What is interesting about the Kuril Islands and is it possible to independently organize a trip? Who now owns the Kuriles: the essence of the Russia-Japan conflict.

1. Who really owns the Kuril Islands
2. The nature of the Kuril Islands
3. Travel to the Kuril Islands

The islands of the Sakhalin ridge, bordering Japan, are considered an oriental miracle of nature. We are, of course, talking about the Kuril Islands, whose history is as rich as nature. To begin with, it should be said that the struggle for 56 islands located between Kamchatka and Hokkaido began from the moment of opening.

Kuril Islands on the map of Russia

Kuril Islands - pages of history

So, at the end of the 16th - beginning of the 17th century, when Russian navigators mapped hitherto unknown lands that turned out to be inhabited, the process of appropriating uninhabited territories began. At that time, the Kuril Islands were inhabited by a people called the Aians. The Russian authorities tried to attract this people into their citizenship by any means, not excluding the use of force. As a result, the Aians, along with their lands, nevertheless went over to the side of the Russian Empire in exchange for the abolition of taxes.

The situation fundamentally did not suit the Japanese, who had their own views on these territories. It was not possible to come to a resolution of the conflict by diplomatic methods. Eventually, according to a document dated 1855, the territory of the islands is considered undivided... The situation became clear only after the end of World War II, when the amazing territory with a harsh climate was transferred to official ownership.

According to the new world order, the Kuril Islands came into the possession of the Soviet Union, the victorious state. The Japanese, who fought on the side of the Nazis, had no chance.

Who really owns the Kuril Islands?

Despite the results of World War II, which secured the USSR the right to own the Kuril Islands at the world level, Japan still claims the territory. Until now, a peace treaty has not been signed between the two countries.

What's happening now - in 2018?

Changing tactics, Japan is making a compromise and is currently challenging Russia's ownership of only PART of the Kuril Islands. These are Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and the Habomai group. At first glance, this is a small part of the Kuriles, because there are 56 units in the archipelago! One moment is embarrassing: Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan are the only Kuril islands where there is a permanent population (about 18 thousand people). They are also located closest to the Japanese "border".

The Japanese and world media, in turn, throw firewood into the furnace of the conflict, exaggerating the topic and convincing ordinary Japanese citizens that the Kuril Islands are vital for them and have been unjustly captured. When, by whom, at what moment - it does not matter. The main thing is to create as many potential hotbeds of conflict around one immense, but a little unlucky country... What if you get lucky, and somewhere the case "burns out"?

Representatives of the Russian Federation, represented by the President and the Foreign Ministry, remain calm. But they do not get tired of reminding once again that we are talking about the territory of Russia, which belongs to it by right. Well, after all, Germany is not making claims to Poland on Gdansk and France - on Alsace and Lorraine?

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The nature of the Kuril Islands

Interesting not only the history of the development of the islands, but also their nature. In fact, each of the Kuril Islands is a volcano, and a good part of these volcanoes are currently active... It is thanks to the volcanic origin that the nature of the islands is so diverse, and the surrounding landscapes are a paradise for photographers and geologists.

On the Kuril Islands there are many geothermal springs, which form whole lakes with hot water saturated with healthy micro and macro elements. The Kuril Islands are home to a huge number of animals and birds, many of which are found only in these parts. The flora is also rich, represented for the most part by endemics.

Travel to the Kuril Islands 2018

According to its parameters, the territory of the Kuril Islands is perfect for travel. And even though the climate is harsh, there are almost no sunny days, high humidity and an abundance of precipitation, weather shortcomings are a hundredfold covered with the beauty of nature and surprisingly clean air. So if you are worried about the weather in the Kuril Islands, then you can survive.

Having set ourselves the goal of organizing an independent vacation on the Kuril Islands in 2018 (at least virtually), we habitually opened booking.com and discovered another, more global problem. Currently, there are no hotels on the Kuril Islands - tourism is not developed there.

Getting to the Kuril Islands is also not an easy task. The nearest airport accepting flights from Moscow is in the regional center - Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. And then the desperate traveler will have a sea voyage to the Kuril Islands. But here, too, another test awaits: the only navigable non-freezing straits are the Freeze Strait and the Catherine Strait.

But the more interesting it will be to get and spend time on the Kuril Islands!

Flights to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk from Moscow

Just in case, we are throwing you a link to the calendar of low prices for flights to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. What if you really one day are going to give up on the Kuril Islands? If we manage to do this before you, we will definitely tell you!

* Prices are indicated there and back

Having visited the Kuril Islands once, you will remember this beauty for the rest of your life. It is not in vain that countries such as Russia and Japan have mutual claims about a small, but such fertile piece of land.

Climate of the Kuril Islands

Within the area under consideration, a temperate maritime climate prevails, which can be called cool rather than warm. The main impact on climatic conditions is exerted by baric systems, which usually form over the North Pacific Ocean, the cold Kuril Current, and the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. The southern part of the archipelago is covered by monsoon atmospheric currents, for example, the Asian winter anticyclone also dominates there.

Shikotan Island

It should be noted that the weather on the Kuril Islands is quite changeable. The landscapes of local latitudes are characterized by less heat supply than the territories of the corresponding latitudes, but in the center of the continent. The average subzero temperature in winter is the same for each island included in the chain and ranges from -5 to -7 degrees. Prolonged heavy snowfalls, thaws, increased clouds and blizzards often occur in winter. In summer, temperature indicators vary from +10 to +16 degrees. The further south the island is located, the higher the air temperature will be.

The main factor influencing the summer temperature index is considered to be the nature of the hydrological circulation inherent in coastal waters.

If we consider the components of the middle and northern group of islands, it is worth noting that the temperature of the coastal waters there does not rise above five to six degrees, therefore, these territories are characterized by the lowest summer rate for the Northern Hemisphere. Throughout the year, the archipelago receives from 1000 to 1400 mm of precipitation, which is evenly distributed over the seasons. You can also talk about excess moisture everywhere. In the southern side of the chain, in summer, the humidity indicator exceeds ninety percent, which is why fogs, dense in their consistency, appear. If we carefully consider the latitudes where the Kuril Islands are located on the map, we can conclude that the terrain is particularly difficult. It is regularly affected by cyclones, which are accompanied by excessive precipitation and can also cause typhoons.

Simushir Island

The territories are populated unevenly. All year round, the population of the Kuril Islands lives on Shikotan, Kunashir, Paramushir and Iturup. Other parts of the archipelago have no permanent population. In total, there are nineteen settlements, including sixteen villages, an urban-type settlement called Yuzhno-Kurilsk, as well as two large cities, including Kurilsk and Severo-Kurilsk. In 1989, the maximum value of the population was recorded, which was equal to 30,000 people.

The high population density of the territories during the Soviet Union is explained by subsidies to those regions, as well as by the large number of military personnel who inhabited the islands of Simushir, Shumshu, and so on.

By 2010, the figure had dropped significantly. The total area occupied by 18,700 people, of which approximately 6,100 live within the Kuril district, and 10,300 - in the South Kuril district. The rest of the people occupied local villages. The population has decreased significantly due to the remoteness of the archipelago, but the climate of the Kuril Islands also played its part, which not everyone can withstand.

Uninhabited islands of Ushishir

How to get to the Kuriles

The most convenient way to get here is by air. The local airport called Iturup is considered one of the most important aviation facilities built from scratch in post-Soviet times. It was built and equipped in accordance with modern technological requirements, therefore, it was awarded the status of an international aviation point. The first flight, which later became regular, was accepted on September 22, 2014. It was the plane of the "Aurora" company, which arrived from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. There were fifty passengers on board. This event was negatively perceived by the Japanese authorities, which refer this territory to their country. Therefore, disputes over who own the Kuril Islands continue to this day.

It is worth noting that a trip to the Kuril Islands must be planned in advance. The planning of the route should take into account that the entire archipelago includes fifty-six islands, among which Iturup and Kunashir are the most popular. You can get them in two ways. The most convenient way to fly is by plane, but tickets should be bought a few months before the scheduled date, since there are quite few flights. The second way is to travel by boat from the port of Korsakov. The journey takes from 18 to 24 hours, but you can buy a ticket only at the box office of the Kuriles or Sakhalin, that is, online sales are not provided.

Urup is an uninhabited island of volcanic origin

Despite all the difficulties, life on the Kuril Islands is developing and growing. The history of the territories began in 1643, when several sections of the archipelago were surveyed by Martin Fries and his team. The first information received by Russian scientists dates back to 1697, when V. Atlasov's campaign across Kamchatka took place. All subsequent expeditions led by I. Kozyrevsky, F. Luzhin, M. Shpanberg and others were aimed at the systematic development of the area. After it became clear who discovered the Kuril Islands, you can get acquainted with several interesting facts related to the archipelago:

1. To get to the Kuriles, a tourist will need a special permit, since the zone is borderline. This document is issued exclusively by the border department of the FSB of Sakhalinsk. To do this, you will need to come to the institution at 9:30 - 10:30 with your passport. The permit will be ready the next day. Therefore, the traveler will definitely stay in the city for one day, which should be taken into account when planning a trip.
2. Due to the unpredictable climate, visiting the islands, you can get stuck here for a long time, because in bad weather the airport of the Kuril Islands and their ports stop working. High clouds and nebula become a frequent obstacle. At the same time, we are not talking about a couple of hour flight delay. A traveler should always be prepared to spend an extra week or two here.


3. All five hotels are open for guests of the Kuriles. The hotel called "Vostok" is designed for eleven rooms, "Iceberg" - three rooms, "Flagman" - seven rooms, "Iturup" - 38 rooms, "Island" - eleven rooms. It is necessary to reserve seats in advance.
4. Japanese lands can be seen from the windows of local residents, but the best view is on Kunashir. To verify this fact, the weather must be clear.
5. The Japanese past is closely related to these territories. There are still Japanese cemeteries, factories, the coast from the Pacific Ocean is densely lined with fragments of Japanese porcelain, which existed even before the war. Therefore, you can often find archaeologists or collectors here.
6. It is also worth understanding that the controversial Kuril Islands, first of all, are volcanoes. Their territory consists of 160 volcanoes, of which about forty remain active.
7. The local flora and fauna are amazing. Along the highways, bamboo grows here, a magnolia or mulberry tree can grow near the tree. The lands are rich in berries, blueberries, lingonberries, cloudberries, prince, redberries, Chinese magnolia vine, blueberries and so on grow abundantly here. Locals claim that you can meet a bear here, especially not far from the Tyati Kunashira volcano.
8. Almost every local resident has a car at his disposal, but there are no gas stations in any of the settlements. Fuel is supplied inside special barrels from Vladivostok and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.


9. Due to the high seismicity of the region, its territories are built up mainly with two- and three-story buildings. Houses five stories high are already considered high-rise buildings and are very rare.
10. While it will be decided whose Kuril Islands, the Russians living here, the duration of the vacation will be 62 days a year. Residents of the southern ridge can enjoy a visa-free regime with Japan. This opportunity is used by about 400 people per year.

The Great Kuril Arc is surrounded by underwater volcanoes, some of which regularly make themselves felt. Any eruption becomes the reason for the resumption of seismic activity, which provokes a "seaquake". Therefore, local lands are prone to frequent tsunamis. The strongest tsunami wave with a height of about 30 meters in 1952 completely destroyed the city on the Paramushir island called Severo-Kurilsk.

The last century was also remembered for several natural disasters. Among them, the most famous was the 1952 tsunami that struck Paramushir, as well as the 1994 Shikotan tsunami. Therefore, it is believed that such a beautiful nature of the Kuril Islands is also very dangerous for human life, but this does not prevent local cities from developing, and the population to grow.

Unresolved dispute of the Kuril Islands

The Kuril Islands problem lies in an unresolved dispute between the Japanese and Russian sides over who they belong to. And it remains open since the Second World War.

After the war, the Kuril Islands became part of the USSR. But Japan considers the territories of the southern Kuriles, and these are Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan with the group of Habomai islands, their territory, without having a legal basis for that. Russia does not recognize the fact of a dispute with the Japanese side over these territories, since their ownership is legal.

The Kuril Islands problem is the main obstacle to a peaceful settlement of relations between Japan and Russia.

The essence of the dispute between Japan and Russia

The Japanese demand that the Kuril Islands be returned to them. There, almost the entire population is convinced that these lands are originally Japanese. This dispute between the two states has been going on for a very long time, escalating after the Second World War.
Russia is not inclined to yield to the Japanese leaders in this matter. The peace agreement has not been signed to this day, and this is due precisely to the four disputed South Kuril Islands. The legality of Japan's claims to the Kuril Islands in this video.

Values ​​of the southern Kuriles

The South Kurils have several meanings for both countries:

1. Military. The South Kurils are of military importance, thanks to the only exit to the Pacific Ocean for the country's fleet located there. And all because of the scarcity of geographical formations. At the moment, the ships are entering the ocean waters through the Sangar Strait, because it is impossible to pass through the La Perouse Strait due to icing. Therefore, submarines are located in Kamchatka - Avachinskaya Bay. The military bases operating in Soviet times have now been plundered and abandoned.
2. Economic. Economic significance - the Sakhalin region has a rather serious hydrocarbon potential. And the fact that the entire territory of the Kuriles belongs to Russia makes it possible to use the waters located there at your own discretion. Although the central part belongs to the Japanese side. In addition to water resources, there is such a rare metal as rhenium. Mining it, the Russian Federation is in third place in the extraction of minerals and sulfur. For the Japanese, this area is important for fishing and agricultural needs. This caught fish is used by the Japanese to grow rice - they simply pour it onto the fields with rice for fertilization.
3. Social. By and large, there is no special social interest for ordinary people in the southern Kuriles. This is because there are no modern megacities, people mostly work there and their life is spent in cabins. Supply is delivered by air, and less often by water due to constant storms. Therefore, the Kuril Islands are more of a military-industrial facility than a social one.
4. Tourist. In this regard, things are better in the southern Kuriles. These places will be of interest to many people who are attracted by everything real, natural and extreme. Hardly anyone will remain indifferent at the sight of a thermal spring gushing out of the ground, or from climbing the volcano's caldera, and crossing the fumarole field on foot. And there is no need to talk about the views that open to the eye.

For this reason, the dispute about the ownership of the Kuril Islands has not moved off dead center.

Dispute over the Kuril Territory

Who owns these four island territories - Shikotan, Iturup, Kunashir and the Habomai Islands - is not an easy question.

Information from written sources indicates the pioneers of the Kuril Islands - the Dutch. The Russians were the first to settle the territory of Chishimu. Shikotan Island and the other three were designated for the first time by the Japanese. But the fact of discovery does not yet give grounds for the ownership of this territory.

Shikotan Island

The island of Shikotan is considered the end of the world because of the cape of the same name located near the village of Malokurilskiy. It impresses with its 40-meter drop into the ocean waters. This place is called the end of the world due to its stunning view of the Pacific vastness.
Shikotan Island is translated as Big City. It stretches for 27 kilometers, has a width of 13 km, and occupies an area of ​​225 square meters. km. The highest point of the island is the mountain of the same name, which rises to 412 meters. Partially its territory belongs to the state nature reserve.

Shikotan Island has a very indented coastline with numerous coves, headlands and cliffs.

It used to be thought that the mountains on the island are volcanoes that have ceased to erupt, with which the Kuril Islands abound. But they turned out to be rocks displaced by shifts of lithospheric plates.

A bit of history

Long before the Russians and Japanese, the Kuril Islands were inhabited by the Ainu. The first information from Russians and Japanese about the Kuril Islands appeared only in the 17th century. A Russian expedition was sent in the 18th century, after which about 9,000 Ainu became citizens of Russia.

A treaty was signed between Russia and Japan (1855), called Shimodsky, where borders were established allowing Japanese citizens to trade on 2/3 of this land. Sakhalin remained no-one. After 20 years, Russia began to undividedly own this land, then losing the south in the Russo-Japanese war. But during the Second World War, Soviet troops were still able to reclaim the south of the Sakhalin land and the Kuril Islands as a whole.
Between the victorious states and Japan, a peace agreement was signed, and it happened in San Francisco in 1951. And according to it, Japan has absolutely no rights to the Kuril Islands.

But then the signing did not happen by the Soviet side, which was considered a mistake by many researchers. But there were serious reasons for that:

• The document did not indicate specifically what was included in the Kuril Islands. The Americans said that it was necessary to apply for this to a special international court. In addition, a member of the delegation of the Japanese state announced that the southern disputed islands are not the territory of the Kuriles.
• The document also did not indicate exactly who the Kuril Islands would belong to. That is, so the question remained controversial.

A declaration was signed between the USSR and the Japanese side in 1956, preparing a platform for the main peace agreement. In it, the Land of the Soviets meets the Japanese halfway and agrees to transfer them only the two disputed islands of Habomai and Shikotan. But on condition - only after the signing of a peace agreement.

The declaration contains several subtleties:

• The word "transfer" means that they belong to the USSR.
• This transfer will actually take place after the peace treaty has been signed.
• This applies only to the two Kuril Islands.

This was a positive shift between the Soviet Union and the Japanese side, but it caused concern among the Americans. Thanks to Washington pressure, the Japanese government completely changed ministerial positions and new officials who rose to high positions began to prepare a military agreement between America and Japan, which began to operate in 1960.

After that, a call came from Japan to give up not two islands proposed by the USSR, but four. America puts pressure on the fact that all the agreements between the Land of the Soviets and Japan are optional, they are supposedly declarative. And the existing and current military agreement between the Japanese and the Americans implies the deployment of their troops on Japanese territory. Accordingly, now they have come even closer to Russian territory.

Proceeding from all this, Russian diplomats announced that until all foreign troops were withdrawn from its territory, it was impossible even to talk about a peace agreement. But in any case, we are talking only about two islands of the Kuril territory.

As a result, the power structures of America are still in Japan. The Japanese, on the other hand, insist on the transfer of 4 Kuril Islands, as stated in the declaration.

The second half of the 80s of the 20th century was marked by the weakening of the Soviet Union, and in these conditions the Japanese side again raises this topic. But the dispute about who will own the South Kuril Islands remained open between the countries. The 1993 Tokyo Declaration says that the Russian Federation is the legal successor of the Soviet Union, respectively, and previously signed papers must be recognized by both parties. It also indicated the direction to move towards solving the territorial affiliation of the disputed four Kuril Islands.

The onset of the 21st century, and specifically in 2004, was marked by the raising of this topic again at the meeting of the President of the Russian Federation Putin with the Prime Minister of Japan. And again everything happened again - the Russian side offers its own conditions for signing a peace agreement, and Japanese officials insist that all four South Kuril Islands be placed at their disposal.

2005 marked the readiness of the Russian president to end the dispute, guided by the 1956 agreement and hand over the two island territories to Japan, but the Japanese leaders did not agree with this proposal.

In order to somehow reduce tensions between the two states, the Japanese side was asked to help in the development of nuclear energy, infrastructure and tourism, and to further improve the environmental and situation, as well as safety. The Russian side accepted this proposal.

At the moment, there is no question for Russia - who owns the Kuril Islands. Without a doubt, this is the territory of the Russian Federation, based on real facts - according to the results of the Second World War and the generally recognized UN Charter.

The Kuril Islands are famous for their magnificent natural beauty and lakes. One of these is represented by a reservoir in the mountains - Osen, located on an island called Onekotan. The lake surface is curious for its appearance - sloping, and the coastline amazes with steep cliffs 700 meters high.

Kunashir Island is famous for its boiling lake called Ponto, with constantly bubbling, bubbling water. And off the coast, gas and steam fountains whistle to the surface.

The Kuril Islands are considered the bird kingdom. In these places, guillemots, fulmars, storm petrels and gulls have found a home.

For romantics, this is a truly heavenly place. The inaccessibility, uninhabitedness, the peculiarity of the location and regularly erupting volcanoes further increase the desire to get to the Kuril Islands.

The island territories have 150 volcanic mountains, of which 39 are active. Constant volcanic eruptions intensify the appearance of thermal geysers, which have a healing effect.

People of science consider the Kuril Islands to be a huge botanical garden, since here on the same territory representatives of Japanese, Korean, Okhotsk, Kamchatka and Manchurian flora coexist. Only in these places can you see the nearby polar birch and centuries-old yew, larch and wild grapes with a Christmas tree, cedar and velvet tree, wood liana with lingonberries.

For an hour, you can enjoy the taiga views in the subtropics and see the moss tundra in the jungle. At the bottom there is a lot of vegetation, where many species of fish live, as well as mollusks and marine animals. The crystal clear coastal waters hide the once sunken ships and military equipment of Japan.

Volcanoes erupt in the Kuril Islands in different ways - and in full swing with wild growls, explosions and swirling smoke with ash on the surface. And there are serene ones, they just quietly pour out lava outside. New island territories and changing landscapes are often formed right before our eyes during and after earthquakes. Hot lava flows form a large mountain, which turns into dry land in a section of the sea in a few weeks.

Due to constant volcanic activity, there are a lot of hot springs with mineral water on the islands. Kunashir Island even boasts a boiling geyser. The large crevices formed from the hardened lava of Raikoke Island have bathtub-like pools. The color of the spring water is transparent and only contains sulfur, from which yellow grains are deposited in some places.

In conclusion, I would like to say - lovers of everything unknown and extraordinary there is something to see here, and at the same time to enjoy the clean ecology and beautiful natural views of the Kuril Islands, endless sea spaces and an inexhaustible underwater world. You can admire the beauty of the Kuril Islands in this video.

World Politics Review believes that Putin's main mistake now is "dismissive of Japan."
A bold Russian initiative to settle the dispute over the Kuril Islands would give Japan great grounds for cooperation with Moscow.- this is how it reports today IA REGNUM.
This "disdain" is expressed, it is clear why - give Japan the Kuril Islands. It would seem - what to the Americans and their European satellites before the Kuriles, what in the other part of the world?
It's simple. Japaneseophilia conceals a desire to turn the Sea of ​​Okhotsk from an internal Russian into a sea open to the "world community." With great consequences for us, both military and economic.

Well, who was the first to develop these lands? Why on earth does Japan consider these islands to be their ancestral territories?
To do this, let's look at the history of the development of the Kuril ridge.

The islands were originally inhabited by the Ainu. In their language, "kuru" meant "a man who came from nowhere", hence their second name "kurilians", and then the name of the archipelago.

In Russia, the Kuril Islands were first mentioned in the reporting document of N.I. Kolobov to Tsar Alexei from 1646 year about the peculiarities of I. Yu. Moskvitin's wanderings. Also, the data from the chronicles and maps of medieval Holland, Scandinavia and Germany testify to the indigenous Russian villages. NI Kolobov spoke about the bearded Ains inhabiting the islands. The Ainu were engaged in gathering, fishing and hunting, lived in small settlements throughout the Kuril Islands and on Sakhalin.
Founded after the campaign of Semyon Dezhnev in 1649, the cities of Anadyr and Okhotsk became bases for the exploration of the Kuril Islands, Alaska and California.

The development of new lands by Russia took place in a civilized manner and was not accompanied by the extermination or displacement of the local population from the territory of their historical homeland, as happened, for example, with the North American Indians. The arrival of the Russians led to the spread among the local population of more effective means of hunting, metal products, and, most importantly, helped to end bloody inter-tribal strife. Under the influence of the Russian peoples, these peoples began to join agriculture and move to a sedentary way of life. Trade revived, Russian merchants flooded Siberia and the Far East with goods, the existence of which the local population did not even know.

In 1654, the Yakut Cossack foreman M. Stadukhin visited there. In the 60s, part of the northern Kuriles was mapped by the Russians, and in 1700 the Kurils were mapped by S. Remizov. In 1711, the Cossack ataman D. Antsiferov and the captain I. Kozyrevsky visited the islands of Paramushir Shumshu. The next year, Kozyrevsky visited the islands of Iturup and Urup and said that the inhabitants of these islands live "autocratic".

I. Evreinov and F. Luzhin, who graduated from the St. Petersburg Academy of Geodesy and Cartography, made a trip to the Kuril Islands in 1721, after which the Evreinov personally presented Peter the Great with a report on this voyage and a map.

Russian navigators Captain Spanberg and Lieutenant Walton in 1739 were the first Europeans to open the way to the eastern shores of Japan, visited the Japanese islands of Hondo (Honshu) and Matsmae (Hokkaido), described the Kuril ridge and mapped all the Kuril Islands and the eastern coast of Sakhalin.
The expedition found that only one island of Hokkaido is under the rule of the "Japanese Khan", the rest of the islands are not under his control. Since the 60s, interest in the Kurils has noticeably increased, Russian fishing vessels have increasingly come to their shores, and soon the local population - the Ainu - on the islands of Urup and Iturup was brought into Russian citizenship.
Merchant D. Shebalin was instructed by the Okhotsk port office to "convert the inhabitants of the southern islands into Russian citizenship and start bargaining with them." Having brought the Ainu into Russian citizenship, the Russians established winter huts and camps on the islands, taught the Ainu how to use firearms, raise livestock and grow some vegetables.

Many of the Ainu adopted Orthodoxy and learned to read and write.
Russian missionaries did everything to spread Orthodoxy among the Kuril Ainu, and taught them the Russian language. Deservedly the first in this row of missionaries is the name of Ivan Petrovich Kozyrevsky (1686-1734), in the monasticism of Ignatius. A.S. Pushkin wrote that "Kozyrevsky in 1713 conquered the two Kuril Islands and brought Kolesov the news about the trade of these islands with the merchants of the city of Matmai." In the texts of the "Drawing to the Sea Islands" Kozyrevsky was written: "On the first and the other island in Kamchatka Nos, from the autocratic shown, he smoked in that campaign with affection and greetings, and others in a military order, brought him back to the yasak payment." Back in 1732, the famous historian GF Miller noted in the academic calendar: “Before that, the local residents did not have any faith. But for twenty years, at the behest of His Imperial Majesty, churches and schools were built there, which give us hope, and this people from time to time will be led out of their delusion. " Monk Ignatiy Kozyrevsky in the south of the Kamchatka Peninsula, at his own expense, founded a church with a border and a monastery, in which he later took his tonsure. Kozyrevsky succeeded in converting the “local people of other faiths” - the Itelmens of Kamchatka and the Kuril Ainu.

The Ainu fished, beat the sea animal, baptized their children in Orthodox churches, wore Russian clothes, had Russian names, spoke Russian and proudly called themselves Orthodox. In 1747, the "newly baptized" Kuril people from the islands of Shumshu and Paramushir, which numbered more than two hundred people, through their toen (leader) Storozhev, turned to the Orthodox mission in Kamchatka with a request to send a priest "for their confirmation in the new faith."

By order of Catherine II in 1779, all levies not established by decrees from St. Petersburg were canceled... Thus, the fact of the discovery and development of the Kuril Islands by the Russians is undeniable.

Over time, the crafts in the Kuril Islands became depleted, becoming less and less profitable than those off the coast of America, and therefore by the end of the 18th century, the interest of Russian merchants in the Kuriles weakened.In Japan, by the end of the same century, interest in the Kuriles and Sakhalin was just awakening, because before that the Kuriles were practically unknown to the Japanese. The island of Hokkaido - according to the testimony of the Japanese scientists themselves - was considered a foreign territory and only an insignificant part of it was inhabited and developed. In the late 70s, Russian merchants reached Hokkaido and tried to do trade with the locals . Russia was interested in purchasing food in Japan for Russian fishing expeditions and settlements in Alaska and the Pacific Islands, but it was not possible to start trade, since the law on isolation of Japan in 1639, which read: "For the future, as long as the sun illuminates the world, no one has the right to stick to the shores of Japan, even if he was even a messenger, and this law can never be canceled by anyone on pain of death.".
And in 1788 Catherine II sends a strict order to the Russian industrialists in the Kuril Islands, so that they "did not touch islands under the jurisdiction of other powers", and a year earlier she had issued a decree on equipping a round-the-world expedition to accurately describe and map the islands from Masmai to Kamchatka Lopatka, so that they " to classify everything formally as the possession of the Russian state". It was ordered not to allow foreign industrialists to" trade and crafts in Russian-owned places and with local residents to deal peacefully". But the expedition did not take place because of the outbreak of the Russian-Turkish war of 1787-1791.

Taking advantage of the weakening of the Russian positions in the southern part of the Kuriles, Japanese fishermen first appear in Kunashir in 1799, the next year already in Iturup, where they destroy Russian crosses and illegally erect a pillar with a designation indicating that the islands belong to Japan. Japanese fishermen often began to come to the shores of South Sakhalin, fished, robbed the Ainu, which was the reason for frequent skirmishes between them. In 1805, Russian sailors from the frigate "Juno" and the tender "Avos" set up a pole with the Russian flag on the coast of Aniva Bay, and the Japanese parking lot on Iturup was ravaged. The Russians were warmly welcomed by the Ainu.
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What is interesting about the Kuril Islands and is it possible to independently organize a trip? Who now owns the Kuriles: the essence of the Russia-Japan conflict.

The islands of the Sakhalin ridge, bordering Japan, are considered an oriental miracle of nature. We are, of course, talking about the Kuril Islands, whose history is as rich as nature. To begin with, it should be said that the struggle for 56 islands located between Kamchatka and Hokkaido began from the moment of opening.

Kuril Islands on the map of Russia

Kuril Islands - pages of history

So, at the end of the 16th - beginning of the 17th century, when Russian navigators mapped hitherto unknown lands that turned out to be inhabited, the process of appropriating uninhabited territories began. At that time, the Kuril Islands were inhabited by a people called the Aians. The Russian authorities tried to attract this people into their citizenship by any means, not excluding the use of force. As a result, the Aians, along with their lands, nevertheless went over to the side of the Russian Empire in exchange for the abolition of taxes.

The situation fundamentally did not suit the Japanese, who had their own views on these territories. It was not possible to come to a resolution of the conflict by diplomatic methods. Eventually, according to a document dated 1855, the territory of the islands is considered undivided... The situation became clear only after the end of World War II, when the amazing territory with a harsh climate was transferred to official ownership.

According to the new world order, the Kuril Islands came into the possession of the Soviet Union, the victorious state. The Japanese, who fought on the side of the Nazis, had no chance.

Who really owns the Kuril Islands?

Despite the results of World War II, which secured the USSR the right to own the Kuril Islands at the world level, Japan still claims the territory. Until now, a peace treaty has not been signed between the two countries.

What's happening now - in 2019?

Changing tactics, Japan is making a compromise and is currently challenging Russia's ownership of only PART of the Kuril Islands. These are Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and the Habomai group. At first glance, this is a small part of the Kuriles, because there are 56 units in the archipelago! One moment is embarrassing: Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan are the only Kuril islands where there is a permanent population (about 18 thousand people). They are also located closest to the Japanese "border".

The Japanese and world media, in turn, throw firewood into the furnace of the conflict, exaggerating the topic and convincing ordinary Japanese citizens that the Kuril Islands are vital for them and have been unjustly captured. When, by whom, at what moment - it does not matter. The main thing is to create as many potential hotbeds of conflict around one immense, but a little unlucky country... What if you get lucky, and somewhere the case "burns out"?

Representatives of the Russian Federation, represented by the President and the Foreign Ministry, remain calm. But they do not get tired of reminding once again that we are talking about the territory of Russia, which belongs to it by right. Well, in the end, after all, it does not make claims to Poland for Gdansk and - for Alsace and Lorraine 😉

The nature of the Kuril Islands

Interesting not only the history of the development of the islands, but also their nature. In fact, each of the Kuril Islands is a volcano, and a good part of these volcanoes are currently active... It is thanks to the volcanic origin that the nature of the islands is so diverse, and the surrounding landscapes are a paradise for photographers and geologists.

The eruption of the Crimean volcano (Kuril Islands, Russia)

Local residents. Bears of the Kuril Islands.

On the Kuril Islands there are many geothermal springs, which form whole lakes with hot water saturated with healthy micro and macro elements. The Kuril Islands are home to a huge number of animals and birds, many of which are found only in these parts. The flora is also rich, represented for the most part by endemics.

Travel to the Kuril Islands 2019

According to its parameters, the territory of the Kuril Islands is perfect for travel. And even though the climate is harsh, there are almost no sunny days, high humidity and an abundance of precipitation, weather shortcomings are a hundredfold covered with the beauty of nature and surprisingly clean air. So if you are worried about the weather in the Kuril Islands, then you can survive.

which opens only to the one
who is really interested in her ...

Kurile Islands.

Archipelago of volcanic islands on the border of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and the Pacific Ocean, between the island of Hokkaido and the Kamchatka Peninsula (Sakhalin Region). Consists of the Big and Small Kuril ridges, separated by the Kuril straits. The islands form an arc long. OK. 1175 km. Total area 15.6 thousand km? The largest islands of the Big Kuril Ridge: Paramushir, Onekotan, Simushir, Urup, Iturup, Kunashir. Small Kuril ridge consists of 6 islands and two groups of rocks; the largest about. Shikotan.
Each island is a volcano or a chain of volcanoes, connected by foothills or separated by small isthmuses. The shores are mostly steep, sandy on the isthmuses, there are few sheltered bays. The islands are mountainous, with heights of 500-1000 m, the Alaid volcano (Atlasov Island in the north of the ridge) rises up to 2339 m. On the islands approx. 160 volcanoes, including 40 active, many thermal springs, there are strong earthquakes.

The climate is monsoon. Wed the temperature in August is from 10 ° C in the north to 17 ° C in the south, in February -7 ° C. Annual precipitation is 600-1000 mm, typhoons are frequent in autumn. There are many lakes, including craters and lagoons. On sowing. the islands are overgrown with alder and mountain ash, dwarf cedar and heather, on the islands cf. groups - sparse forests of stone birch with Kuril bamboo, to the south. islands - forests of Kuril larch, bamboo, oak, maple.

Remarks on the Kuril Islands "V. M. Golovnin, 1811

In 1811, the outstanding Russian navigator Vasily Mikhailovich Golovnin was commissioned to describe the Kuril and Shantar Islands and the coast of the Tatar Strait. In the course of this assignment, he, along with other sailors, was captured by the Japanese, where he spent more than 2 years. We invite you to familiarize yourself with the first part of his note "Remarks on the Kuril Islands", which was compiled as a result of research in the same 1811.

1. About their number and names

If all the islands located between Kamchatka and Japan are understood as the Kuril Islands, then their number will be 26, namely:

1. Alaid
2. Shumshu
3. Paramushir

4. Fly
5. Makan-Rushi
6. Onekotan
7. Harimkotan *
8. Shnyashkotan **
9. Ekarma
10. Chirinkotan ***
11. Musir
12. Raikoke
13. Matua
14. Rasshua
15. Middle Island
16. Ushisir
17. Ketoy
18. Seamusir
19. Trebungo-Tchirpoy
20. Yangi-Tchirpoy
21. Mackintor **** or Broton Island
22. Urup
23. Iturup
24. Chicotan
25. Kunashir
26. Matsmai

Here is the real account of the Kuril Islands. But the Kuril people themselves and the Russians visiting them count only 22 islands, which they call: the first, the second, etc., and sometimes by their own names, which are:
Shumshu first island
Paramushir II
Fly third
Makan-Rushi fourth
Onekotan fifth
Harimkotan sixth
Shnyashkotan seventh
Ekarma eighth
Chirinkotan ninth
Musir tenth
Raikoke eleventh
Matua twelfth
Rasshua thirteenth
Ushisir fourteenth
Ketoy fifteenth
Seamusir sixteenth
Tchirpoy seventeenth
Urup eighteenth
Iturup nineteenth
Chicotan twentieth
Kunashir twenty-first
Matsmay twenty-second

The reason for this difference in the number of islands is the following: neither the Kuril Islands, nor the Russians living in that region, Alaid is not considered the Kuril Island, although in all respects it belongs to this ridge. The Trebungo-Tchirpoi and Yangi-Tchirpoi islands are separated by a very narrow strait and the almost naked small island of Mackintor, or Broton Island, located not far from them to NW, is understood by the general name of the seventeenth island and, finally, the island of Sredny, almost connected to Ushisir by a ridge of surface and pitfalls, they do not consider a special island. So, with the exception of these four islands, there are 22 islands that are somehow usually relied on in the Kuril ridge.
It is also known that in different descriptions and on different maps of the Kuril Islands, some of them are called differently: this dissimilarity came from error and ignorance. Here it will not be superfluous to mention under what names some of the Kuril Islands are known on the best foreign maps and in the description of Captain Krusenstern.
Musir Island, otherwise called Steller's Stones by the inhabitants, Captain Kruzenshtern calls Stone Traps.
He calls Raikoke Musir, Matua - Raikoke, Rasshua - Matua, Ushisir - Rasshua, Ketoy - Ushisir, Simusir - Ketoy, and on foreign maps they write him as Marikan.

After La Perouse, the French call the Tchirp the Four Brothers.
Urup foreigners write Kompaneiskaya Zemlya, and the Russian American Company calls Alexander Island.

Iturup on foreign maps is called the Land of the States. Chicotan, or Spanberg Island. Matsmai, or the Land of Esso.
--

The Alaid island mentioned in the text is Atlasov Island, which got its modern name in 1954 - the Alaid volcano island. It is an almost regular volcano cone, with a base diameter of 8-10 km. Its peak lies at an elevation of 2339 m. (According to historical data, before the strong eruptions of 1778 and 1821, the height of the volcano was much higher), which means that Alaid is the highest volcano in the Kuril ridge.

Please note that Matsmai Island is named the 26th island of the Kuril Ridge - this is Hokkaido. Hokkaido became part of Japan only in 1869. Until that time, the Japanese lived only on the southern tip of the island, where there was a small Japanese principality. The rest of the territory was inhabited by the Ainu, who even outwardly differed sharply from the Japanese: white-faced, with strong hair, for which the Russians called them "furry smokers". It is known from documents that at least in 1778-1779, Russians collected yasak from the inhabitants of the northern coast of Hokkaido.

The largest of the Kuril Islands in the direction from north to south: Shumshu - 467 square kilometers,

Paramushir - 2479 square kilometers,

Onekotan, or Omukotan, - 521 square kilometers,

Harimkotan - 122 square kilometers,

Shiyashkotan - 179 square kilometers,

Seamusir - 414 square kilometers,

Urup - 1511 square kilometers, Iturup, the largest of the Kuril Islands - 6725 square kilometers.

Kunashir Island - 1548 square kilometers

and Chicotan or Scotan - 391 square kilometers.

Island Shikotan- this is the end of the world. Just 10 km from the village of Malokurilskoye, behind a small pass lies its main attraction - Cape Krai Sveta. ... Russian navigators Rikord and Golovnin called him Fr. Chicotan.

Small islands are located from north to south: Alaid - 92 square kilometers (Atlasov Island), Shirinki, Makanrushi or Makansu - 65 square kilometers, Avos, Chirinkotan, Ekarma - 33 square kilometers, Musir, Raikoke, Malua or Matua - 65 square kilometers ... Islands: Rasshua - 64 square kilometers, Ketoi - 61 square kilometers, Broughtona, Chirpoi, Brother Chirpoev, or Brother Hirnoy, (18 square kilometers). Between the islands from the Sea of ​​Okhotsk to the east to the Pacific Ocean there are straits: the Kuril Strait, the Small Kuril Strait, the Nadezhda Strait, the Diana Strait, the Bussolip Strait of De Vries and the Pico Strait.

The entire range of the Kuril Islands is of volcanic origin. There are 52 volcanoes in total, including 17 active ones. There are many hot and sulfur springs on the islands;

earthquakes .

Ainu - the peoples inhabiting the Kuril Islands, christened each island separately. These are the words of the Ainu language: Paramushir is a wide island, Onekotan is an old settlement, Ushishir is a land of bays, Chiripoy is a bird, Urup is a salmon, Iturup is a big salmon, Kunashir is a black island, Shikotan is the best place. Since the 18th century, the Russians and the Japanese have tried to rename the islands in their own way. Most often, serial numbers were used - the first island, the second, etc.; only the Russians counted from the north, and the Japanese from the south.

The Kuril Islands are administratively part of the Sakhalin Region. They are divided into three regions: Severo-Kurilskiy, Kurilskiy and Yuzhno-Kurilskiy. The centers of these regions have the corresponding names: Severo-Kurilsk, Kurilsk and Yuzhno-Kurilsk. And there is one more village - Malo-Kurilsk (the center of the Lesser Kuril ridge). A total of four Kurilsk.

Kunashir Island.

A MEMORARY SIGN TO THE RUSSIAN PILOTS WAS ESTABLISHED ON KUNASHIR

A memorial sign in honor of the 230th anniversary of the landing of Russian Cossacks-pioneers under the leadership of Dmitry Shabalin was opened on September 3 in the village. Golovnino (South Kuril region, Kunashir). It was installed near the rural house of culture. The well-known Sakhalin historian-archaeologist Igor Samarin discovered documents and the so-called "mercator map" of the Kuril Islands, compiled based on the results of the voyage of 1775-1778. near Kunashir. There is an inscription on it: "... D where were the Russian people in two canoes in 778". The "D" icon is depicted at the site of the current location with. Golovnino - near the Strait of Treason (southern part of the island). This historical fact of the real place of landing of Russians on the coast of Kunashir was proved by Russian scientists. The expedition was headed by the Irkutsk merchant D. Shabalin.

In view of recent events, many inhabitants of the planet are interested in where the Kuril Islands are located, as well as to whom they belong. If there is still no concrete answer to the second question, then the first can be answered quite unambiguously. The Kuril Islands are a chain of islands approximately 1.2 kilometers long. It runs from the Kamchatka Peninsula to the island land area called Hokkaido. A peculiar convex arc, consisting of fifty-six islands, is located in two parallel lines, and also separates the Sea of ​​Okhotsk from the Pacific Ocean. The total territorial area is 10,500 km 2. The state border between Japan and Russia is stretched from the southern side.

The lands in question are of invaluable economic as well as military-strategic importance. Most of them are considered part of the Russian Federation and belong to the Sakhalin region. However, the status of such components of the archipelago, including Shikotan, Kunashir, Iturup, as well as the Habomai group, is disputed by the Japanese authorities, which attributes the listed islands to Hokkaido prefecture. Thus, you can find the Kuril Islands on the map of Russia, but Japan plans to legalize the ownership of some of them. These territories have their own characteristics. For example, the archipelago entirely belongs to the Far North, if you look at the legal documents. And this is despite the fact that Shikotan is located in the same latitude with the city of Sochi and Anapa.

Kunashir, Cape Column

Climate of the Kuril Islands

Within the area under consideration, a temperate maritime climate prevails, which can be called cool rather than warm. The main impact on climatic conditions is exerted by baric systems, which usually form over the North Pacific Ocean, the cold Kuril Current, and the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. The southern part of the archipelago is covered by monsoon atmospheric currents, for example, the Asian winter anticyclone also dominates there.

Shikotan Island

It should be noted that the weather on the Kuril Islands is quite changeable. The landscapes of local latitudes are characterized by less heat supply than the territories of the corresponding latitudes, but in the center of the continent. The average subzero temperature in winter is the same for each island included in the chain and ranges from -5 to -7 degrees. Prolonged heavy snowfalls, thaws, increased clouds and blizzards often occur in winter. In summer, temperature indicators vary from +10 to +16 degrees. The further south the island is located, the higher the air temperature will be.

The main factor influencing the summer temperature index is considered to be the nature of the hydrological circulation inherent in coastal waters.

If we consider the components of the middle and northern group of islands, it is worth noting that the temperature of the coastal waters there does not rise above five to six degrees, therefore, these territories are characterized by the lowest summer rate for the Northern Hemisphere. Throughout the year, the archipelago receives from 1000 to 1400 mm of precipitation, which is evenly distributed over the seasons. You can also talk about excess moisture everywhere. In the southern side of the chain, in summer, the humidity indicator exceeds ninety percent, which is why fogs, dense in their consistency, appear. If we carefully consider the latitudes where the Kuril Islands are located on the map, we can conclude that the terrain is particularly difficult. It is regularly affected by cyclones, which are accompanied by excessive precipitation and can also cause typhoons.

Simushir Island

Population

The territories are populated unevenly. All year round, the population of the Kuril Islands lives on Shikotan, Kunashir, Paramushir and Iturup. Other parts of the archipelago have no permanent population. In total, there are nineteen settlements, including sixteen villages, an urban-type settlement called Yuzhno-Kurilsk, as well as two large cities, including Kurilsk and Severo-Kurilsk. In 1989, the maximum value of the population was recorded, which was equal to 30,000 people.

The high population density of the territories during the Soviet Union is explained by subsidies to those regions, as well as by the large number of military personnel who inhabited the islands of Simushir, Shumshu, and so on.

By 2010, the figure had dropped significantly. The total area occupied by 18,700 people, of which approximately 6,100 live within the Kuril district, and 10,300 - in the South Kuril district. The rest of the people occupied local villages. The population has decreased significantly due to the remoteness of the archipelago, but the climate of the Kuril Islands also played its part, which not everyone can withstand.

Uninhabited islands of Ushishir

How to get to the Kuriles

The most convenient way to get here is by air. The local airport called Iturup is considered one of the most important aviation facilities built from scratch in post-Soviet times. It was built and equipped in accordance with modern technological requirements, therefore, it was awarded the status of an international aviation point. The first flight, which later became regular, was accepted on September 22, 2014. It was the plane of the "Aurora" company, which arrived from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. There were fifty passengers on board. This event was negatively perceived by the Japanese authorities, which refer this territory to their country. Therefore, disputes over who own the Kuril Islands continue to this day.

It is worth noting that a trip to the Kuril Islands must be planned in advance. The planning of the route should take into account that the entire archipelago includes fifty-six islands, among which Iturup and Kunashir are the most popular. You can get them in two ways. The most convenient way to fly is by plane, but tickets should be bought a few months before the scheduled date, since there are quite few flights. The second way is to travel by boat from the port of Korsakov. The journey takes from 18 to 24 hours, but you can buy a ticket only at the box office of the Kuriles or Sakhalin, that is, online sales are not provided.

Urup is an uninhabited island of volcanic origin

Interesting Facts

Despite all the difficulties, life on the Kuril Islands is developing and growing. The history of the territories began in 1643, when several sections of the archipelago were surveyed by Martin Fries and his team. The first information received by Russian scientists dates back to 1697, when V. Atlasov's campaign across Kamchatka took place. All subsequent expeditions led by I. Kozyrevsky, F. Luzhin, M. Shpanberg and others were aimed at the systematic development of the area. After it became clear who discovered the Kuril Islands, you can get acquainted with several interesting facts related to the archipelago:

1. To get to the Kuriles, a tourist will need a special permit, since the zone is borderline. This document is issued exclusively by the border department of the FSB of Sakhalinsk. To do this, you will need to come to the institution at 9:30 - 10:30 with your passport. The permit will be ready the next day. Therefore, the traveler will definitely stay in the city for one day, which should be taken into account when planning a trip.
2. Due to the unpredictable climate, visiting the islands, you can get stuck here for a long time, because in bad weather the airport of the Kuril Islands and their ports stop working. High clouds and nebula become a frequent obstacle. At the same time, we are not talking about a couple of hour flight delay. A traveler should always be prepared to spend an extra week or two here.
3. All five hotels are open for guests of the Kuriles. The hotel called "Vostok" is designed for eleven rooms, "Iceberg" - three rooms, "Flagman" - seven rooms, "Iturup" - 38 rooms, "Island" - eleven rooms. It is necessary to reserve seats in advance.
4. Japanese lands can be seen from the windows of local residents, but the best view is on Kunashir. To verify this fact, the weather must be clear.
5. The Japanese past is closely related to these territories. There are still Japanese cemeteries, factories, the coast from the Pacific Ocean is densely lined with fragments of Japanese porcelain, which existed even before the war. Therefore, you can often find archaeologists or collectors here.
6. It is also worth understanding that the controversial Kuril Islands, first of all, are volcanoes. Their territory consists of 160 volcanoes, of which about forty remain active.
7. The local flora and fauna are amazing. Along the highways, bamboo grows here, a magnolia or mulberry tree can grow near the tree. The lands are rich in berries, blueberries, lingonberries, cloudberries, prince, redberries, Chinese magnolia vine, blueberries and so on grow abundantly here. Locals claim that you can meet a bear here, especially not far from the Tyati Kunashira volcano.
8. Almost every local resident has a car at his disposal, but there are no gas stations in any of the settlements. Fuel is supplied inside special barrels from Vladivostok and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.
9. Due to the high seismicity of the region, its territories are built up mainly with two- and three-story buildings. Houses five stories high are already considered high-rise buildings and are very rare.
10. While it will be decided whose Kuril Islands, the Russians living here, the duration of the vacation will be 62 days a year. Residents of the southern ridge can enjoy a visa-free regime with Japan. This opportunity is used by about 400 people per year.

The Great Kuril Arc is surrounded by underwater volcanoes, some of which regularly make themselves felt. Any eruption becomes the reason for the resumption of seismic activity, which provokes a "seaquake". Therefore, local lands are prone to frequent tsunamis. The strongest tsunami wave with a height of about 30 meters in 1952 completely destroyed the city on the Paramushir island called Severo-Kurilsk.

The last century was also remembered for several natural disasters. Among them, the most famous was the 1952 tsunami that struck Paramushir, as well as the 1994 Shikotan tsunami. Therefore, it is believed that such a beautiful nature of the Kuril Islands is also very dangerous for human life, but this does not prevent local cities from developing, and the population to grow.