Sakhalin (Oblast) - Sachalin (Oblast)

The oblast Sakhalin (Сахалинская область) is in the Russian Federation far East. It includes the Sakhalin Island, it is opposite the region Khabarovsk in the Sea of ​​Japan. Some Kuril Islands belong to the oblast, some of them from 1905 until the end of the Second World War japanese Territory were.

The local time is UTC 11.

Regions

• Sakhalin
• Kuril Islands

places

• Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

Other goals

background

Sakhalin Oblast includes the island of Sakhalin in the Pacific off the coast of mainland Russia and the Kuril Islands, some of which were annexed by the former Soviet Union at the expense of Japan only after the Second World War, and relations between Russia and Russia to this day Japan burden heavily.

Sakhalin was an important air base due to its location not far from the continental USA and therefore a restricted military area. Sakhalin was particularly well known in the West for the shooting down of Korean Air 007 by Soviet interceptors in the early 1980s. Today, the oil boom is causing a rush to the island by business travelers, while tourists, especially Western tourists, are very rare. The Kuril Islands are peasant and poor to this day.

A fixed link between mainland Russia and Sakhalin was already started under Stalin, but has never been completed to this day.

language

Russian.

getting there

It will only be possible to travel to Sakhalin Island. A special permit is required for the Kuril Islands, which is difficult or impossible to obtain.

By plane

There are flight connections to Sakhalin with Rossija from Moscow-Sheremetyevo and with S7 and Aurora from Vladivostok and neighboring cities in the Far East of Moscow. Occasionally there are also flights from certain Asian cities.

By boat

There is a train and passenger ferry from Vanino on the Russian mainland (there connection to Vladivostok) to Cholmsk on Sakhalin. There are no through passenger trains from the mainland to Sakhalin, as the Russian broad gauge is not used on the island of Sakhalin, but Cape gauge (as in Japan). So you have to get off in Vanino, get on the ferry, and then get back on the train or bus in Kholmsk.

The journey from Japan via Korsakow on the southern tip of the island is only something for real adventurers. Maps and tickets for this ferry connection are almost only available on site and without a really very good knowledge of Russian and possibly Japanese you can hardly get any further.

mobility

There is a close-knit railroad network on the island, almost continuously in Cape Gauge and with old Japanese railroad cars, which makes the trip quite an adventure. A change of gauge of the railway network to Russian broad gauge is in progress, but the completion is not foreseeable.

The bus network from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, with which most places on the island can be reached, is more realistic and much better maintained. As usual in Russia, there are also marshrutkas.

Tourist Attractions

Most of the sights on Sakhalin are found in nature outside the cities. Due to the underdeveloped transport network, it is strongly recommended to hire a local tour operator who will then take care of all modalities such as transport and food. You can of course also travel on your own, but it is very difficult.

activities

kitchen

nightlife

security

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk has the highest juvenile delinquency of any city in Russia. Outside the city, the greatest dangers come from nature. There are brown bears on Sakhalin, which can be very dangerous for hikers if you don't expect them and if you don't behave properly.

You should prepare for extreme climates, especially in winter you need suitable clothing to protect yourself against the cold. It is helpful, whenever possible, to use local sources of information to be warned of floods, forest fires, etc. There are forbidden areas that you should avoid as much as possible.

Nature is very pristine and represents a danger for the inexperienced. If you are in the forest, you should watch out for snakes, which usually warm up in the sun on the stones. There aren't many of them around, but some could be venomous vipers. The other problem these (and other regions of the Northern Hemisphere as well) have is ticks. Your bites may be infectious, vaccinations are recommended.

One should never stray further from human settlements without the appropriate equipment and leave the path, destination and intended period of the hike or rafting tour behind with every tour.

climate

Sakhalin is by the sea and therefore has a maritime climate in itself, but it can sometimes get very cold due to the ingress of cold air from Siberia, the temperature can then fall below -20 ° C.

literature

Web links

https://sakhalin.gov.ru/ - Official website of Sakhalin Oblast