Being picked up at 1:30 am for our early morning flight from Yakutsk to Sakhalin Island via Khabarovsk, was not fun. We did however, manage to sleep for an hour or so. And by some miracle managed to wake up in time to shower, pack and check out. Us a little tetchy? Of course not!
In the frigid morning darkness, lumbering with all our baggage and overcoats, we made our last "skate" down the snow encrusted carpet of the Tyghyn Darkhan Hotel to where Artyom's warm car was waiting for us, motor running and headlights blazing. In no time we were speeding through the night toward Yakutsk airport and safely aboard our flight to Khabarovsk.
Being aboard our Yakutia Air flight with no hassles did nothing however, for my poor mood. Not only was I deeply saddened by leaving the Russian mainland, but I was also despondent about our coming visit to Sakhalin. After our wonderful adventures in Anabarskiy and our comfortable and relaxed trip in Oymyakonskiy, there was no way it would compare. And surely it would be a letdown. All I could envisage was a highly industrialised island full of mines, oil rigs and grey decaying Soviet buildings.
The way I was feeling, there could be no sun.
Sleepily I tried to console myself. After all, we were only staying in the capital city Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk for three nights.... And then there was Tokyo and our Japanese "family" to look forward to. Maybe it wouldn't be quite that bad.....
We awoke with a jolt to find ourselves descending into Khabarovsk.
It was Alan's idea to travel Business Class from Yakutsk to Khabarovsk, and onto Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Normally, we would not indulge ourselves in such luxury for just two short flights. But given the awful timing as well as a long wait between flights in Khabarovsk, we considered it worth the expense. And in fact, having a good Business Class lounge in which to eat, drink and relax between flights proved to be a godsend. The lounge was very comfortable, the staff super friendly and helpful, and the caviar and smoked salmon to die for! Oh, and the several glasses of sparkling wine were pretty OK too....
ARRIVING IN YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK
We arrived in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk from Khabarovsk around 4:30 pm. Our first bit of relief was it certainly wasn't touristy. Quite the contrary. In fact there was not a soul anywhere to be seen in the entire airport. Whatever happened to our fellow passengers, we had no idea.
Instead of crowds, we were greeted by a rather bizarre giant white molar. Perched on the luggage carousel, we gathered it must be a promotion for a dental conference or exhibition. We were not to find out. There was no signage and no-one to ask. It really was one of those times when we wondered if we were still asleep from our flight....
Aleksey, our hotel driver was there to pick us up. He was not hard to find. His was the only car in the airport parking area. How strange was this, we wondered?
Our short drive from the airport to our Mega Palace Hotel was another good omen. In contrast to my anticipated drab crumbling Soviet buildings, we were treated to park-lined snow-covered roads with low rise attractive apartment blocks and occasional glimpses of the stunning Cathedral of the Nativity and the handsome Pobeda (Victory) Museum and Military Complex. Yes, it was snowing and dull, but the surrounds were very lovely. Perhaps this wasn't going to be all that bad after all?
Our arrival at our hotel was really the icing on the cake. A lovely hotel, our huge room was very tastefully furnished with wonderful views of the nearby Gagarin Park and the ski slopes of the Susuanaiski Mountains. My mood improved enormously. Shallow values? Well, yes....
INTRODUCING SAKHALIN
Sakhalin Island at a Glance: Geography and Economy
Sakhalin, the largest island of the Russian Federation, is situated in the north Pacific Ocean between the Sea of Okhotsk to the east, and the Sea of Japan to the west. It is located just 6 km across the Tatar Strait from the Russian mainland oblast of Khabarovsk Krai and 45 km across the Strait of la Perouse to the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido. Together with the Kuril Islands (the series of islands which stretch between Japanese Hokkaido and the southern part of the Russian Kamchatka Peninsula), it forms part of Russia's Sakhalin Oblast. Geographically, Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands form the northern part of the Japanese archipelago and are part of the so-called Ring of Fire.*
The islands have a long and complex history, subject to Russian and Japanese tension over sovereignty. Even today, there is still dispute over the the Kuril Islands which are currently under the administration of the Russian Sakhalin Oblast.
* The Ring of Fire is a huge horseshoe-shaped, geological belt located in the north Pacific region that extends some 40,000 km in length and up to 500 km in width. It is a hub of immense seismic activity with numerous large volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. Roughly 75% of the world's volcanoes are located here, many submerged deep below the ocean.
Sakhalin Island comprises an area of some 72,500 square km (slightly larger than Ireland). It extends 948 km in length and 25 to 170 km in width. Nearly two thirds is mountainous with two parallel ranges the Susuanaiski and Tonino-Anivskiy, traversing it from north to south. The highest peak Mount Lopatin, is 1,609 m. The north is mostly muskeg (marshy) plains, typical of permafrost regions. The main river is the Tym which at a length 330 km, empties north into the Sea of Othotsk.
The population of Sakhalin Island is around 500,000. The main groups are Russians (85%) and Koreans (5.5%). Native inhabitants comprise the Nivkhs in the north, the Oroks in the central region and the Ainu in the south. Other minority groups include Ukrainians, Tatars, Yakuts and Evenks.
The administrative centre is Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. The city of some 175,000 houses a relatively large number of "Sakhalin Koreans" who were forcibly brought in by the Japanese during World War II to work in the coal mines. Most of the population resides in the warmer southern part of the island, centred mainly around Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and the two ports of Khomlsk and Korsakov.
Sakhalin Oblast is Russia's fourth wealthiest federal subject. The main economy is reliant on the primary industries of oil and gas exports, coal mining, forestry and fishing.
Sakhalin is rich in oil, gas, coal and mineral deposits. The Sakhalin Coal Mine has reserves equating to around 2 billion tonnes of coking coal; one of the largest reserves in Asia and indeed, the world. In addition, Sakhalin has an estimated 45 billion barrels of oil making it one of Russia's most important oil and gas producing regions and a prime target for foreign investment. Much of Sakhalin's oil and gas is exported to South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia and the US.
Sakhalin, having some 87% of its area covered with forest, has a huge forestry potential. Agricultural crop industries are limited however, due to a growing season of less than 100 days. Industries include cereal crops (rye, wheat, oats and barley) and vegetable growing. The island is also rich in fish and sea life, and is the third largest producer of fish products in all of the Russian Federation.
Sea transport is a major segment of the economy. Nearly all cargo arriving for Sakhalin is delivered by cargo boats, ferries or through the Vanino-Kholmsk train ferry which runs from the mainland port of Vanino to Kholmsk. Inland transport is via the island's Sakhalin Railway Line network which runs north from Nogliki to Korsakov in the south. The railway has a connection with the rest of Russia through the Vanino Train ferry. Sakhalin is connected by regular flights to Moscow, Khabarovsk and Vladivostok, and other Russian cities. Regularly scheduled international flights operate direct to Japan, South Korea and China.
Over the years, much discussion has centred around building a fixed link (bridge or tunnel) from Sakhalin to the Russian mainland. Similarly, there has been much debate over building a link to Hokkaido, Japan which could potentially create a continuous rail corridor between Europe and Japan. A feasibility study was commissioned for the latter by President Putin in 2018.
To date, no progress has been made on either links.
The Sea of Othotsk provides Sakhalin with a cold and humid climate, ranging from humid continental in the south to sub-Arctic in the centre and north. The maritime influence provides for a slightly snowier and warmer winter climate than locations at similar latitudes. Summers are often foggy with little sunshine. Precipitation is relatively high owing to strong offshore winds in summer and a high frequency of North Pacific storms.
Sakhalin is a wildlife haven, with the southern part of the island covered in dense forests, most of which are coniferous. In the north, it is mainly tundra. Similarly, the island has a high biodiversity of animal life with large numbers of bears, foxes, otters, and sable. Reindeer are found in the far north and musk deer, hares and squirrels elsewhere. Sakhalin is home also to a wide variety of bird species, including a number of endangered species. Rivers are abundant with fish, especially salmon species. Interestingly, temporary ice bridges form during winter, allowing animal and plant species to migrate between the Russian mainland and Sakhalin.
A Snapshot of Modern Sakhalin History
In the Beginning: Manchurian and Japanese Colonisation
Anthropological evidence reveals that Sakhalin has been inhabited since the Neolithic Age. In later years, it was conquered by the Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644), followed by the Qing Dynasty from 1689.
Japanese colonisation began during the 1600's in Sakhalin's southern districts, with a settlement established at Otomari in 1669.
In the 1780's the influence of the Japanese Tokugawa Shogunate on the Ainu side of southern Sakhalin increased significantly. By the beginning of the 19th century, a Japanese economic zone extended midway up the east coast to Taraika. Later trade in furs and Chinese silk became a lucrative market, with the Ainu people selling to the Japanese silk extracted from the silk uniforms given to them by the Qing.
In 1807 Japan claimed sovereignty over southern Sakhalin. In 1845, it claimed ownership of the entire island.
European Exploration
The first European known to visit Sakhalin was Dutch seaman Martin Gerritz de Vries who mapped Cape Patience and Cape Aniva on the island's east coast in 1643. At this stage however, de Vries was unaware that Sakhalin was an island.
In 1787 the expedition of French seaman Jean-Francois de la Perouse established that Sakhalin was indeed an island. Its name was then "Tchoka" as he had recorded from local natives and translated back into French.
Russian and Japanese Colonisation - A Chequerboard History of See-sawing Control Over Sakhalin
In 1853, the first Russians entered the northern regions of Sakhalin. Through the Treaty of Shimoda, in 1855 Russia and Japan shared control of the island; the Russians controlling the north while the Japanese controlled the south.
Following the Opium War in 1858, Russia forced China to sign the Treaty of Aigun and in 1860 the Treaty of Peking under which China lost to Russia all its claims to territories north of the (now Russian) Amur River and east of Ussuri - and just off the coast of Sakhalin.
Sakhalin Island remained a shared sovereignty between Japan and Russia until the signing of the Treaty of St Petersburg in 1875 in which Japan surrendered its claims in Sakhalin over to Russia. Sakhalin rapidly became notorious as a Russian penal colony.
In the closing stages of the 1904-5 Russo-Japanese War, Japanese forces invaded Sakhalin. In 1905, Japan through the Treaty of Portsmouth, gained control of Sakhalin south of the 50th parallel, giving this part of the island the name of Karafuto. Russia retained the northern three fifths of the island.
After the Russian Revolution, the Japanese occupied all of Sakhalin. They withdrew however, in 1924 when white Russian forces were driven out of the north by Soviet troops. South Sakhalin was administered by Japan which was then known as Karafuto Prefecture with the capital being Toyohara (today Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk). The northern half was administered by the Russians with the capital being Aleksandrovsk-Sakhalinskiy.
In 1945, after repudiating the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact, the Soviet Union invaded southern Sakhalin, which was determined secretly in the Yalta Conference**. Of the approximately 400,000 people, mostly Japanese and Koreans who lived in south Sakhalin, about 100,000 were evacuated to Japan during the last days of the war. Whilst the vast majority were evacuated back to Japan between 1946 and 1950, tens of thousands of Sakhalin Koreans remained in the Soviet Union.
In 1945 after World War II, the Soviet gained control of the southern half of the island. Japan renounced its claims of sovereignty over south Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands in the Treaty of San Francisco in 1951. It maintains however, that the four offshore islands off Hokkaido currently administered by Russia, were not subject to renunciation. Relations have improved substantially between the two countries but the four islands are still under dispute. Some 66 years after World War II, having never signed a formal peace agreement, Russia and Japan remain technically in a state of war.
**The Yalta Conference code named "Argonaut", was a meeting in Crimea of the US (Roosevelt), the UK (Churchill) and the Soviet Union (Stalin) to discuss the post-war reorganisation of Germany and Europe.
A PERECTLY RELAXING DAY
The Mega Palace Mega-Rude Skiing Guests
We had no plans for our first day. We had long decided it was to be strictly for relaxation only. All we had to do was to find a company to take us on a short walking tour the following day. Oh, and most importantly, find a supermarket to stock up on snacks and drinks.
Our hotel may have been very plush and comfortable, but the guests were something else. We should have woken up. Of course it was a very popular ski resort hotel, and the majority of guests were avid skiers. Rude and pushy, they were everything we had sadly come to expect from the skiing fraternity.
Breakfast was a hideous scene of The Skiing Beautiful. Wearing the latest designer ski outfits and some even carrying their snow boards into the restaurant, they postured dreadfully. Between taking selfies, the skiing elite spoke loudly on their phones while pushing their way around the restaurant. The staff wasn't much better. Stony-faced and impatient, they barely acknowledged our smiles and thanks. Perhaps they too were totally fed up with being Ski Slaves?
Booking a walking tour for the next day was not an easy task. The concierge looking somewhat frazzled, finally agreed to assist us organise our trip. It was, we agreed, all rather bizarre. But then again, I guess the hotel's signature ski clients didn't bother with day tours....
We were however, given good advice about how to find the nearest supermarket. It was apparently "just across the park". The famous Gagarin Park, that is.
A Walk in the Park
Snow fell heavily as we trudged our way through thawing ice and huge puddles along the footpath of our hotel road. Cars driving by sprayed us with muddy water. It didn't take us long to decide to detour through neighboring Gagarin Park. Usually a dangerous move as it's so easy to become disorientated in a foreign city park, it turned out to be a godsend.
Apart from being spray-painted in mud, the first thing we realised on our walk was just how warm it was. It was apparently minus 5C, a temperature where at home we would never have to contemplate let alone in another country, consider going for a walk. We laughed that after spending three weeks in Yakutia with temperatures as low as minus 50C, it actually felt quite balmy....
As we wandered along some of the park's many pathways, we looked out to the snowy ski fields of the stunning Susuanaiski Mountains. In summer apparently there are numerous cafes and food stalls, amusement rides and street theatre. There is even a railway line which takes you to the main drag of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. But of course that was closed too. All we could see was a snowy, leafless still life of willowy birch and hardy larch trees. There was almost no people around either. But that suited us perfectly. It was indeed a lovely walk and after three weeks of solid road travel, it was wonderful to be outside, stretching our legs. And staying warm!
The Domashniy (Home) Supermarket was easy to find, just across the end of the park. To our delight, it was well-stocked with a wide variety of salads and bread, together with a range of cold meats, chicken, smoked fish and cheeses. There were even platters of sushi and sashimi. Fruit was not in abundance although as usual there was a display of good-looking bananas. Always a surprise to find in Russia, they were Dole brand; imports of course from the USA.
A good selection of fish was located outside. Frozen solid, there was no need for refrigeration!
The evening before, Alan who had tired of vodka, was miserably disappointed that inexplicably, our hotel didn't serve tonic water with their gin. Mission tonic water it was! Thankfully, the store had an excellent liquor shop and even better, the very helpful shop attendant miraculously understood that we wanted to buy tonic water. I then had the bright idea of buying a whole bottle of gin (why we had not thought of that in the first place, I have no idea). There were no limes for sale but I did manage to find some bottled "squeezy" lime juice. Voila! Gin, tonic and lime! And in the comfort of our room, away from those pesky skiers....
A Relaxed Evening
Of course the first thing we did when we returned to the hotel was to celebrate our shopping success with a few gins and tonic.
Dinner that evening was a very pleasant affair. The restaurant, thankfully devoid of skiers, was also celebrating. It was apparently International Women's Day and courtesy of the hotel, all women were given glasses of pink sparkling wine topped curiously by a topping of fairy floss.
International Women's Day (Международый Женский День), which is celebrated on 8th March each year, is an important day for Russian people and one which is taken surprisingly seriously. It is somewhat akin to a Mother's Day in the West. In Russia however, 8th March is an official public holiday. It is also a time to welcome the coming of spring with many families celebrating in festive style.
Our substantial meal of Chicken Kiev (yes, we could allow ourselves to be touristy during our last few days in Russia....) and our favourite grilled vegetable salad, accompanied by Russian garlic black bread*** was simply delicious.
That night we looked out from our hotel window onto the ski fields. Illuminated by bright lights the scene, including a constant stream of torch-bearing skiers was indeed very lovely. Perhaps our stay in Sakhalin was not so bad after all. And at a distance, even the skiers looked OK....
*** Natasha C of our local Mid North Coast Russian Speakers' Group kindly gave me instructions for making this fantastic bread. "It's very
easy. You just buy a rye bread, cut or slice it. Sprinkle with salt, plenty
olive oil and off you go to the oven or on fry pan. Then take a garlic clove
and rub on each sliced bread. But before you rub
garlic let sliced bread cool down little bit. All my family loves it."
Thank you Natasha!
2025-02-16