail on Sakhalin.
From Japan, Japanese culture remained on the island, mixing with Russian. On the island you can see Japanese buildings, various monuments, monuments.
The inhabitants of Sakhalin call almost any mountain a hill, and the whole of Russia - the mainland.
If a tourist wants to try caviar or fish here, he will have to spend much more money on this here than even in the Russian capital - Moscow. However, this happens not only here, but also in Kamchatka and Chukotka, because the fishing industry is quite well developed here.
On Sakhalin, Japanese cars are mainly used as transport. Basically, this happens in many cities. Far East, and this is logical. After all, this part of Russia is closest to Japan.
There are no wolves on this island. Once, the only wolf in history came from the mainland to Sakhalin, a stuffed animal of which was even preserved in the Museum of Local Lore.
(which gave rise to the most amusing thread "today you are ashamed, and tomorrow you will give the Kuriles to the enemy!") seriously amused the inhabitants there - many Japanese observations turned out to be rather superficial and not particularly true.
A comrade under the nickname Apostate, familiar with life on the island firsthand, decided to dot all Yo by commenting on the Japanese "facts".
It turned out to be extremely entertaining.
So let's give it a word:
1. No one speaks English (or perhaps no one understands Japanese English)
This is not true. This is fundamentally not true. None of the Russians - yes. None of the Caucasians and citizens of the countries of Central Asia (they even came here in large numbers) - yes. None of the Chinese and Koreans - yes. But "just nobody" is fundamentally wrong. I understand that they were not there, but nevertheless ... The fact is that on the right side (if you go from the airport to the city) next to Yuzhny (the affectionate name of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (Toyohara, if in Japanese) there is 2 districts - "Pear Orchard" and "Strawberry Hills". But the locals consider them to be one district (for a reason ...) and call them in a common way "American village": for more than 10 years, typical American villages have been built in this place one-storey cottages. And the Americans live there (what have they forgotten here? Well, most likely because of oil and gas ... in short, see the Sakhalin-1 and Sakhalin-2 projects), surrounded by a fence and guards. Another thing is that they speak English, but they don’t plow a damn thing in Russian. So a fun day is guaranteed for those who wander there.
2. Prices are unexpectedly high (just like in Japan)
Well, Sakhalin is the end of the earth after all. Delivery from the center here is really not cheap, but there are some advantages. Example: Yoka yogurt, which is produced in the Dominican Islands. And this is not the only such artifact ...
(Plus, it is impossible not to notice that salaries in Sakhalin are quite serious - on average, about a thousand dollars, which is much higher than peripheral Russia and at the level of the salary of Japanese animators - approx.dor. ed.)
3. Even in the most shabby high-rise buildings, there is a very serious security system.
If they are about steel entrance doors with a lock opened by pressing a code (locks are often mechanical and there are steel buttons, not keys), then okay, otherwise it’s not entirely clear what they mean. The fact that the men from one entrance in an instant are going to pile on bad "aliens" - well, there is such a thing. But if they are talking about this, then with what, interestingly, they could anger ours ...
4. Crime is not that fierce, but it is better for girls not to leave the house in the evenings.
There are few, although in the center everything is much worse. I know for sure that the border guards there are harsh, and so much so that for several months the Japanese, Chinese and Koreans (neighbors, in short) were forced to shit.
In general, our neighbors like to steal seafood. And once such a story happened. The smuggling ship with the cargo was spotted by a patrol boat of our border guards. Our ordered them to slow down and surrender. The answer is complete disregard. Finally, our people said that they would fire a warning shot, followed by fire to kill. Ignore again. The commander ordered the ship's weapons to be prepared for a warning shot. The command to "warning shot" sounded. The discrepancy came out: the sailor who prepared the gun did not have time (seemingly ...) to raise the barrel higher. As a result of a warning shot, the captain's bridge of the smuggling ship was stitched through, and the ship's captain was shot in the head. The smugglers immediately slowed down, stopped and surrendered. And then all the neighbors wondered: if this is a warning shot, then what the hell does the command “open fire to kill!” mean to these rabid Russians?
7. But kombu seaweed was simply excellent. Even better than in Hokkaido itself, where they are actually grown.
In fact, the food on Sakhalin, as they would say in the center, is environmentally friendly. Not really, but she's really amazing. Especially painful after it is what is sold in the central region. Well, their own seafood, of course ... especially crab and chilims (Sakhalin shrimp).
And there is a story that goes on all the time. To the south of the South, there is a military unit of the reconnaissance company on the mountain. At the foot of the mountain is the sea. And there are these shrimp. And along the coast sometimes a patrol passes. But to catch ... not even to catch, you can collect with a bucket at low tide. There are already four elevations of the underwater coast several tens of meters from the "beach", so much so that the water, in the worst case, is knee-deep. So, sometimes you can see the following picture there: the head of a military man carefully protrudes from behind a bush, and if there is no patrol, then several warriors run out of the bush and play their roles: a couple catches fish or collects shrimp, and a couple - on a nix. The only difference is that at night they are soldiers, and during the day they are officers. Well, a beer in a stall is not a problem.
8. No Japanese were seen in the area
And what did you want? All narrow-eyed - Chinese and Koreans. Although the Japanese are still there. But they are few.
9. Almost everyone smokes, moreover, without any reflection, they throw cigarette butts anywhere.
So... a second... a second... let the laughter catch your breath. Phew.
2 points:
1) they were not in the toilets of Sakhalin schools, where schoolchildren smoke during breaks, and during lessons - men with the positions of deputies and teachers (labor, first of all);
2) not in terms of cigarette butts, but in terms of garbage, we are practically the same with them. Only they hide everything, but we are not shy.
10. Beautiful girls really full
What's true is true. That's where you need to look for a bride.
11. Cars are mostly very dirty. Perhaps there is not a single car wash in Sakhalin?
Re-read point #2. So everyone washes in some rivers and dirty puddles called lakes. But for free ... if the good uncle does not burn the cop.
12. Police officers smoke in their cars.
If not all cops (that is, policemen), then Sakhalin traffic cops are the best traffic cops in Russia. If you exceeded the speed by no more than 10 km / h (i.e. up to 70 km / h), then most often you will hear from them: “Okay, I forgive you for the first time” - after which they let you go. So you can several times a day, if different posts. But you shouldn't get carried away either.
But Moscow people will hang themselves for 1 ruble, even if it only seemed to them a violation that did not exist, petty corrupt creatures.
13. There are no historical Japanese names left on the island.
I won't claim anything here.
14. A bus ride costs about twenty cents.
15. After the trip, you need to pay directly to the driver
Well, this is Russia, but I want to say something about transport. If we talk about passenger buses, then in contrast to the central region, where old LiAZs and supported Citroens are in use, in Yuzhny everyone is cut on relatively new NENAZs (buses of this company are produced on the basis of the chassis of KAMAZ buses). But if we are talking about minibuses, then the gazelles got here, so that it was empty for them. True, only in the second half of the zero. In addition to them, at best, old Mercedes minibuses, but, most often, these are some TOPICs (Asia TOPIC)
And yet, about transport and Sakhalin women. Sakhalin women are harsh. Personal experience. Route No. 23 (Khristoforovka - railway station). The conductor is a woman. A sheet of A4 format is glued to one of the seats, on which is written: “Do not take the place of the conductor!” And on the window next to which this place is, an A4 sheet is glued, on which it is written: “Do not look into the window of the conductor”
16. There are practically no artifacts left from the time of the Japanese occupation of Sakhalin.
And what did you want? Winter passed, summer passed too - thanks to Stalin for this! You can find the remains of a temple somewhere (gates and stones - that's all that's left), stone barriers from the time of the war ... And so, only the museum remained.
17. The car can be transported directly from Hokkaido. Issue price: from 28 thousand yen one way
It is possible and back. Maybe on the mainland. In the "five-tonner" - a steel container for a mass of 5 tons.
18. Cars stop all the time for no apparent reason.
If they were driving a Russian passenger car or a minibus, then everything is logical. Otherwise, I just don't understand what you're talking about. Cars, although mostly supported, were created for people. I have not seen frequent breakdowns (and even rare ones!). In addition, the drivers are neat, and people do not run across anywhere (and whoever runs on red runs the risk of meeting the eyes of others “there is a black sheep in the family”). There are generally good people...
20. A lot of motorists prefer Toyota
As if there is nothing for the southerners to do, how to import Chinese buckets of nails. Only South Korea and Japan, even if they are supported (and most of them are).
21. Never drink tap water
Drinking tap water is like playing Russian roulette: if you're not lucky, you'll catch cholera. Water is purified only in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
22. Nobody wants to speak English
We're just shy.
23. Sandstorms happen in the city center, they are just terrible.
24. One Japanese tourist who visited Sakhalin told us: "I could never stay here - environment does not lend itself to it."
If we talk about the city itself, then for a foreigner - yes, it's dirty. But with regard to Russian cities, especially large ones, it is very clean. There are no parks here, but they are not needed, because trees grow along the streets and are looked after.
But if about nature, then they are absolutely wrong, although there are several BUT. Sakhalin with its nature is one of the most beautiful corners of the world. It's worth staying there. It's very beautiful there...
And yet those same BUT. In the middle of the forest, you can stumble upon the crumbling buildings of disbanded military units (greetings from grandfather Gorbachev). You can stumble upon a lake with an asphalt road leading into it, and understand that here the guys from the tank unit washed (and wash), in fact, tanks, You can find the ruins of some Japanese building during the war and before it ... But this is rare, so you'll be lucky if you find one.
26. Shinto shrines can still be found on the island. Unfortunately, their condition is rather deplorable.
Well, I already mentioned the ruins. Glory to communism!
27. Amusement parks are so ... Soviet
I would say post-Soviet. And to be honest, I didn’t recognize the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk amusement park in these photos (I haven’t visited the island for a long time). This park is by no means bad - one of the best in the Far East, actually.
28. Fast food restaurants are almost impossible to find
This is true. But a huge number of barbecue. And most of them are good: you can see what kind of meat the barbecue took and he cooks in front of you. The open ones are especially good: they are not even barbecue, but just a few tables in nature and a peasant with a barbecue. Damn, drooling from pleasant memories ...
30. Lots of local cars - supported imports from Japan
Yes it is. Therefore, we “love” Toyota. But due to the increase in duties by 3 times, this is no longer a pleasure, as it used to be. A '95 car could be bought in 2000 in exchange for mobile phone: Japan is very close, so transportation is relatively cheap (was), but an acceptable price for a mobile phone then is “a piece of bucks”.
31. They also love monuments and statues here!
This is the street of glory. I am preparing an article for one date. Wait for it at the end of August - the very beginning of September.
32. The capital city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is distinguished by an inhuman concentration of all kinds of stalls
This is true. No other comments are needed here.
33. Donabe (Japanese clay pots for cooking over an open fire) are sold here.
And not only. Household items and souvenirs. Moreover, Japanese, but you can also find Chinese-made ones - you don’t have to go far.
35. You can buy counterfeit Paul Smith polo shirts for next to nothing.
What do you want? There is also China nearby.
But there was (seems to be still there) the so-called Chinese market. It's a funny sight: rows of tents where they sold almost everything, but most often clothes (and people trying on clothes behind some kind of lash in 30 degrees below zero). And with him, there were rows of steel containers, to which they ran if something was missing. And when the right thing was on the second or third floor (these containers were also placed on top of each other), and it was necessary to dig inside it ... I will leave the rest to your imagination. True, it was back then when Chinese things were of good quality, and a can of Pringles chips at the station cost 33 rubles ...
36. Japanese trains gather dust without work
The picture was taken in the railway museum, located next to the railwayman's house of culture.
From the speech of M. Zadornov: the whole fate of Russia lies in the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. There is a bus route, the final stops of which are “psycho. hospital-cemetery.
On my own behalf, I’ll add that there are also such final stops of minibuses: the railway station - the railway hospital (moreover, this hospital is a few kilometers from the station, which also hints)
In general, Sakhalin has been using the Japanese railway gauge for a long time, which is slightly narrower than the standard Russian one. So the silver trains of the Land of the Rising Sun were brought in and are still in use (sort of...).
37. Without any hesitation, order soup - it is delicious here
And again, the food is generally very tasty on the island. They even bake bread from Altai grain, and not from Kuban or Stavropol grain, so the taste is different ... and, believe me, very pleasant.
40. On the outskirts of the island, the remains of two Hokkaido Takushoku banks are rotting.
In general, I want to prepare one article here. There is only trouble with the images: there are photographs of Japanese buildings that were demolished. In other words, what could be today the center of the South.
42. Police officers get naked while on duty
Sakhalin is the most big Island Russian Federation, with a unique and amazingly beautiful nature, located in the northwestern part Pacific Ocean. The island is washed by the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan. Sakhalin is separated from mainland Russia by the Tatar Strait.
Nature of Sakhalin, Sakhalin Island
Sakhalin summer, the largest island in Russia
1. Sakhalin is the largest island in the Russian Federation.
2. Population of Sakhalin Island is about 500 thousand people. Most of all Russians (85%) and Koreans (5%) live here. The indigenous population of the island is the Ainu (0.4%), Nivkh (0.5%) and Orok (239 people).
3. The main city of Sakhalin- Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk was formed in the 19th century as a small penal settlement of Vladimirovka. During the period of Japanese occupation, it was called Toyohara. Literally translated into Russian, this means "fertile valley."
4.Russian and Japanese culture islands. There are two cultures on Sakhalin - Russian and Japanese. In Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and in other cities and parts of Sakhalin, one can often find ancient Japanese buildings, monuments and monuments.
5. Disputed territory. For a long time Sakhalin was a disputed territory between Russia and Japan. Since 1855, the island was jointly owned by two countries, after 20 years, Russia, in exchange for the northern Kuril Islands, received the entire island. After the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, Japan passed the southern part of the island. After the end of the Second World War, Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands completely became part of the USSR.
6. Anton Pavlovich Chekhov. On Sakhalin, the Russian writer Chekhov, who visited the island in 1890, is very much loved and revered. As a result of his journey, Chekhov wrote the book Sakhalin Island. In honor of the writer on Sakhalin, streets, cultural institutions are named, monuments and sculptures are erected, various festivals and events are held.
7. Emperor Alexander II chose Sakhalin as a place where the most notorious criminals were exiled. According to the emperor, this will make it possible to separate the criminals from the population of Siberia and the Far East. The walk from Central Russia to Sakhalin took about one and a half to two years.
8, according to the site. Getting to Sakhalin Island only by plane, ferry or swimming. During summer holidays and vacations, an economy class ticket to the cities of Moscow, Vladivostok, Khabarovsk and back often costs about 100,000 rubles.
9. The largest potato. In 1962, the largest potato tuber was grown on Sakhalin Island. The weight of the record tuber was 3 kilograms 200 grams.
10. Fauna of Sakhalin. Sakhalin Island is inhabited by 44 species of mammals, of which the most well-known are bear, sable, otter, American mink, reindeer, wolverine, musk deer, raccoon dog, sea lion and other animal species. There are no wolves on the island.
Sakhalin is the largest Russian island. The Japanese lustfully call this island Karafuto, which means "the land of God's mouth."
The island was discovered in 1643 by the Dutchman de Vries. And for a long time Sakhalin was considered a peninsula. Probably because the strait that separates the island from the mainland freezes in winter.
Sakhalin is washed by the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk, separated from the continent by the Tatar Strait, and from Japan by the La Perouse Strait. The total area of Sakhalin is just over 76,000 sq. km. And in shape, it resembles a fish, predatory stretching along the coast of Asia. Mountains predominate in the south of the island, towards the north they are replaced by lowlands, and only on the Schmidt Peninsula, the extreme northern tip of Sakhalin, mountain peaks are again visible. Such a complex relief, as well as the proximity of the ocean and seas, determined the originality of the flora and fauna.
Flora of Sakhalin
Most of the island is covered in taiga. The local forests are unique, since the Sakhalin taiga is the richest in Russia in terms of species diversity. Judge for yourself - about 200 species of trees and shrubs grow on the island.
The main tree of Sakhalin is the Gmelin larch. Slightly less common are other types of trees: thin-leaved larch, Ayan spruce, Sakhalin fir. Among hardwoods, white and stone birches, aspens, fragrant poplars, dewy willows, Japanese elms, yellow maples, and alder predominate.
But the main feature of Sakhalin can be called an amazing neighborhood of southern plants and northern representatives of the kingdom of flora. So, in the south it is quite possible to see tropical lianas, larch feels very good surrounded by polar birches, lemongrass and rhododendrons often bloom next to spruce trees. Cedars get along well next to cork trees, and firs are often decorated with blooming hydrangeas. Rose hips, honeysuckle and aralia are often hidden in high thickets of ferns. And the trunks of hornbeams, cherries, elderberries and mountain ash are buried in high herbs.
Sakhalin is also rich in fruits and berries. Cherries, currants, blueberries, raspberries, blueberries, redberries and cranberries grow here. And in the south of the island you can observe the most unique natural combination: a coniferous forest surrounded by thickets of Sakhalin bamboo. You will not see such a union anywhere else in the world. Bamboo, of course, is not tall here, but its thickets are, in fact, the most difficult to pass, as elastic trunks intertwine in the most amazing way, and sharp leaves, like knives, can easily cut the skin.
In spring and summer, Sakhalin shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow: these are flowers in bloom. For example, thickets of flame create fire-red meadows of incredible beauty. There are a lot of poppies, irises, peonies, lilies, the island of willow-tea colors in pale lilac tones, snow-white fields of daisies delight the eye.
But in the north, the climate is more severe, the relief is smoother, and therefore the area is very swampy. But there are a lot of mosses, lichens and reindeer moss. These places are often surrounded by meadows, where sedge and various herbs predominate. And in the very north of the island, forests begin again - taiga, coniferous, with the richest reserves of cedars, blueberries and wild rosemary.
Fauna of Sakhalin
Unfortunately, over the past 250 years, the fauna of Sakhalin has become significantly poorer. Once upon a time, spotted deer jumped around the island and wild boars filled the surrounding forests with their cry. Neither one nor the other is left. Later, moose and red deer were exterminated. By the middle of the last century, due to increased deforestation, sable and raccoon dogs disappeared. Mountain sheep and river otters left the island forever.
Typical representatives of the Sakhalin forests are animals that are typical for the milking of the mainland taiga: these are numerous weasels, ermines. In the south of the island there are columns. These animals were brought from Japan, but so far their numbers are small.
The most popular and formidable predator of Sakhalin is the brown bear. The growth of these giants reaches two meters, and weight - up to 500 kg. There are many foxes in the forests - red, gray and silver-black. There is a white hare, in the floodplains of the rivers you can see river otters.
But the deer on Sakhalin are mostly domesticated. Wild ones are found only in the northern part of the island. The musk deer also migrates serenely around the island. It is listed in the Red Book.
But the bird kingdom on Sakhalin is much richer. There are up to 700 species of birds that live here, many nest, many are "raids" during the winter. Most of the birds are on Tyuleniy Island, where up to 600 thousand guillemots, flocks of puffins, hatchets, and gulls live. There are a lot of waterfowl: geese, mallards, dives, goldeneyes, pebbles, pintails, long-tailed ducks. But swans are found only in the most remote corners of the island.
A certain scarcity of the land fauna of Sakhalin is fully compensated by the richness of the ichthyofauna. The island has one of the largest fur seal rookeries in the world. There are sea lions, sea otters, several types of seals. Sperm whales, killer whales, beluga whales often swim to the coast, near the island you can see sivals, humpback whales, blue whales.
Interestingly, it was on the island that the Sakhalin Husky was bred - a breed of dogs that are distinguished by high intelligence and boundless devotion to the owner.
Climate on Sakhalin
The climate of the island is usually classified as temperate monsoon. But the weather at any time of the year varies considerably in the north and south.
Summer is humid, warm, with heavy rains. In summer, the difference between the eastern and western coasts of Sakhalin is very noticeable. It is warmer in the west, as the coast is washed by the warm Tsushima Current.
Winter on Sakhalin is very cold and snowy. Most of the island is affected by the Siberian anticyclone, which brings snowfall and frost. But in the south of the island, the influence of the Southern Cyclone is also noticeable, which endows the island with powerful snowstorms and hurricane winds.
The Sea of Okhotsk, washing the island from the north, works like a huge thermal accumulator. It willingly retains heat and does not let go of the cold for a very long time. Therefore, spring on Sakhalin is lingering, cool, but autumn is very warm and friendly. For example, many flowers on Sakhalin bloom until mid-November.
In general, all seasons on the island begin 3-4 weeks late. The hottest month is August and the coldest month is February.