Paramushir one of the northernmost among the Kuril Islands Sakhalin region. Translated from Ainu, its name means “vast island”; it is indeed the second largest island after Iturup. The island is about 120 km long. On its territory there are five active and more than ten extinct volcanoes. In addition, here you can admire the beauty of 46 waterfalls. And you can only get here from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

In the north of Paramushir at the foot Ebeko volcano The city of Severo-Kurilsk is located, the only place on the island where people permanently live. The remaining lands are uninhabited, only occasionally fishermen enter these areas. Therefore, at the mouths of some rivers, similar hunting winter huts have been established. The largest river is Paramushira Tuharka, its length is 20 km, and the width at the mouth is more than 40 m. Sockeye salmon, coho salmon and pink salmon enter the river to spawn. The place is very beautiful; in summer, local Kuril fireweed blooms along its banks, with flowers as large as those of garden phlox.

On Paramushir, one immediately notices the absence of Kuril bamboo, which is almost the hallmark of the other islands of the ridge. Most of the woody vegetation is represented by impenetrable alder forests. Significant areas are covered with meadow tall grasses with a large number of flowering plants, which gives the island a certain charm. But alas, on the banks of rivers and numerous lakes, as well as on endless expanses of pebbles local beaches It is impossible to find anything worthwhile in order to make a more or less decent fire.

A kilometer from the Transparent River, two waterfalls at a distance of 50 meters from each other flow from a height of more than 20 meters. Near the Puisharia River, the next waterfall falls from a 50-meter height. Behind the Vysokaya rock of Cape Impassable, the Kamenistaya River falls into the ocean with an 8-meter waterfall, and a kilometer away is another 50-meter waterfall. Beyond the Okeanskaya River you can see a two-stage 30-meter waterfall. There are many picturesque rivers in Paramushir flowing through mountain canyons, with significant elevation changes and many waterfalls from 5 to 15 m.

At Cape Okeansky, history buffs will find many interesting objects to explore. The concrete strip of an abandoned airfield stretches to the remains of a hangar next to which there are piles of scrap metal that was once Japanese equipment and fragments of aircraft. There are also several pillboxes here. There are many such abandoned corners in Parmushir, belonging to different stages its history, including military history. Some abandoned, and in fact destroyed by the wave of 1952, settlements from afar seem residential.

In the south, near Cape Kapustny, there is an amazing place where miniature lava islands are concentrated, covered with arctic flowers, reminiscent of daisies in the middle zone, and all this in the middle of the sea. In the same part of the island there are 14 most picturesque waterfalls. This area is called - "Bank of Waterfalls". Rhododendrons and arnica bloom near the sea.

Here, in the southern part of the island, the best volcanic landscapes are found. Numerous peaks create a unique, breathtaking picture. Among them is one of the highest peaks of the Kuril Islands Fuss volcano(1789 m.)

At its base there are a lot of rose hips, shiksha, reindeer moss, blueberries and honeysuckle, which the island is rich in. Already at an altitude of 600 m, breathtaking landscapes open up with views of the Alaid peak and nearby ridges. Here begins a belt of 5-6 meter alder. Above 1370 m there is no vegetation, only volcanic bombs and slag.

In the southeast of the Fuss volcano there is a five-kilometer caldera of the Karpinsky volcano, to the north is the red cone of another giant Chikurachki(1572 m.) adjacent to the Tatarinov volcanic massif, which consists of several merged peaks mounted on a destroyed Early Pleistocene volcano.

Paramushira lakes will leave you with unforgettable impressions from your vacation in the Kuril Islands. In the depths of the island, inside the volcanic caldera between the Antsiferov and Fersman mountains there is picturesque lake Deaf, which is the largest body of water here. There is another one in the upper reaches of the Ptichaya River pearl of Paramushir – beautiful lake Emerald. And in the upper reaches of the Yuryev River, among the lava flows cut by waves, you can plunge into mineralized hot springs.

All the pleasures of Paramushir are available only to people with good physical fitness, unless of course we are talking about expensive transfers by boats and helicopters, since walking programs recreation in this part of the Sakhalin region routes are characterized by high complexity. Therefore, not every tourist will be able to see the Bogdanovich crater with Lake Malovodny, the caldera of the Karpinsky volcano, hot springs in the upper reaches of the Yuryev River, lakes Izumrudnoye and Glukhoe, or visit the peaks of Ebeko and Chikurachka.

The mountains and volcanoes of Paramushir Island look picturesque from space, but the view from land and sea is no less impressive. Paramushir is the most mountainous and most “volcanic” of the large Kuril Islands. Of the 23 Paramushir volcanoes, 18 have become quiet Mountain peaks, but five still can’t calm down and erupt regularly. The best volcanic landscapes are in the south of the island: numerous peaks either nest in groups, then stretch out in lines of short ridges with jagged ridges, or rise in majestic single cones...

The name of the island was given by the Ainu - translated from their language “Paramushir” means “wide island”. Purely subjective and ground-based perception: Paramushir from space looks like an elongated sausage about 120 km long and only about 30 km wide. But whoever came first was the one who called.

Previously, there were more people and settlements on Paramushir. There is enough fresh water here for both locals and newcomers. You can live. The name of the island has a second translation from Ainu: “crowded island.” Ainu, Russians, Japanese, after 1945 - Russians again...

After Iturup, Paramushir is the second largest of all the islands of the Kuril ridge (area 2053 sq. km), but in terms of area it is the most sparsely populated. The population of Paramushir today does not exceed 3,000 people, and almost all of them are residents of the only city, Severo-Kurilsk.

Severo-Kurilsk

The city of Severo-Kurilsk is the only permanently inhabited settlement on the huge island of Paramushir. The area of ​​the city is only 6 square meters. km, the population does not reach 2,500 inhabitants. All the city streets can be counted on one hand, and the life of the city is concentrated on one (main) street - Sakhalinskaya, where everything that the locals and the few visitors need is located: the administration, the only museum, the only hospital (they say it’s not bad), the only hotel (not too bad). heated), the only restaurant.

“The only thing” in Severo-Kurilsk is the “only thing” on the entire island. Here are the only heliport and sea pier in Paramushir (by the way, recently renovated). So Severo-Kurilsk is not just a small town, but the main “gate” to Paramushir and quite a major port on the way from Vladivostok and Korsakov to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

Severo-Kurilsk is economically and historically associated with the production of fish and seafood - navaga, flounder and pollock, crabs and squid. Here they process such a delicacy as scallop. In Severo-Kurilsk there is a fishing port (the base of the seining fleet) and 4 fish processing enterprises. There is a lot of fish here, so in the evening you can come to the port where fishing boats are unloading and simply ask to “wrap the fish.”

There are no special recreational opportunities in Severo-Kurilsk, but there are mineral springs, and around - 2000 sq. km of untouched nature of Paramushir, with its mountains and volcanoes, bears and shrews.

The port city of Severo-Kurilsk is located on the Pacific “storm path”, as well as in a zone of increased seismic and volcanic danger.

In Severo-Kurilsk, the expression “living like on a volcano” can be used without quotation marks. The Ebeko volcano, located seven kilometers from the city, comes to life from time to time and releases volcanic gases. In calm conditions and with a westerly wind, they reach Severo-Kurilsk - it is impossible not to smell the smell of hydrogen sulfide and chlorine. Usually in such cases, the Sakhalin Hydrometeorological Center issues a storm warning about air pollution: it is easy to get poisoned by toxic gases. Eruptions at Paramushir in 1859 and 1934 caused mass poisoning of people and the death of domestic animals. Therefore, in such cases, volcanologists urge city residents to use breathing masks and water purification filters.

The site for the construction of Severo-Kurilsk was chosen without conducting a volcanological examination. Then, in the 1950s, the main thing was to build a city at least 30 meters above sea level. After the tragedy of 1952, water seemed worse than fire.

Secret tsunami

The tsunami wave after the earthquake in Japan this spring reached the Kuril Islands. Low, one and a half meters. But in the fall of 1952, the eastern coast of Kamchatka, the islands of Paramushir and Shumshu found themselves on the first line of disaster. The North Kuril tsunami of 1952 was one of the five largest in the history of the 20th century.

The tsunami, which was later named after the destroyed city - the “tsunami in Severo-Kurilsk” - was caused by an earthquake in the Pacific Ocean, 130 km from the coast of Kamchatka. An hour after the powerful (magnitude about 9.0) earthquake, the first tsunami wave reached Severo-Kurilsk. The height of the second, most terrible, wave reached 18 meters.

The tsunami arrived at night, after strong but not too frightening tremors (we had time to get used to the seismic activity). The earthquake subsided, the houses stood firm, the lights came on. And in the Pacific Ocean, 200 km from the coast, a wave was born and went to the shores of the Kuril Islands.
After 40 minutes, the wave entered the bay and licked away the city with thousands of people, as if it had never existed. On November 5, 1952, nature seemed to rebel... Three huge waves, which destroyed both the port of Severo-Kurilsk and several fishing villages. A third died, and according to unofficial data - half of the then population of the island, about 3,000 people.

The Severo-Kurilsk Museum has data on civilian casualties, calculated by various researchers: adults - 6,060, children under 16 years old - 1,742; total - 7,802 people.
It seems that no less military personnel died. Official documentation from 1952 calls them “Urbanovich’s people”, “Gribakin’s people”, after the names of the commanders; there is no general figure.
The total number of victims is estimated to be 13-17 thousand people.
There are oral data about 50 thousand; it is this figure that is still used in legends in Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands.

The city of Severo-Kurilsk was destroyed. The Kuril and Kamchatka villages of Utesny, Levashovo, Reefovy, Kamenisty, Pribrezhny, Galkino, Okeansky, Podgorny, Major Van, Shelekhovo, Savushkino, Kozyrevsky, Babushkino, Baykovo... All were swept away coastline neatly entered into the martyrology:
“.. Utesny village, 7 km from Severo-Kurilsk. Excluded from the registration data as a populated area by decision of the regional executive committee
.. Levashovo fishery, at the exit from the Second Kuril Strait. Excluded from the registration data as a populated area by decision of the regional executive committee
..the village of Rifovoye, the center of the village council of the same name in Rifovaya Bay. Excluded from credentials..."
and so 11 places where people lived.

In the fall of 1952, the country lived a normal life. The Soviet press, Pravda and Izvestia, did not get a single line: neither about the tsunami in the Kuril Islands, nor about the thousands of people who died.

The picture of what happened can be reconstructed from the memories of eyewitnesses, rare photographs and 25 seconds black and white chronicle- miraculously removed and miraculously preserved.

Many destroyed villages were never rebuilt. The population of the islands has decreased greatly. The port city of Severo-Kurilsk was rebuilt in a new location, higher up. Without carrying out that same volcanological examination, so as a result the city found itself in even more dangerous place— on the path of the mud flows of the Ebeko volcano, one of the most active in the Kuril Islands.

The city was rebuilt in a new location, but the villages devastated by the elements and abandoned by people remained ghosts - on maps, where they still exist with the mark “uninhabited”, and in reality - on east coast their half-rotten skeletons appear gloomily through the thick fogs of Paramushir...

This is such a “crowded island”. But here there is freedom for animals - on the island, rich in water and fish, hundreds of brown bears, many almost unafraid foxes and the mysterious animal “Paramushir shrew” have freely settled.

History, legends and facts

On the site of Severo-Kurilsk there was once the largest Ainu settlement on Paramushir, and the island itself was part of the Russian Empire. However, in 1875, Russia ceded all 18 Kuril Islands to Japan (including, of course, Paramushir) in exchange for full ownership of Sakhalin (the so-called “St. Petersburg Treaty”).

The Japanese began active development of the island, and on the site of the Ainu settlement they founded the city of Kashibawara, which became the main port city on Paramushir. In addition to fishing, the islands were of key military importance for the Japanese - during the 20th century, Japan and Russia clashed 5 times in armed conflicts in various territories.

On Paramushir and on the neighboring island of Shumshu, the Japanese military garrison numbered 23 thousand people, and a powerful anti-landing defense was created (the ruins of Japanese fortifications are still visible in the vicinity of Severo-Kurilsk). There were four airfields on Paramushira, one of them was in Kashiwabara (the other three were Kurabu, Suribatsu, Kakumabetsu).

On August 18, 1945, Soviet airborne units landed on Paramushir, and the fighting lasted five days. On August 23 at 15:30, Red Army troops occupied Kashiwabara.

The city retained its Japanese name until 1946, then it was renamed Severo-Kurilsk.

The idea of ​​traveling around the islands of the Kuril chain, which unexpectedly matured in a couple of bright minds, was successfully implemented. In 20 days, more than 2,200 km were covered by boat and trodden on foot across the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, the Pacific Ocean and eleven largest islands: Paramushir, Onekotan, Kharimkotan, Matua, Rasshua, Ushishir, Simushir, Urup, Iturup, Shikotan and Kunashir, ascents were made to some iconic volcanoes of the islands: Ebeko, Krenitsyn, Zavaritsky, Atsonupuri, Tyatyu and Mendeleev.

Today’s post, as you might guess, is about climbing the Ebeko volcano on Paramushir - the northernmost island of the Kuril ridge that we visited. Since, although we climbed it, we didn’t see the volcano itself due to the famous Kuril weather (although the photos show it to be very beautiful), the story will be about general issues of the trip, as well as about Japanese territorial claims to the southern part of the Kuril Islands.

About the trip: the means of transportation was the motor ship Athena - a small 20-seater ship with everything necessary for tourists like us on board: a washer, a dryer, a bunk and a heater in each cabin. Plus, Svetlana is a wonderful cook; the tables in the wardroom were always full of bowls with various dishes, including caught seafood. The ship is quite comfortable for such trips: in my unprofessional opinion, it holds the waves well, which, along with the technical navigation performed by the crew of the ship, caused the least possible problems for our land organisms. From the only downsides- the rental price is huge for a 20-seater vessel, which makes such trips on it completely impossible without the sponsorship of Gazprom or the presence of a millionaire on board. We were lucky)

Vilyuchinsky volcano from the sea:

About the route: we set sail from the cozy bay of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and, having passed the entire Kuril ridge, finished the route on the shore of Sakhalin Island near the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Landing off the shore was always carried out on inflatable motorboats: the ship anchored one to two kilometers from the shore, reconnaissance was sent for a convenient landing and the height of the run-up wave, and then people disembarked. For bureaucratic reasons, this was the case even in the ports of Severo-Kurilsk, Kurilsk, Yuzhno-Kurilsk and Sakhalin, since registering a vessel at the port is an extremely dreary and unpleasant operation. In principle, disembarking from boats did not create any special problems, except that sometimes it was flooded with water and we had to disembark in waterproof clothing and boots. I didn’t have boots and I rode in slippers, changing my shoes every time on the shore.

Mutnovsky volcano from the sea:

About the weather: There are no options here - we are incredibly lucky given the realities of the Kuril climate, which I will also try to talk about in detail. The only typhoon during the three weeks of travel caught us already under the cover of Urup Island and did not cause serious problems, although it rocked for a couple of hours in the Frieza Strait. Here, a special thank you to the crew, who calculated the maximum possible departure time and warned us so that we could return from our walk on time. The rest of the time, both in the Pacific Ocean and in the Sea of ​​​​Okhotsk, there was almost calm: although the waves looked huge, Athena was so much smaller than them that she simply swayed smoothly up and down.

ABOUT walking routes : every day, with the exception of three or four, we walked an average of 15 km (the most long route- to the Krenitsyn volcano - was 28 km). Several exits, such as the Atsonupuri volcano, were quite difficult physically and technically, one might even say dangerous. Fortunately, there were almost no injuries (a stone on my foot doesn’t count))). What helped a lot here was that it was always possible to divide the group into moose and crabs: the moose rushed as far as they could, the crabs ran as far as they could. In general, continuous muscle and joint pain became a constant companion for all members of our team without exception, but the people kept up their spirits and no problems arose.

Old Japanese sulfur factory:

Now let's move smoothly to the Russian-Japanese territorial issue. Now I won’t be clever and quote Wikipedia, but will simply tell my point of view, which was formed under the influence of everything that I knew about this before and learned on this trip.

Firstly, as is known, at all times international relations have been based on the rule of the strong: whoever is stronger dictates the terms. The conclusion of agreements only documented this fact. When one of the parties weakened and the status quo was violated, the treaties naturally lost force under various pretexts (such as non-compliance with human rights or possession of chemical weapons). Therefore, an attempt to dig out from the heap of Russian-Japanese treaties the grounds for ownership/non-ownership of the islands is simply a good diplomatic practice of avoiding an answer that no one really needs.

Secondly, no matter how beautiful and interesting the Kuril Islands are for tourists, they are so unsuitable for permanent residence of people. Please understand correctly, I am not comparing with life in Spain, Italy or some Thailand and the Bahamas, I am comparing with European part Russia. Nightmarish climate (even in the southern Kuril Islands), which can be compared with the regions of the far north and Chukotka, isolation from civilization (including due to climatic conditions it is extremely difficult and expensive to establish any kind of regular communication with the mainland), the lack of any work other than fishing and government positions, as well as the economic inexpediency of developing any economic activity there are the main reasons for the small unpopulation of the islands. It is appropriate to recall here that even from northern Japanese Hokkaido, which is both further south and much larger than any of the Kuril Islands, people are flocking to the south primarily because of the intolerable climate and the resulting comparative underdevelopment of the territory.

Thirdly, in historical retrospect, the indigenous population of the islands, including all Japanese ones, were the Ainu (in their language “kuru” meant “man”, hence their second name “Kurilians”, and then the name of the archipelago). Proto-Japanese (“Puyo”) tribes, from the 1st millennium BC. e. individual tribes who moved to the Japanese archipelago from the Korean Peninsula began to displace and assimilate the Ainu only in the Middle Ages, completing assimilation already in the 20th century. Nowadays there is not a single ethnic Ainu in the world: do not listen to the Japanese and Wikipedia on this matter.

The Ainu (Japanese: アイヌ ainu?, lit.: “man”, “real person”) are the people, the oldest population of the Japanese islands. The origin of the Ainu remains unclear at this time. Europeans who encountered the Ainu in the 17th century were amazed by their appearance. Unlike the usual appearance of people of the Mongoloid race with dark skin, a Mongolian crease, sparse facial hair, the Ainu had unusually thick hair covering their heads, wore huge beards and mustaches (holding them with special chopsticks while eating), and Australoid facial features in their in some ways they were similar to European ones. Despite living in a temperate climate, in the summer the Ainu wore only loincloths, like the inhabitants of equatorial countries.So far, it is known for certain that in terms of basic anthropological indicators, the Ainu are very different from the Japanese, Koreans, Nivkhs, Itelmens, Polynesians, Indonesians, Australian aborigines and, in general, all populations of the Far East and the Pacific Ocean, and are close only to the people of the Jomon era, who are the direct ancestors of the historical Ainu.The Ainu appeared on the Japanese Islands around 13 thousand years BC. e. and created the Neolithic Jomon culture. It is not known for certain where the Ainu came to Japanese islands, but it is known that in the Jomon era the Ainu inhabited all the Japanese islands - from Ryukyu to Hokkaido, as well as the southern half of Sakhalin, Kurile Islands and the southern third of Kamchatka - as evidenced by the results of archaeological excavations and toponymic data, for example: Tsushima - tuima - “distant”, Fuji - huqi - “grandmother” - kamuy of the hearth, Tsukuba - tu ku pa - “head of two bows” / “two bows” mountain", Yamatai - Ya ma ta i - "the place where the sea cuts the land"

Ebeko fumarole field:

Fourthly, Russians and Japanese appeared on the islands almost simultaneously: the Russians were previously in the northern ones, the Japanese in the southern ones. The first information about the islands was obtained by the Japanese during an expedition to Hokkaido and Sakhalin in 1635. In 1644, following the results of the expeditions of 1635-1637. The first Japanese map of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands was compiled in Hokkaido. Then, in 1643, the islands were explored by the Dutch led by Martin Friese. This expedition amounted to more than detailed maps and described the lands. The Russians first entered the Kuril land in 1711. In August 1711, a detachment of Kamchatka Cossacks under the leadership of Danila Antsiferov and Ivan Kozyrevsky landed on the northernmost island of Shumshu, defeating a detachment of local Ainu here, and then on the second island of the ridge - Paramushir, where local residents, who outnumbered the Cossacks, refused citizenship and did not pay yasak. In the summer of 1713, a detachment of fifty-five Cossacks and industrialists again went to Shumshu and Paramushir, this time the Ainu recognized the power of Russia, and two hostages were taken from among them. During the expedition, an Iturup Ain named Shinatai was captured, and from him I.P. Kozyrevsky received detailed information about most of the Kuril Islands and the island of Hokkaido. In 1719, Peter I sent an expedition to Kamchatka under the leadership of Ivan Evreinov and Fyodor Luzhin, which reached the island of Simushir in the south. The Siberian nobleman I. Antipin achieved great success with the Irkutsk townsman D. Shabalin. They managed to win the favor of the Kurils, and in 1778-1779 they managed to bring into citizenship more than 1,500 people from Iturup, Kunashir and even Matsumaya (now Japanese Hokkaido). In the same 1779, Catherine II, by decree, freed those who had accepted Russian citizenship from all taxes. But relations with the Japanese were not built: they forbade the Russians from going to these three islands. In the “Extensive Land Description of the Russian State...” of 1787, a list of 21 islands was given, owned by Russia. It included islands as far as Matsumaya (Hokkaido), the status of which was not clearly defined, since Japan had a city in its southern part. At the same time, the Russians had no real control even over the islands south of Urup. There, the Japanese considered the Kurilians their subjects and actively used violence against them, which caused discontent. In May 1788, a Japanese merchant ship arriving at Matsumai was attacked. In 1799, by order of the central government of Japan, two outposts were founded in Kunashir and Iturup, and security began to be maintained constantly.

Fifthly, starting from the 18th century, the islands passed from hand to hand under various treaties between Russia and Japan. In reality, both countries only indicated their presence there: the Russians beat the beast, the Japanese mined sulfur and bred arctic foxes and foxes. The owners of the Kuril Islands were the Ainu until the mid-19th century.

Sixth, yes, there are reserves of some minerals on the islands, but it is now only economically efficient to mine rhenium. Coastal waters, fishing and offshore mining can, of course, be considered as economic benefits from owning the islands, but for post-industrial Japan, and for Russia, by and large, it is much more profitable to purchase raw materials in third countries, such as Korea and China etc., whose fishermen are ready to sell the same fish at a price significantly lower than the cost of catching it by Japanese fishermen. It’s the same with mining: the cost of mining in the Kuril Islands, taking into account investments in infrastructure, will be cosmic. The strategic position of the islands is such only for Russia, since the blockade Pacific Fleet hardly considered an important task for Japan (although the United States, in my opinion, would be happy to place bases there, but they are not a party to this conflict).

Thus, from all of the above, I draw one simple conclusion: the territorial dispute is purely political in nature for both Russia and Japan. Although no one needs these islands, no one wants to give in, because this will be political death for him. There was even a moment when Khrushchev (oh, that Khrushchev!) almost handed over these islands to Japan. In 1956, the Moscow Declaration was signed, which ended the state of war and established diplomatic and consular relations between the USSR and Japan. Article 9 of the Declaration, in particular, states: the USSR, meeting the wishes of Japan and taking into account the interests of the Japanese state, agrees to the transfer to Japan of the Habomai Islands and Shikotan Islands, however, that the actual transfer of these islands to Japan will be made after the conclusion of the Peace Treaty. However, the danger of placing American military bases on these islands and, as a consequence, blocking the only two ice-free Kuril straits (Friez and Catherine) for the USSR forced them to abandon the ratification of the treaty (Wikipedia, however, is modestly silent about this).

In short, our response to Japan's territorial claims is set on the top of the Ebeko volcano (to be seen better from Japan):

In conclusion, as usual, easy reference information from Wikipedia: The Kuril Islands are a chain of islands between the Kamchatka Peninsula and the island of Hokkaido, separating the Sea of ​​Okhotsk from the Pacific Ocean with a slightly convex arc. Length - about 1200 km. total area- 15.6 thousand km². To the south of them passes state border Russian Federation with Japan. The islands form two parallel ridges: the Greater Kuril and the Lesser Kuril. Includes 56 islands. They have important military-strategic and economic significance. The Kuril Islands are part of the Sakhalin region of Russia.

Old shell. They say that when the pioneers fired an old Japanese cannon at Severo-Kurilsk as a joke, the road to the Japanese arsenal was dismantled out of harm's way. Don't worry, the shell didn't explode then.

The Kuril Islands belong to the Far North. The climate on the islands is maritime, quite harsh, with cold and long winters, cool summers, and high humidity. The mainland monsoon climate undergoes significant changes here. In the southern part of the Kuril Islands, frosts in winter can reach −25 °C, the average February temperature is −8 °C. In the northern part, winter is milder, with frosts down to −16 °C and −7 °C in February. average temperature August in the southern part of the Kuril Islands - +17 °C, in the northern - +10 °C.

Japanese capillary bridge. I think the principle of operation is clear:

Geologically, the Kuril Islands are a typical ensimatic island arc on the edge of the Okhotsk plate. It lies above a subduction zone in which the Pacific plate is being absorbed. Most of the islands are mountainous. The highest altitude is 2339 m - Atlasov Island, Alaid Volcano. The Kuril Islands are located in the Pacific volcanic ring of fire in a zone of high seismic activity: out of 68 volcanoes, 36 are active, and there are hot mineral springs. Large tsunamis are common. The best known are the tsunami of November 5, 1952 at Paramushir and the Shikotan tsunami of October 5, 1994. The last major tsunami occurred on November 15, 2006 in Simushir.

Due to the large extent of the islands from north to south, the flora of the Kuril Islands varies extremely greatly. On the northern islands (Paramushir, Shumshu and others), due to the harsh climate, tree vegetation is quite sparse and is represented mainly by shrub forms (elfin trees): alder (alder), birch, willow, rowan, dwarf cedar (cedar). On the southern islands (Iturup, Kunashir) grow coniferous forests of Sakhalin fir, Ayan spruce and Kuril larch with a large participation of broad-leaved species: curly oak, maples, elms, calopanax seven-lobed with a large number of woody vines: petiolate hydrangea, actinidia, Schisandra chinensis, wild grapes, poisonous toxicodendron orientalis, etc. In the south of Kunashir, the only wild species of magnolia in Russia is found - magnolia obovate. One of the main landscape plants of the Kuril Islands, starting from the middle islands (Ketoi and to the south) is Kuril bamboo, forming impenetrable thickets on the mountain slopes and forest edges. Due to the humid climate, tall grass is common on all islands. Various berries are widely represented: crowberry, lingonberry, blueberry, honeysuckle and others.

City of Severo-Kurilsk - administrative center North Kuril urban district of the Sakhalin region. Population for 2014 - 2487 people. The climate of Severo-Kurilsk is subarctic. The annual rainfall is very high, due to the influence of cyclones from the Pacific Ocean. The warmest month is August, and the coldest month is February. The annual fluctuations in average temperatures are only 16.4 °C; this is one of the least contrasting settlements in Russia in terms of the difference between winter and summer.

Well, actually, part of S-K itself. In my opinion, the poorest and most unkempt settlement of all three Kurils:

In 1952, Severo-Kurilsk was completely destroyed by a tsunami. The tsunami was caused by a powerful earthquake (according to various sources, it ranges from 8.3 to 9 magnitudes), which occurred in the Pacific Ocean an hour earlier, 130 kilometers from the coast of Kamchatka. Three waves up to 15-18 meters high (according to various sources) destroyed the city of Severo-Kurilsk and caused damage to a number of other settlements. According to official data, 2,336 people died. According to those who accompanied us resident of S-K More than half the city's population died. The population of Severo-Kurilsk before the tragedy was approximately six thousand people. Severo-Kurilsk was awakened by an earthquake, some buildings were damaged. An hour after the earthquake the first wave arrived. Most of the residents escaped to the nearby hills and returned to the village, not expecting subsequent waves. The second - the highest - wave took people by surprise and destroyed the remaining buildings. The third (last) wave was the weakest. A rescue operation was carried out in Severo-Kurilsk using airplanes and all available ships. Then a significant part of the population was evacuated to Sakhalin, and the village was rebuilt.

Well, a few photos in conclusion to brighten up the muddy post:

As always, don't hesitate to ask if there's anything you're interested in.

HGIOL

General information

Administratively, the island is part of the North Kuril urban district of the Sakhalin region of Russia. It is surrounded by the islands of Shumshu, Atlasov, Antsiferov, Makanrushi and Onekotan.

Population

In the north of Paramushir is the city of Severo-Kurilsk (2,400 inhabitants in 2011) - the administrative center of the region and the only residential settlement on the island at the beginning of the 21st century.

Non-residential settlements - Podgorny and Shelikhovo. The settlements of Antsiferova, Vasilyevo, Galkino, Kamenisty, Kitovy, Mayorovo, Okeansky, Pribrezhny that existed on the island according to the 2002 census also do not have a permanent population.

On the Vasiliev Peninsula there is an air defense company, a border outpost, a naval reconnaissance company and a lighthouse (on the Khmyr rock).

Climate

At the extreme southern tip of Paramushir, the Cape Vasiliev weather station has been operating since the island became part of the USSR. According to its data, it was in the south of Paramushir that a wind speed record for the entire archipelago was recorded, reaching 230 km/h.

The growing season is short. The snow cover is thick. The extremely harsh wind regime, as well as the low Kira coefficient (12.6 °C), is the reason for the absence of forests here. In river valleys, fragmentary open forests are formed only by willow uda. When moving from north to south, the average annual temperature rises from 2.8 to 3.8 °C. The warmest places on the island are the valleys southern rivers(Tukharka and Shimoyur), where the snow melts first.

Nature and geography of the island

Paramushir is one of the most northern islands Kuril ridge. Being the second largest island of the Kuril Islands (2053 km² in area), Paramushir Island stretches more than 100 kilometers in length, from northeast to southwest. The average width of the island is about 19-22 kilometers. WITH northwest it is washed by the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, and to the southeast by the Pacific Ocean. On the sea side, the island is higher and steeper, less indented by bays, and the coastline is narrow. On the ocean side, on the contrary, the coast is flatter and more complex in relief, with low-lying sections of the coast, bays, steep capes and many rocky reefs extended 2-3 kilometers into the ocean.

Paramushir Island is the most mountainous of large islands Kuril ridge. In the north and south of the island mountain range higher, and in the middle part it is somewhat lower, forming, as it were, a flat saddle with many peaks. In the north of the island, the main highest points are Mount Nasedkina (up to 1152 meters) and Mount Vetrenaya (up to 1088 meters). The spurs of Mount Vetrenaya in the north descend to the sea and form Cape Zemleprohodets - the northernmost point of the island. Between these peaks, in the chain of the Vernadsky ridge, 6-7 kilometers from the city of Severo-Kurilsk, there is an active Ebeko volcano (up to 1156 meters). The highest point of this ridge is Mount Vernadsky itself (up to 1183 meters).

At the southern tip of the island, in the same direction from north to south, there is another, larger Karpinsky ridge. It is formed by such main peaks as the Chikurachki volcano - the most highest point islands (up to 1817 meters), Lomonosov Mountain (up to 1681 meters), Arkhangelsky Mountain (up to 1463 meters), Topor Mountain (up to 1199 meters), Karpinsky Volcano (up to 1345 meters), Barkova Mountain (up to 1314 meters).

The south of the island ends with Cape Kapustny and the tip of the Vasiliev Peninsula, Cape Gilyak (another name is Yumen - the southernmost point of the island), between which is Vasiliev Bay. To the west of the Karpinsky Ridge, jutting out into the sea by the Fussa Peninsula, there is a large (up to 1772 meters) Fussa volcano, standing alone, with its spurs forming the westernmost point of the island, Cape Neproyedenny. In total, there are 23 volcanoes on Paramushir, 5 of which (Ebeko, Chikurachki, Tatarinova, Fuss and Karpinsky) are active.

The easternmost point of the island is Cape Ozerny, located in a low-lying area abounding in reservoirs.

Paramushir is separated by the Alaid Strait from Atlasov Island, located 20 kilometers to the northwest; The second Kuril Strait - from Shumshu Island, located 2 kilometers northeast; Luzhin Strait (Third Kuril) - from Antsiferov Island, located 15 kilometers to the west; The fourth Kuril Strait - from the islands of Onekotan located southwest, 54 kilometers, Makanrushi, 60 kilometers.

Near the island there are also several small islands, rocks and reefs: Chaikin Islands, Kit Island, Ptenets Island, Bazarny Island, Barrier Island, Smoke Island, Torchki Rock, Uno Rock, Opasnaya Rock, Khitraya Rock, Khmyr Rocks, Penistye Rocks and others.

A group of small islands called Ptichya, otherwise Brothers (Bazarny Island, Dve Gagara Islands, Baklaniy Island), are located in the northeast, opposite Cape Levashov and separated from Paramushir by a strait, also named after the navigator Mikhail Dmitrievich Levashov. All three of these islets are part of a volcanic caldera protruding from the water. Their old Japanese names: the higher southern one (up to 47 meters) is Togari (Ganimusir), the northern and lower ones are Kotani (Kotanimusir) and Tsiri (Tsirimusir). The islands received their current names thanks to numerous bird colonies and nesting sites for guillemots, puffins, fulmars, gulls and cormorants.

Volcanoes of Paramushir Island

There are several volcanoes on the island, of which 5 are active or potentially active.

• Chikurachki: 1816 m, 50°19′ N. w. 155°28′ E. d. HGIOL - highest peak islands
• Fussa: 1772 m, 50°16′ N. w. 155°15′ E. d. HGIOL
• Tatarinova: 1530 m, 50°18′ N. w. 155°27′ E. d. HGIOL
• Karpinsky: 1345 m, 50°08′ N. w. 155°22′ E. d. HGIOL
• Ebeko: 1156 m, 50°41′ N. w. 156°01′ E. d. HGIOL

Hydrography

Flora and fauna

Due to the lack of forests and mountain tundra, the species diversity of the island's flora is less than in southern Kamchatka, but more significant than on the neighboring smaller islands. By 2012, at least 542 species of higher vascular plants were identified on the island. For comparison, on Onekotan there are only 316. Elfin cedar and shrubby alder, locust, lingonberry, princeberry, blueberry, and shiksha are common on the island. In general, the flora is characterized as subalpine meadow. A lot of mushrooms. IN largest river Tuharka Island (about 20 km long) is where pink salmon, sockeye salmon, and coho salmon spawn.

The island is home to more than 100 brown bears, fire foxes, white hare, ermine, sea otters and Japanese smooth whales roost on the coast. Endemic to Paramushir is the Paramushir shrew. The brown bear lives on Paramushir; the bear is also found on Shumshu, although during a long-term stay on the island military base, and also due to its relatively small size, the bears on Shumshu were mostly driven out. Since Shumshu is a connecting island between Paramushir and Kamchatka, bear populations here are quickly recovering.

Story

As part of Japan

In 1884, the Paramushira Ainu were resettled by Japanese authorities to Shikotan.

In 1898, on the site of the largest Ainu village, the Japanese founded the city of Kashiwabara, which turned into the main port and fishing base of the island.

From 1943 until the very end of the war, all military installations on the island became targets of attacks by the American Navy and Air Force based in the Aleutian Islands.

As part of the USSR/RSFSR - Russia

In 1946, the city of Kashiwabara received Russian name- Severo-Kurilsk. Based on the infrastructure of Suribachi, the village of Okeansky arose (now Kolokoltseva Bay and Cape Okeansky). At the base of Musashi - Shkilevo (now Cape Vasiliev). Kakumbetsu was named Shelekhovo. And Kitanodai - Rifovoye (Rifovaya Bay, Cape Reefovoy).

On November 5, 1952, the island's settlements were virtually destroyed by a major natural disaster (the 1952 Severo-Kurilsk Tsunami).

Many of the now abandoned settlements, for example, the village of Okeansky, were depopulated precisely after the devastating tsunami of 1952.

A large number of casualties is explained by the fact that the new population of the island from citizens of the USSR, replacing the repatriated Japanese, for the most part did not know how to behave under the threat of a tsunami. It was after the 1952 tsunami that the Tsunami Warning System began to be created in the USSR, and 1955 is considered the year of its birth.

In the 1950s main city island - Severo-Kurilsk - was rebuilt on a new, higher location.

Since 1991, it has been part of Russia as the successor country of the USSR. By the end of the 20th century, the only populated area The islands remained Severo-Kurilsk.

Notes

1. Akulov A.Yu. History of the Ainu language: a first approximation // Bulletin of St. Petersburg University. Series 9. Philology. Oriental studies. Journalism. - 2007. - Issue. 2-I. -

/ Paramushir Island

Paramushir Island

Paramushir Island is the second largest of all the islands of the Kuril chain. Curving somewhat towards the ocean, it stretches from southwest to northeast for more than 100 km, with an average width of 19-22 km and an area of ​​2479.0 km 2.

From the outside Sea of ​​Okhotsk The island is bordered by steep cliffs with a narrow pebble strip at the foot, slightly indented by bays and capes. On the ocean side, the coastline is much more complex with low-lying areas of the coast, bays, steep capes and many rocky reefs extending 2-3 km into the ocean.

Of all the large islands of the ridge, Fr. Paramushir is the most mountainous. Its majestic volcanoes are somewhat shifted to the west, so it descends steeply to the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, and the Pacific slope gradually turns into flat spaces and into the low-lying southeastern Cape Kurabu, also called Cape Vasiliev or Henry.

The mountain range is higher in the north and south, and in the middle part it is somewhat lower, forming a kind of flat saddle with many peaks.

The “pile of mountains” (Snow) in the north of the island rises with the cone-shaped peak of Arakawa up to 1053 m and the Levashova volcano up to 1006 m. The sharp peak of Omaru (727 m) is noticeable here for its shape, just like the truncated cone Hagiya (522 m) and the saddle-shaped Kuraga ( 799 m). The spur of Mount Eboshi (923 m) with the rocky Cape Hirita moved to the north further than all other mountains. In the south, the volcanic peaks are either grouped into “nests”, or stretched out in lines of short ridges with jagged ridges, or rise in majestic single cones and are generally more impressive than the mountain group of the north.

To the south of Tsikura are the peaks of Tomari (598 m), the pointed Minamiyama (1274 m), Onogatake (1204 m), Yake (1262 m), and Aka (1464 m).

On the eastern side of the island, in some places along the coast there are hills up to 900 m in height, but most of the area is flat or hilly and is composed of sedimentary rocks on the surface. In low-lying areas, low, noticeable single hills rise, for example, the flat-topped mountains Jiro (128 m), Tateishi (133 m), Umeki (147 m).

The runoff of precipitation and meltwater from snowfields that have been lying in the mountains for a long time is directed mainly to the east. The rivers of the eastern slope are relatively long and high-water. The most big river islands of the river Todoroki (Tuharka), more than 20 km long, is made up of many streams in the mountains and flows into Otomae Bay 26 km northeast of Cape Kurabu in the form of a stream 55 m wide, separated from the sea by a rocky bar.

The Yamakami, Sakagutsi, and Ishi rivers are less abundant. Streams are rare here; waterfalls too. The rivers of the western drainage - Koshira, Kokamabetsu, Otani - are short, shallow and with a rapid current. Numerous streams cascade from steep banks, often forming waterfalls. Significant interfluve spaces are undrained and swampy.

There is enough fresh water on the island to supply many ships and villages, although some rivers are not suitable for use due to their sulfur content (Sakagutsi, Koshira). The rivers are not difficult to cross. They freeze for 4-5 months.

In the southeast of the island, the vast Lake Suebettobu receives water from many small rivers and has a drainage through the Petta River. The lake basin is apparently of tectonic origin. A small rocky island rises in its center.

Loose sediments are almost absent in the west on the steep slopes of the mountains and cover their eastern foothills like a cloak, decreasing in thickness towards the ocean coast, where low-lying capes are usually composed of pebbles and sand (Cape Kurabu).

The vegetation is predominantly herbaceous. In the valleys, cereal and mixed-grass meadows with Langsdorff's reed grass, kakalia, Kamchatka shelaminum, and palmifolia ragwort alternate with thickets of willow and alder forests.

Tundra predominates in the low-lying interfluves. At higher elevations they are replaced by cedar forests with shrubby alder and heathlands with wild rosemary, cikosha, and golden rhododendron. The alder on the slopes rises higher than the cedar forest.

Rocky placers on the mountain tops are covered with rare grass-lichen-moss lawns. There is little timber; only in the upper reaches of the river. Todoroki grows a tall willow-chozenia, suitable for small buildings.

According to its color in summer, the island is clearly divided into the eastern half, which is green, with individual dark spots of rocks, and the western half, with a dark background, with white spots of snowfields on the slopes of the mountains and with green lawns in the basins.

Among land animals there are many bears and foxes. Lots of small rodents.

A Japanese iodine plant operated for many years on the western slope of Mount Suribatsi in Suribatsi Bay. In 1934-1935 On the island, Japan launched large-scale construction work and created a strong naval post with a significant garrison. Communication with the metropolis, previously maintained by a steamship once a month, was strengthened. There was a radio station at Cape Tomari.

Near the island, especially on the eastern side, there are several small satellite islands, rocks, reefs and banks, for example: 19 km northeast of Cape Kurabu, the islands of Minamiyotsu - Okino, Hira, etc.; at the eastern cape of Otomae Bay there are Tsutsumino reefs; between Capes Tategami and Watanabe - about. Nakashima; near Cape Tomari - about. Kamomeidr.

Characteristic is the group of small islands of Torieima (Bird) in the northeast, at the eastern entrance to the Second Kuril Strait. The rocks of Togari (Ganimusir), Kotani (Kotanimusir) and Tsiri (Tsirimusir) islands form an arc open to the southeast. The first two islets are low, covered with grass and connected by a reef.

The southern island of Togari (Ganimusir) rises as a dome-shaped rock about 47 m high. Descending to the south, it ends with a tall, sharp stone. On the rocky ridge connecting the islands, there are vast fields of seaweed underwater.

All these islands are the edge of a volcanic cone protruding from under the water. Countless flocks of guillemots, puffins, fulmars, gulls and cormorants nest here and breed, using their cries to help ships navigate when entering the strait in calm and foggy weather.

The Siro stone (Kokshkher, Kokshere) is located near this group. This is a long ridge of chaotically heaped stones about 5 m high - a protrusion of the edge of the volcanic peak, heavily destroyed by the sea. There is a large rookery of sea lions here, the roar of which can be heard at a distance of about 1 km.