!!!Sakhalin Landmarks, Russia

by members of the [AirPano Team|Geography/About/Consortium/AirPano,_Team] that is a member of the [global-geography Consortium|Geography/About/Consortium]. \\

19 February 2021

with kind permission of [AirPano|http://www.AirPano.com]

It was a happy coincidence that led the AirPano team to the island of
Sakhalin. Initially, we had a shoot scheduled in the Kuril Islands, but
that summer we created a TikTok account and there was "Tourist
Information Centre GoSakhalin" among our followers. As soon as they saw
our posts, they contacted us. We could not ignore such a wonderful
offer: we were invited to visit the most picturesque places of this
island, supported by the official tourist office, and all that at the
most favourable time for a photographer! Of course, we accepted this
invitation.

[{Image src='01_Sakhalin2.jpg' caption='Sakhalin, Russia\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='600'}]

It is not so difficult to reach Sakhalin, as it seems. The airport of
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk connects this part of the Far East with many other
significant cities of Russia. It is a good starting point to many
natural landmarks, but the city itself is interesting in its own way. On
all sides, it is surrounded by mountains and located within the
earthquake zone. That's why there are no skyscrapers, but all the
buildings, both modern and historical, look charming and
well-maintained: the city is proud of its heritage. Probably, the most
famous architectural landmark of the city is the mansion of the Sakhalin
Regional Museum. Constructed in 1937, this Japanese building is the only
example of the traditional architectural style called teikan yoshiki not
only in Sakhalin but in entire Russia.

[{Image src='02_Sakhalin2.jpg' caption='The Sakhalin Regional Museum of Local Lore\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='536'}]

Still, the most interesting places of the island are, practically, in
the middle of nowhere: the places that are hardly accessible. It is not
enough just to rent a car, you will also need a tent, boat, burner,
rainfly and many other things. But you don't have to bring it with you
from Moscow or even buy at the spot: it is much more convenient to use
the services of the Sakhalin tourist firms. The local experts with the
needed equipment who know all the up-to-date realities can bring you to
the most secluded places.

[{Image src='03_Sakhalin2.jpg' caption='Sakhalin, Russia\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='663'}]

The only thing they can't guarantee is the weather. In that regard, we
were extremely lucky to capture the lighthouse of Aniva located at the
far southeast corner of Sakhalin. This marvellous historical and
engineering monument harmoniously coexists with the surrounding
landscape. But for us, it appeared almost entirely wrapped in clouds. We
camped at the foot of the lighthouse, but our humid drone could hardly
fly and cameras quickly turned wet. For a couple of days, we enjoyed
this outdoor recreation and freshly caught fish but afterwards, we
decided to move to our next destination: there was no time to lose.

[{Image src='04_Sakhalin2.jpg' caption='Aniva Lighthouse. Sakhalin, Russia\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='600'}]

We managed to capture the lighthouse only at the second attempt when we
returned there again. And this time, we stayed overnight within its
walls! But when it came to Cape Evstafiya, the very first try was lucky
for us.

[{Image src='05_Sakhalin2.jpg' caption='Evstafia Cape\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='418'}]

The picturesque bay found itself at around 30 km inland, and the very
way from the lighthouse is an adventure with absolutely incredible
impressions. The route runs through the coast of the Aniva bay: the
isthmus between the mountains has a subtropical weather pattern and
dense coniferous and deciduous forest with essentially gigantic burdock.
The cape rising at 50 meters can offer an enjoyable panoramic view of
the breathtaking landscapes, while at its foot there are small
oddly-shaped cliffs created by waves.

[{Image src='06_Sakhalin2.jpg' caption='Evstafia Cape\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='347'}]

Another interesting landmark of Sakhalin with its own unique history is
located nearby: Blue or Turquoise lakes. At the beginning of the 20th
century, the nearby village of Novikovo was a coal mine. But later, in
the 1960ies, an ore containing rare metalloid element germanium (Ge) was
found in this field. It is a perfect semiconductor highly demanded in
the production of transistors. The reserves of this element had run out
until 2005; afterwards, empty careers filled up with ground- and
rainwater. This water is still saturated with the by-product of the
development, thio-acid salts, colouring the water in bright blue.

[{Image src='07_Sakhalin2.jpg' caption='Blue Lakes\\© [AirPano|https://www.AirPano.com]' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='506'}]

And this is just a small part of what we saw in Sakhalin. We hope you
enjoyed this AirPano tour! In the meanwhile, the further virtual tour
will be dedicated to our following destination, the Southern Kurils.

AirPano team would like to express our gratitude to Romanov Oleg
Gennadevich, director of the Tourist Information Centre GoSakhalin, and
the staff of Aniva Tour and Adrenalin Tour companies for assistance in
the shooting process.

\\ \\
[17 panoramas of Sakhalin Island-2|Geography/Asia/Russia/Pictures/Sakhalin_Island-2]

[{SET customtitle='Sakhalin Island-2 (AP)'}]