Sakhalin
Discover Sakhalin
Sakhalin (Russian: Сахали́н, suh-khah-LEEN), formerly known as Karafuto (樺太, kah-rah-foo-toh) to the Japanese, is a large and very sparsely populated island which was the center of a long power struggle between Russia and Japan for control of its large oil and gas resources. Sakhalin is beautiful, but has an undeveloped tourist sector. However, because of the energy business, good food and hotels catering to foreigners are available. Sakhalin has been inhabited by several indigenous tribes since the stone age, The Ainu people, also present on Hokkaido in Japan and the Kuril Islands, populated the southern half of the island, and while a small group of Sakhalin Ainu is still present on the island, most were repatriated to Japan after the end of World War II. The largest group of the island's original population is the Nivkh tribe of the northern taigas.
Taste of Sakhalin...
The cuisine on Sakhalin is largely influenced by the traditional Russian cuisine, and in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk a wide variety of international restaurants is available. For some local flavour, try the seafood. Freshly caught fish from the rivers, especially salmon, are widely available in season, and often cheap. Look for 'Крабы' (Crab), 'Копченый лосось' (Smoked salmon), 'Корюшка жареная' (Fried smelt) and Красная икра (Red caviar) on the menu to sample some of the islands delicious seafood. Up north, you can try the indigenous cuisine of the Nivkh tribe which also features fish, but in interesting varieties such as dried (madjir-ma/юкола) and iced fish (kyn-cho/строганина), and also seal, reindeer, and bear meat with mushrooms and wild berries such as Crowberries (yghygh-alrh/шикша) and Blueberries (Голубика) Yuzhno-Sakhalin, due to its large population of stranded Sakhalin Koreans, reputedly has very good Korean cuisine. The Kolos brewery in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk makes some excellent beers, particularly their Bir Rinzo and Pivzavod Sahalinskij. They offer 10 other brands in their own brewpub on the brewery grounds on Sakhalinskaya Street. Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is not the only city with its own beer as almost every major town on the island, despite their modest size, has a local brewery. As far as people go, Sakhalin is a fairly safe place when outside the capital, which has the highest juvenile crime rate in the entire federation.
Culture & Religion
Culture
The Nivkh are the only remaining significant indigenous ethnic group, of a population that used to include the Ainu and Orok people: around 5,000 live on Sakhalin, mainly in the northern taigas, with the village of Nekrasovska near Okha being the largest remaining community. They are traditionally a semi-nomadic people, living near the coasts in the summer and wintering inland along streams and rivers to catch salmon; but in no small part because of Soviet centralist policies, and pollution of their natural habitats and food sources, the Nivkhs now live in mixed population villages and have a fairly modern life style. Only a handful of principally anthropological factors have so far averted their total assimilation. Their unique language, which has not been proven to be related to any other language, is also under threat, and less than 20% of the Nivkh can speak it fluently.
A Rich Past
Explore the historical roots that shaped Sakhalin into what it is today.
Sakhalin has been inhabited by several indigenous tribes since the stone age, The Ainu people, also present on Hokkaido in Japan and the Kuril Islands, populated the southern half of the island, and while a small group of Sakhalin Ainu is still present on the island, most were repatriated to Japan after the end of World War II. The largest group of the island's original population is the Nivkh tribe of the northern taigas. Sakhalin has long been the scene of a power struggle between the major Asian powers: Russia, Japan and even the Qing China have put forward claims on the island. In the 17th century, Japan and Russia started colonizing the island from different ends, dividing the island into a northern Russian part and a southern Japanese part. Aside from a 25-year period at the end of the 19th century, the island remained divided until the waning days of World War II, when Soviet troops broke through the defensive line and invaded the Japanese half. After the end of the war, the Japanese and Ainu people were forcefully repatriated to Japan, while a sizable Korean minority – brought by the Japanese for forced labour – remained on the island and were denied repatriation until the last years of Soviet rule, though many still remain on Sakhalin. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Sakhalin has experienced an oil boom with Russian and foreign oil companies pouring into the island, bringing investment in the island's infrastructure....
Location & Landscape
At more than 70,000 km, Sakhalin is Russia's largest island. From the 40 km La Pérouse Strait separating Sakhalin from the Japanese island of Hokkaido, the island stretches nearly 1000 km northwards in a long and narrow shape along the mainland's east coast. It's quite mountainous with two low mountain-ranges running parallel to each other separated by a valley tract. To the north the island flattens into a swampy taiga, while the central part of the island is densely forested. These central forests are home to more than 2000 Sakhalin brown bears, which are often spotted even on the outskirts of the cities. Otters and sables are also common sightings. Up north there are numerous reindeer, many of them are herded by the indigenous Nivkhi tribe. Whales are also a common sighting along the east coast of the island, and Sakhalin is the only known feeding ground of the west pacific colony of the Gray Whales.
Climate
Because of the cold Sea of Okhotsk which surrounds the island, the climate on Sakhalin is generally cool and humid. In the depth of winter the average temperature ranges from a bearable –6°C in the south to a bone chilling –24°C in the north, while temperatures as cold as –54°C have been reported. In the summer temperature rarely exceeds +19°C, often much cooler and floating ice can be observed around the island, even in the height of summer. Generally the north is much colder than the south, in part due to a warm current running along the Tartar strait in the southern end, the winter is a full 2 months longer in the North (October-May). The annual precipitation ranges between 600-1200 mm, and snowfall can be heavy – in the mountains accumulation of 5 meter snow or more is not unusual. At more than 70,000 km, Sakhalin is Russia's largest island.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsWhile Joseph Stalin attempted to construct a tunnel under the Tartar strait with forced labour from the Gulags in eastern Siberia, construction was abandoned after a few kilometres had been completed, and while there is intent to finish the project eventually, no money is forthcoming and for now the only options are to sail or fly. Sakhalin is considered a Special Border Region (distinct from the "Border Security Zone" which is much more heavily restricted). Passport checks occur upon disembarkation of your domestic flight or the Vanino–Kholmsk. If you are not a Russian citizen, you could be led inside either the airport or ferry terminal and subjected to a brief interview. You'll be asked as to the purpose of your visit, intended accommodation, as well as onward travel. No documents other than your passport, visa, and migration card are necessary. But as of November 2015, this procedure is likely no more....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is the main hub for all means of transportation. Local and regional buses, charter minibuses, and trains all depart from the Station in the city center, Aurora , the island's carrier, operates daily flights from and to its main hub in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and around the island. Tickets can be booked online. Sakhalin has an extensive railway network, much of it built by the Japanese. All tracks still use the old Japanese gauge (1067 mm), although a push to replace these tracks with the standard Russian gauge of 1524 mm is underway. You will probably spot strange three-rail tracks that can accommodate both old Japanese trains and newer Russian cars. Old Japanese carriages are still in use as local trains. Services are scattered and infrequent, but a daily train (#001/#002) connecting Nogilky and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk remains the main mode of transport between the south and north part of the island. You can check the current railway schedule at the Russian Railways website.
Language & Talk
As elsewhere in Russia, Russian is the predominant language, but there are also an estimated 30,000 Koreans, although most do not speak Korean. They are mostly based in the island's capital, which also hosts a sizable minority of Azerbaijanis, especially, it seems, among taxi drivers. Due to the proximity to Japan, you may also find staff in upmarket hotels and restaurants in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk with at least some understanding of Japanese. The indigenous people of Sakhalin are the Ainu, but they have been thoroughly assimilated into the ethnic Russian community, and the Ainu language is now extinct in Sakhalin.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
As far as people go, Sakhalin is a fairly safe place when outside the capital, which has the highest juvenile crime rate in the entire federation. Much of Sakhalin is true wilderness, far from the nearest doctor and even further from an English speaking one. The arctic tundra in the north can even in the summer experience rapid temperature drops, especially when the sun sets, but even a change of wind direction can send sudden shivers through your spine, or much worse. Bears roam the forests across the entire island, and always pose a danger. The most important thing in this respect is never to surprise a bear. Sing, call out in regular intervals or wear a bell. Save the odd lunatics, bears rarely seek confrontations with humans and will normally shy away when hearing one.
Nearby Destinations
Glimpses of Sakhalin
a path leading to a beach
A lighthouse on an island in the middle of the ocean
a scenic view of a beach and a mountain
a large body of water surrounded by fog
an aerial view of an island in the middle of the ocean
a rock formation on a beach
Aniva Lighthouse, boat view
A large rock sitting on top of a sandy beach
a beach with a hill and a body of water
My first photo on Unsplash)
a path leading to a beach
A lighthouse on an island in the middle of the ocean
a scenic view of a beach and a mountain