Which of the Kuril Islands is the largest? Matua underground bunkers. The wildest tree

Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands are located at the eastern edge of the Asian continent. The volcanic origin of the islands, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, powerful cyclones and hurricanes destroyed and created bizarre landscapes, rock formations and unique flora.

Kunashir, Cape Stolbchaty

This essay tells about some of the brightest representatives of perennial plants that the author managed to photograph on the botanical routes of the “plant hunter.”*

The names of the species are given mainly in accordance with the “Identifier of plants of the Soviet Far East” (Voroshilov V.N., Nauka, 1982) and “Flora of the Soviet Far East” (Voroshilov V.N., Nauka, 1966), as well as the book “Wild-growing ornamental plants of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands” (Egorova E.M., Science, 1977).

The significant length of the islands from north to south (Sakhalin 943 km, Kuril Islands 1200 km) contributed to the formation of various plant zones: from tundra in the north to almost subtropical in the south, with a corresponding composition of flora. Of considerable importance is the unique location of the archipelago itself, washed by the mighty Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Okhotsk, with the dominance of oceanic fogs and unpredictable wind conditions. Finally, the flora of neighboring territories had a great influence on the flora of the islands: northern Japan (Hokkaido Island) and the mainland of East Asia. That is why the vast majority of rare plants have habitats of the East Asian and, less often, North Pacific type, and in some cases are limited only to island territory: Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands, Hokkaido.

Even the first acquaintance with the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin cannot leave the observer indifferent. Picturesque mountains and volcanoes, vast expanses of sea, unusual, especially for Europeans, flora and vegetation... Many islands are magnificent natural monuments. Particularly notable is the southern island of Kunashir, 100 km long, where not far from the sea there are very valuable areas of broad-leaved forest rich in interesting plants, which can be called a natural botanical garden. Fr. is also rich in flora. Iturup (200 km long) and southwest Sakhalin. Fr. is particularly picturesque. Shikotan (50 km long).

Often (and perhaps fortunately) the magnificent creatures of the plant kingdom are reliably hidden from humans. The remoteness of habitats, impenetrable wilds and thickets, rocky cliffs and high mountains increase their inaccessibility. Uninhabited territories, extreme weather (frequent and heavy rains, fogs, daytime temperature contrasts, etc.), lack of not only roads, but also trails, cold rivers and icy streams complicate the situation and restrain the enthusiasm of the pioneer. Sometimes only the coastal strip remains, where “no passages” (rocks protruding strongly into the sea) and strong sea tides that cover the entire coast interfere. The northern islands are especially inhospitable with many unmelted snowfields, gray with volcanic ash. There are no trees here, there are a lot of incredibly resinous Maksimovich alders, which you remember for a long time.

The main enemy of the traveler, especially when climbing volcanoes, are completely impenetrable walls made of bamboo and semi-passable cedar dwarf trees. (Now, if only you could invent a personal mini-helicopter or a mini-bulldozer...)

Elfin cedar, "monkey trail" Pinus pumila (Pall.) Rgl.

In general, when working on the islands, you should take into account that all these wonderful places do not tolerate frivolous treatment. You can get lost in the bamboo patches and not get out, dying from hypothermia even in the summer. Moreover, they completely conquer the territory, not allowing other plants, and therefore there are no landmarks there. And I would like an earthquake and a stormy wind to find you on the plain, and not on the top. During a typhoon it is dangerous to be on the river bank, and when there is a storm it is dangerous to be on a boat...

What first of all attracts a person’s attention if he takes a closer look at the world of plants around him? First of all, the plants of the natural flora are incredibly diverse in their appearance and each species is unique in the structure and color of the flower, the shape and texture of the leaves. In addition, many of them are distinguished by their expediency, noble form and harmonious proportions, which are often lost in cultivated varieties.

The first shock you experience is when you encounter a unique plant community: giant thickets of tall grass. In the south, these large perennial herbaceous plants on fertile soils reach three to four meters in height during the summer season! A.P. Chekhov called them fantastic. And one visiting correspondent compared the bear's pipe to telegraph poles (which he published in the newspaper). This is, of course, a strong exaggeration, but to some extent it indicates the vividness of the impression. And indeed, a rider on a horse can hide in these thickets, and, by the way, a curious bear can get up silently and very close. On the islands they are not at all aggressive: they are just interested in finding out who has entered their possessions. We have been convinced of this many times. Even after meeting a mother bear with two cubs, we peacefully went our separate ways. By the way, bear trails (intermittent, paw-to-paw) are interesting because they are the most convenient option for moving. The only bad thing is that there are especially many ticks concentrated there.

The most prominent are the powerful clumps of butterbur, bear's pipe, buckwheat and groundsel.

(not to be confused with hogweed, which has pubescent, hard leaves that cause burns).

In early spring, representatives of the aroid family are among the first to appear on the plain, amazing with their unusual appearance. And every spring, like the first time, you stop, stunned by this miracle. Their bright blankets are visible from a distance against the background of last year's withered foliage. The fragrant flowers of the Kamchatka whitewing near streams are unusually picturesque, when their white “sails”, penetrated by the sun, are reflected in the blue water. Sometimes there are lowlands completely overgrown with whitefly. Incredibly large leaves appear later and in optimal habitats even resemble banana leaves. Bizarre beak-shaped simplocarpus also attract attention, surprising with their inflorescences with unusual dark cherry blankets.

Early-flowering anemones are also noticeable there; the large-flowered anemone Radde with delicate white numerous (12-20 pieces) “petals” is especially impressive. Its thin stems withstand all the vicissitudes of a cold, protracted and windy spring. Along the streams lives a rather powerful marigold with fiery yellow inflorescences that almost cover the leaves.

In the middle tier of mountains in mixed forests you can find Gray's bifolia. This is a rare relict plant with beautiful flowers, berry-shaped dark blue fruits, leaves of unusual shape and an unusual chain-like rhizome, consisting of large rounded links - traces of annual shoots. Habitat type: island. Continuous carpets are formed by the original Kamchatka trillium with a large trifoliate flower and three broadly oval leaves collected in a whorl. Numerous representatives of this genus grow in North America and are called "forest lilies."

Gray's bifoil Diphylleia grayi Fr. Schmidt Kamchatka Trillium Trillium camtschatcense Ker-Gawl.

Gray's bifoil (rhizome)

The giant Glen lily, reaching two meters in height, makes a great impression. The strong aroma of large flowers can be felt from a distance. Island type of distribution. It is quite rare to come across a Japanese candyk with a graceful, delicate flower reminiscent of cyclamen. Island habitat.

Iturup, autumn, larches

In the dark coniferous forest, one cannot help but notice the beautiful Clintonia uda with magnificent clusters of “porcelain” flowers. Its dark blue berry-like fruits are also decorative.

The redberry berry (locally called “klopovka”) is unusual, growing en masse in forest burnt areas. It is this that is the “highlight” of the Sakhalin berry “plantations” and is very popular among the local population. It is not consumed raw, but in drinks and jams it has a wonderful, original and unique taste.

On the islands you can see a wide variety of decorative ferns. Forest species often form a closed canopy. The tall eastern ostrich (island range) grows luxuriantly along the slopes of streams. Even more rare is plagiogyria Matsumura (Iturup, Urup, Japan) with shiny leathery leaves. She hides from bad weather under the cover of bamboo, occupying its outskirts.

The rare Japanese chistous with large and beautifully dissected leaves, also of an island habitat, is also very interesting. The slender Asian chinstripe is quite common, especially on Sakhalin.

The maidenhair adiantum stands out for its decorativeness - an openwork graceful fern with delicate fan-shaped leaves. The Japanese leaflet is also unusual in appearance, with linear leaves that are not dissected at all, and a peculiar medium coniogram.

Many rhododendrons are known for their large, beautiful inflorescences. The very rare short-fruited rhododendron is striking in its size, reaching three meters in height, with spectacular large flowers. We discovered it only once on Iturup near the Atsonupuri volcano in a completely unique place - a fir forest - among overgrown lava flows that created bizarre boulders, grottoes and canyons. There were also many rare orchids growing there. It was felt that there was a particularly favorable ecological situation here. Two other types of rhododendrons are very attractive and quite common in the highlands: golden rhododendron and Kamchatka rhododendron

The forests and hydrangeas undoubtedly decorate the place. Hydrangea paniculata is a beautiful tall (up to 5 m) shrub with many large white inflorescences. The second type is petiolate hydrangea - one of the most decorative vines of the temperate zone. This woody climbing vine is attached to trees by thin aerial sucker roots. Both hydrangeas are of island type.

The most insidious plant of the island flora - dubious sumac - deserves special attention. It is a woody vine or erect shrub up to 2 meters in height, with trifoliate leaves, brownish in spring and red-purple in autumn. It is well distinguished from other local vines by its trifoliate rather than whole leaves. Found: on Sakhalin - southwest, very rare; in the Kuril Islands: Kunashir and Shikotan - often, Iturup - less often, Urup - rarely. In many cases it forms continuous thickets. This sumac produces very severe burns at the slightest contact, even ulcers, accompanied by severe itching. All parts of the plant are poisonous. It rightfully received the local name “mustard gas”. The consequences of contact do not appear immediately, so the person does not know which plant burned him. In some places, mainly on the Okhotsk coast of the southern islands, it completely covers the ground, stones, and climbs rocks and trees. We inevitably had to become closely acquainted with this sumac. The second type is the hairy sumac - a small beautiful tree with feathery leaves that turn red in autumn, collected at the top into a large beautiful whorl. It is very rare in Kunashir and Iturup, so meeting it is very problematic. The only time we saw it was in Kunashir and we somehow didn’t want to find out its possibly burning properties. Both species have an island type of habitat.

Rus, sumac doubtful, mustard oil Rhus ambigua Lav. ex Dipp.

It is also better to keep a respectful distance from the high aralia - a small, rather decorative, but thorny tree - nicknamed the “devil’s tree” because of its many large thorns.

Among the trees, one can also distinguish the pointed yew, mahogany, (sometimes with a very powerful trunk), with beautiful soft dark green needles, red-brown bark and bright red fruits.

The pearl of the island flora is undoubtedly the magnolia - a beautiful slender tree with luxurious fragrant flowers and leaves that fall in winter. It is found very rarely only in the south of Kunashir. Unfortunately, he suffers from the curiosity of those around him, breaking branches, not just flowers. This is the only wild species of magnolia in our country. Other species in the southern regions grow only in plantings.

Magnolia obovate Magnolia obovata Thunb. Kunashir

In addition to the listed plants, it is easy to notice other interesting and decorative tree species in the forests. Such as Sargent's cherry (plum) (Prunus sargentii Rehd.) with magnificent deep pink flowers (up to 4 cm in diameter!), completely covering the branches. The pink cloud of the blossoming tree makes an unforgettable impression, reminiscent of the charm of sakura. The Kuril cherry (Prunus kurilensis (Miyabe) Miyabe), strewn with many smaller light pink flowers, is also beautiful. The large, slender, beautiful bird cherry tree (Prunus ssiori Fr. Schmidt) with unusually long clusters of flowers is also surprising. The forked viburnum (Viburnum furcatum Blume ex Maxim.) is spectacular, decorated with bright inflorescences and fruits, decorative already in early spring, thanks to its rather peculiar leaves with an elegant pattern of depressed veins.

In summer, in seaside meadows and glades, many bright and varied plants appear, attracting our attention.

Orchids are well represented. Particularly impressive are the rather large, bright purple flowers of Lady's slipper grandiflora. On powerful specimens there are up to 15 flowers. The rare Cremastra variable is original with large purple flowers collected in an almost one-sided dense raceme (island type of habitat). More common is the graceful spreading oreorchis.

The meadows are also decorated with other beautiful orchids: spinous orchis and mosquito lily.

Orchis spinosa

Orchis aristata Fish. ex Lindl.

Kokushnik Komarnikov

Gymnadenia conopsea (L.) R. Br.

The tall black cohosh with beautiful spike-shaped openwork inflorescences is particularly diverse. The miniature princess (or arctic raspberry) is cute.

A beautiful aspect in the seaside meadows (Urup) is created by the Siberian anemone dominating the grass cover with large white inflorescences. On Sakhalin, in the same places, you can find the original bicolor edelweiss, an elegant plant with a cream “flower” of tomentose (pubescent) bracts.

More rocky and relatively drier places on Sakhalin are decorated with charming and surprisingly touching sleep-grass or ayansky lumbago, and in the Kuril Islands it is replaced by sleep-grass Tarao. The shaggy large buds, pressed to the ground, resemble fluffy chickens. It is impossible to pass them by indifferently.

The rock and scree plants that occupy vast areas on these mountainous islands are particularly diverse. Under harsh conditions of struggle for existence, the leaf apparatus of rocky plants significantly decreases, and, conversely, the number of flowers and, often, their size increases. All this makes the plants more attractive. Special life forms were formed: miniature plants with a mass of relatively large flowers, often covering the leaves. The stone frame is a magnificent backdrop that emphasizes the beauty of the plant. Rocky cliffs, canyons and cliffs with cascades of waterfalls and streams, decorated with numerous colors, are very picturesque. At the same time, it seems that these plants were placed on the rocks by the hand of an experienced designer, demonstrating extraordinary taste and skill.

Various saxifrages and sedums find reliable refuge on the rocks. Saxifraga cherleriiformes and Saxifraga Fortune look impressive. The most well-known to the population (due to its medicinal properties) is the compact pink or “golden root” sedum (with yellow flowers), which led to its complete disappearance in the immediate vicinity. Self-medication often ended in hospitalization.

Pink sedum, "golden root" Sedum rosea (L.) Scop.

An interesting creeping multi-stemmed sedum with pink flowers (in the photo it is in buds) and pinkish-gray beautiful greenery stands out noticeably; next to it you can see a small and compact fern, St. John's wort or fragrant shield fern. Woodsia multirow has also adapted well to rocks.

The magnificent chickweed is decorative - a relative of the well-known tedious garden weed "woodlice". Its white stars sparkle brightly against the background of bluish-gray leaves. On the rocks it forms picturesque hanging garlands. Pennywort, a fairly powerful plant, also grows well on rocky cliffs.

An ordinary plant, the columbine fan, having climbed onto the scree, also acquired a miniature appearance. In its leaves, bluish with a waxy coating, droplets of dew gather and sparkle like diamonds, and the blue-violet flowers reach 7 cm in diameter.

Even the Manchurian apple tree with fragrant pinkish-white flowers on the rocks has turned into a dwarf tree (almost a bonsai).

Chinese carnation is also beautiful in a stone environment. In the widespread Sakhalin grain, numerous flowers cover the greenery, coloring gravelly and rocky screes.

The endemic Sakhalin gum is very rare and attractive. Found only on high rocks on the northwestern shore of the Tatar Strait (Sakhalin). A tiny specimen of Kuril nivaria also looks picturesque - and how beautiful the flower is in splendid isolation!

Sakhalin tar Silene sachalinensis Fr.Schmidt Habitat of the Sakhalin tar

One of the most decorative species of the genus Artemisia is Artemisia Schmidt with a narrow range limited to the island territory. A compact, low-growing “bush” with silvery-bluish finely dissected leaves, it is beautiful from the moment it grows. The same island species include the wonderful and very decorative cinquefoil, which is indeed large-flowered. Common in the Kuril Islands and extremely rare on Sakhalin. I had to go around the entire Terpeniya Peninsula to find it in small quantities on the rocks of the seashore. And here this is her only habitat.

On the seaside cliffs, without risking your life, you can get acquainted with the magnificent and legendary flower of courage - the Kuril edelweiss (while the search for the famous alpine edelweiss, growing in the Alps, on steep rocky cliffs, is quite dangerous). Its location is limited to two islands: Shikotan and Iturup. Edelweiss Kuril is an intensely pubescent plant with a large “star” formed by white-tomentose bracts. The real flowers are yellow, very small and crowded together in the center of the “star”. Its large velvet “stars” are often more spectacular than alpine edelweiss flowers.

Edelweiss Kuril Leontopodium kurilense Takeda

Shikotan, characteristic landscapes
(Individual groups of trees seem to be scattered across the “mown” meadows - low bamboo.)

The inaccessible highlands are inhabited by very peculiar plants. But in order to meet them, it is necessary to overcome long and difficult kilometers of path through forest rubble and steep slopes, impenetrable thickets of bamboo and semi-passable weaves of dwarf cedar. You have to develop very necessary qualities in yourself: patience, perseverance and determination to reach the goal at any cost. But, having made your way to the clouds (literally), you are usually rewarded with the beauty of the amazing panorama that opens up and especially with an encounter with rare mountain plants. And indeed then “you stand drunk at the top”...

The Sakhalin highlands, as a rule, are even more difficult than the Kuril mountains and make you completely dependent on a helicopter. At the same time, unfortunately, the weather at the top is almost always unflying.

Special types of plants have taken root on the tops of mountains and volcanoes. Under conditions of low temperatures, specific moisture (constant humidity of the air and substrate with powerful drainage) and lighting (frequent fogs), the dominance of strong winds, compact plants tightly pressed to the ground (or slag) were formed.

As you know, the Kuril Islands are a continuous chain of numerous volcanoes (we managed to visit 12 of them).

The volcanoes Stokap on Iturup and Tyatya on Kunashir turned out to be unusually interesting in terms of their flora composition. They were also the most difficult to climb: almost three quarters of the way were high and continuous thickets of bamboo and dwarf cedar. But even after the euphoria of leaving the thicket, the steep scree (two steps forward, one step back) in the last stages of the ascent is also not a joy for a thoroughly exhausted traveler.

Subsequently, it turned out that we were amazingly lucky and we descended from the peaks just in time, because... almost immediately an earthquake began in the area of the Tyati and Stokapa volcanoes, where we worked, and an incredibly powerful typhoon hit Iturup and Sakhalin.

Tyatya - one of the most beautiful Kuril volcanoes - had a geometrically regular cone-shaped shape and extensive cinder fields. Was considered inactive, i.e. It didn’t erupt for 100 years, and we managed to climb it before it soon woke up. And, of course, its wonderful silhouette was seriously damaged, and the high-mountain flora disappeared.

Among the rocky scoria screes on the volcanoes, the dicentra, the “broken heart” (in the shape of a flower), or the “mountain queen”, as it is called in Japan, really looks regal. This figurative definition is completely justified. She amazes with her grace, originality and beauty. This is a touching miniature plant with silvery-bluish finely dissected leaves and white, pink or red flowers that look like a cracked “heart”. A complete little miracle...

In the summer on the northern islands, the snowfields, which last until the next winter, melt a little at the edges, and spring flora always blooms there luxuriantly, including the pretty primrose or primrose cuneifolia. Often in the Kuril Islands, Phyllodoce Aleutian and beautiful Cassiopeia lycopodia with flowers reminiscent of lily of the valley flowers.

Alpine aster Aster alpinus L.

One of the rarest high-mountain species is Miyakea whole-leaved - an endemic species (or genus), narrowly localized even within Sakhalin. It grows on the tops of the oldest East Sakhalin Mountains, where you can only fly by helicopter. The entire plant is intensely pubescent, the bluish-lilac flower is surrounded by a shaggy blanket. Blooms very early. And for a long time miyakeya seemed out of reach. Over time, we managed to find her on the outskirts of the main mountain range (and even without a helicopter).

It is easy to notice that the main “hosts” on the approaches to the highlands are two species: bamboo (in the south) and dwarf cedar (everywhere). The height of the bamboo tree is determined by the level of snow cover. On Shikotan, in well-ventilated places, it is low and is not an obstacle.

When climbing after bamboo, forest or woodland, you find yourself in a belt of dwarf cedar. Here you have to pretend to be a “tightrope walker”, trying to move along the tangled branches, falling through and getting stuck along with your backpack. On Iturup, to get to Stokap, which is at the end of the volcano range, you need to climb the first Burevestnik volcano and then walk along the tops of two volcanoes. And at the very end of the path, in front of the third volcano, an annoying surprise appears as a “monkey trail” (see photo at the beginning). This trail was marked by geologists. It became noticeable, but the headless branches turned into protruding “peaks”, unsafe for the traveler. And at first, during the first ascent of Burevestnik, geologists, fearing for us, categorically refused to show the beginning of the path, no matter how much we begged them.

Once on Sakhalin, in the East Sakhalin Mountains, we unexpectedly found ourselves in an absolutely fantastic forest of dwarf cedar. Its intricately curved branches reached an extraordinary height (two human heights!), and created a simply fabulous impression! You walk on the ground as in an ordinary forest. We have never seen anything like this in the Far East...

A unique place: dwarf cedar - outside and inside Pinus pumila (Pall.) Rgl.

In Kunashir and Iturup we got acquainted with hot springs. Some of them are well known (Hot Beach, Hot Springs). There were also unusual frozen piles of black lava and other traces of volcanic activity.

Let's summarize some results. So, the flora of the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin is unique in many respects. The islands are small in area and therefore especially fragile and vulnerable. The remoteness of many plant habitats and the low population density of the area only partially ensures their preservation. There are also such episodes... In the south of Kunashir, where several hiking trails appeared, our path ran through an amazing forest. We were surrounded on both sides by giant, fragrant, blooming Glen lilies. We were literally mesmerized by their beauty. The spectacle was unforgettable! A few hours later, returning, we came across this path again. It was already a nightmare path with headless lilies. One of the tourists thoroughly and methodically knocked down these wonderful inflorescences... And the magnolia flowers were preserved only at the very top of the trees...

And, unfortunately, wild plants everywhere are retreating further and further from cities and towns (and not only on the islands). And their places are taken by weeds...

Chick. Also defenseless

An orphaned bear cub on a volcano near the geologists' tent.
He quickly mastered dinner time and taught the cook to order, once organizing a small riot
in the dining tent. After which I had to feed the impatient eater first.

A wonderful and famous person who has traveled all over the world, Gerald Durrell stated: “We have inherited an inexpressibly beautiful and diverse garden, but the trouble is that we are worthless gardeners”...

Original plants of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands

Kuril bamboo Sasa kurilensis (Rupr.) Makino et Schibata

Elfin cedar, "monkey trail" Pinus pumila (Pall.) Rgl.

The ones that stand out the most are the powerful chickens. mud of butterbur, bear's pipe, buckwheat and groundsel. Japanese butterbur Petasites japonicus (Siebold et Zucc.) Maxim.

Bear's pipe, Angelica ursina (Rupr.) Maxim.

Highlander, Sakhalin buckwheat Polygonum sachalinense Fr. Schmidt

Knotweed, Weyrich's buckwheat Polygonum weyrichii Fr. Schmidt

Hemp-leaved ragwort (with butterbur) Senecio cannabifolius Less.

In the spring, representatives of the Kamchatka aroid family are among the first to appear against the backdrop of last year's withered foliage.

Symplocarpus renifolius Schott

Radde's anemone Anemone raddeana Regel

Caltha fistulosa Schipcz.

Gray's two-leaf Diphylleia grayi Fr.Schmidt is a rare relict plant with beautiful flowers, berry-shaped dark blue fruits, leaves of unusual shape and an unusual chain-like rhizome, consisting of large rounded links - traces of annual shoots. Habitat type: island

Gray's two-leaf Diphylleia grayi Fr.Schmidt

Trillium camtschatcense Ker-Gawl. Continuous carpets are formed by the original Kamchatka trillium with a large trifoliate flower and three broad oval leaves collected in a whorl. Numerous representatives of this genus grow in North America and are called "forest lilies."

Glen's lily Lilium glehnii Fr. Schmidt - Glen's giant lily reaches a height of two meters. The strong aroma of large flowers can be felt from a distance. Island type of distribution. It is quite rare to come across a Japanese candyk with a graceful, delicate flower reminiscent of cyclamen. Island habitat.

Japanese Kandyk Erythronium japonicum Decne

Iturup, larches

Clintonia udensis Trautv. et Mey. In the dark coniferous forest, one cannot help but notice the beautiful Clintonia uda with magnificent clusters of “porcelain” flowers. Its dark blue berry-like fruits are also decorative.

Krasnika, "klopovka", outstanding vaccinium Vaccinium praestans Lamb. Grows en masse in forest burnt areas. It is the highlight of the Sakhalin berry plantations and has a wonderful, unique taste.

Eastern ostrich Matteuccia orientalis (Hook.) Trev. The tall eastern ostrich (island range) grows luxuriantly along the slopes of streams.

Plagiogyria matsumura Plagiogyria matsumurana Makino. Rare plagiogyria Matsumura (Iturup, Urup, Japan) with shiny leathery leaves. She hides from bad weather under the cover of bamboo, occupying its outskirts.

Japanese chinstripe Osmunda japonica Thunb Japanese chinstripe of the island range. .

Asian chinstripe Osmunda asiatica (Fern.) Ohwi - Asian chinstripe is common on Sakhalin.

Maidenhair Adianthum pedatum L. (right) together with Japanese chinstrap and eastern ostrich. Adiantum pedatum stands out for its decorativeness - an openwork graceful fern with delicate fan-shaped leaves.

Japanese leaf fern Phyllitis japonica Kom. The Japanese leaf fern is unusual in appearance, with linear leaves that are not dissected at all.

Coniogram average Coniogramme intermedia Hieron - fern coniogram average.

Short-fruited rhododendron Rhododendron brachicarpum D. Don The very rare short-fruited rhododendron is striking in its size, reaching three meters in height, with spectacular large flowers on Iturup near the Atsonupuri volcano in a completely unique place - a fir forest - among overgrown lava flows that created bizarre boulders, grottoes and canyons. There are also many rare orchids there.

Kamchatka rhododendron Rhododendron camtschaticum Pall. Common in highlands

Golden rhododendron Rhododendron aureum Georgi Common in the highlands

Hydrangea paniculata Siebold - up to 5 m shrub with many large white inflorescences.

Hydrangea petiolaris Siebold et Zucc. is one of the most decorative vines of the temperate zone. This woody climbing vine is attached by thin aerial sucker roots to trees - hydrangea - island type of distribution

Rus, sumac doubtful, mustard oil Rhus ambigua Lav. ex Dipp

Rus, sumac doubtful, mustard oil Rhus ambigua Lav. ex Dipp. Sumac is a woody vine or erect shrub up to 2 meters in height, with trifoliate leaves, brownish in spring and red-purple in autumn. It is well distinguished from other local vines by its trifoliate rather than whole leaves. Found: on Sakhalin - southwest, very rare; in the Kuril Islands: Kunashir and Shikotan - often, Iturup - less often, Urup - rarely. In many cases it forms continuous thickets. Sumac (“mustard”) on contact produces ulcers accompanied by severe itching. All parts of the plant are poisonous. The consequences of contact do not appear immediately, so the person does not know which plant burned him. In some places, mainly on the Okhotsk coast of the southern islands, it completely covers the ground, stones, climbs rocks and trees. Sumac pilosa is a small beautiful tree with feathery leaves that turn red in autumn, collected at the top into a large beautiful whorl. Very rare, in Kunashir and Iturup. Both species have an island type of habitat.

High Aralia Aralia elata (Miq.) Seem. Aralia talla is a small thorny tree (“devil’s tree”).

Fruits of the yew (mahogany) Taxus cuspidata Siebold et ZuccTis pointed, mahogany, (sometimes with a very powerful trunk), with beautiful soft dark green needles, red-brown bark and bright red fruits.

Magnolia obovate Magnolia obovata Thunb. Kunashir is a beautiful slender tree with luxurious fragrant flowers and leaves that fall in the winter.

Lady's slipper large-flowered Cypripedium macranthon Sw.

Cremastra variabilis (Blume) Nakai and Oreorchis patens

Orchis aristata Fish. ex Lindl. meadow

Gymnadenia conopsea (L.) R. Br.. meadow

Black cohosh simple Cimicifuga simplex Wormsk.

Rubus arcticus L.

Siberian anemone Anemone sibirica L. Siberian anemone dominates in the coastal meadows of Urup.

Edelweiss bicolor Leontopodium discolor Beauverd - edelweiss bicolor, an elegant plant with a cream “flower” of felt (pubescent) bracts

Sleep-grass, Ayan lumbago Pulsatilla ajanensis Regel et Til- Rocky and dry places on Sakhalin are decorated with sleep-grass or Ayan lumbago, and in the Kuril Islands it is replaced by Tarao sleep-grass. The shaggy large buds, pressed to the ground, resemble fluffy chickens.

Sleep-grass, lumbago Tarao Pulsatilla taraoi (Makino) Takeda ex Zam. et Paegie

Saxifraga cherlerioides D. Don Various saxifrages and sedums find a reliable refuge on the rocks. Saxifraga cherleriiformes and Saxifraga Fortune look impressive. The most well-known to the population (due to its medicinal properties) is the compact pink or “golden root” sedum (with yellow flowers), which led to its complete disappearance in the immediate vicinity. Self-medication often ended in hospitalization.

Saxifraga fortunei Hook. f.

Pink sedum, "golden root" Sedum rosea (L.) Scop.

Multi-stemmed sedum Sedum pluricaule (Maxim.) Kudo and stone St. John's wort Dryopteris fragrans (L.) Schott. The creeping multi-stemmed sedum with pink flowers (in buds in the photo) and pinkish-gray beautiful greenery stands out noticeably; next to it you can see the small and compact stone fern St. John's wort or fragrant shield fern. Woodsia multirow has adapted well to rocks.

Woodsia polystichoides D. Eat.

Chickweed Stellaria ruscifolia Pall. ex Schlecht- - a relative of the garden weed "woodlice".

Hedysarum hedysaroides (L.) Schinz et Thell.

Catchment fan Aquilegia flabellata Siebold et Zucc. Its leaves, bluish with a waxy coating, collect droplets of dew, and its blue-violet flowers reach 7 cm in diameter.

Manchurian apple tree Malus mandshurica (Maxim.) Kom. with fragrant pinkish-white flowers on the rocks has turned into a dwarf tree

Chinese carnation Dianthus chinensis L

Sakhalin grain Draba sachalinensis (Fr. Schmidt) Trautv.

Sakhalin Smolevka Silene sachalinensis Fr.Schmidt. Endemic, found only on the high cliffs of the northwestern shore of the Tatar Strait (Sakhalin).

Kuril cornflower Leucanthemum kurilense (Tzvel.) Worosch

Schmidt's wormwood Artemisia schmidtiana Maxim - Schmidt's wormwood is limited to the island territory

Potentilla megalantha Takeda. Common in the Kuril Islands and extremely rare in Sakhalin.

Edelweiss Kuril Leontopodiu m Kurilense Takeda. Its location is limited to two islands: Shikotan and Iturup. Edelweiss Kuril is an intensely pubescent plant with a large “star” formed by white-tomentose bracts. The real flowers are yellow, very small and crowded together in the center of the “star”.

Dicentra alien, "broken heart" Dicentra peregrina (J. Rudolph) Makino. Among the rocky scoria on volcanoes there is a dicentra (“broken heart”).

Bush penstemon Penstemon frutescens Lamb.Common in highlands

Campanula lasiocarpa Cham

Primrose Primula cuneifolia Ledeb. In the summer on the northern islands, the snowfields, which remain until the next winter, melt a little at the edges, and spring flora always blooms there luxuriantly, including primrose or primrose cuneifolia.

Cassiopeia lycopodioides (Pall.) D.Don

Phyllodoce aleutica (Spreng.) Heller

Alpine aster Aster alpinus L.

Miyakea whole-leaved Miyakea integrifolia Miyabe et Tatew. One of the rarest high-mountain species is Miyakea whole-leaved - an endemic species (or genus), narrowly localized even within Sakhalin. Grows on the tops of the East Sakhalin Mountains. The entire plant is intensely pubescent, the bluish-lilac flower is surrounded by a shaggy blanket. Blooms very early.

Bamboo

dwarf cedar - outside and inside Pinus pumila (Pall.) Rgl.

Whale ribs in the vicinity of the whaling plant (Simushir Island)

Lysichiton leaves in summer

Thickets of ostrich feather fern (Kunashir Island)

Egorova Elena Markelovna

From http://www.kuriles1.ru/orig/default.htm plants Candidate of Biological Sciences - Elena Markelovna Egorova

Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands are a meeting of north and south

Adianthum pedatum L. - Adianthum stop-shaped
Anemone raddeana Regel - Anemone Radde, Anemone Radde
Anemone sibirica L. - Siberian anemone, Siberian anemone
Angelica ursina (Rupr.) Maxim. - Angelica bear, Bear's pipe
Aquilegia flabellata Siebold et Zucc. - Fan catchment area
Aralia elata (Miq.) Seem. - Aralia high
Artemisia schmidtiana Maxim. - Wormwood Schmidt
Aster alpinus L. - Alpine aster
Caltha fistulosa Schipcz. - Marigold
Campanula lasiocarpa Cham. - Campanula pilosa
Cassiope lycopodioides (Pall.) D.Don - Cassiopeia lycopodioides
Cimicifuga simplex Wormsk. - Black cohosh simple
Clintonia udensis Trautv. et Mey. - Clintonia uda
Coniogramme intermedia Hieron - Coniogram average
Cremastra variabilis (Blume) Nakai - Cremastra variabilis
Cypripedium macranthon Sw. - Lady's slipper grandiflora
Dianthus chinensis L. - Chinese carnation
Dicentra peregrina (J. Rudolph) Makino - Dicentra peregrina, "Broken Heart"
Diphylleia grayi Fr. Schmidt - Gray's Twofoil
Draba sachalinensis (Fr. Schmidt) Trautv. - Krupka Sakhalinskaya
Dryopteris fragrans (L.) Schott - Stone St. John's wort
Erythronium japonicum Decne. - Japanese Kandyk
Gymnadenia conopsea (L.) R. Br. - Kokushnik mosquito
Hedysarum hedysaroides (L.) Schinz. et Thell.- Pennywort
Hydrangea paniculata Siebold - Hydrangea paniculata
Hydrangea petiolaris Siebold et Zucc. - Hydrangea petiolate
Leontopodium discolor Beauverd - Edelweiss two-color
Leontopodium kurilense Takeda - Kuril Edelweiss
Leucanthemum kurilense (Tzvel.) Worosch. - Kuril Nivyanik
Lilium glehnii Fr. Schmidt - Lily Glen
Lysichiton camtschatcense (L.) Schott - Kamchatka whitewing (lysichiton)
Magnolia obovata Thunb. - Magnolia obovate
Malus mandshurica (Maxim.) Kom. - Manchurian apple tree
Matteuccia orientalis (Hook.) Trev. - Eastern ostrich
Miyakea integrifolia Miyabe et Tatew. - Miyakea whole leaf
Orchis aristata Fish. ex Lindl. - Orchis spinosa
Oreorchis patens (Lindl.) Lindl. - Oreorchis spreading
Osmunda asiatica (Fern.) Ohwi - Asian Osmunda, Asian Chistous
Osmunda japonica Thunb. - Osmunda japonica, Chistous japonica
Penstemon frutescens Lamb. - Penstemon bush
Petasites japonicus (Siebold et Zucc.) Maxim. - Japanese butterbur
Phyllitis japonica Kom. - Japanese leaflet
Phyllodoce aleutica (Spreng.) Heller
Pinus pumila (Pall.) Rgl. - Cedar elfin wood
Plagiogyria matsumurana Makino - Plagiogyria matsumura
Polygonum sachalinense Fr. Schmidt - Sakhalin knotweed (buckwheat)
Polygonum weyrichii Fr. Schmidt - Highlander (buckwheat) of Weirich
Potentilla megalantha Takeda - Large-flowered cinquefoil
Primula cuneifolia Ledeb. - Primula cuneifolia, Primula cuneifolia
Prunus kurilensis (Miyabe) Miyabe - Kurilian Prunus, Kurilian cherry (plum)
Prunus sargentii Rehd. - Prunus Sargent
Prunus ssiori Fr. Schmidt - Prunus syori
Pulsatilla ajanensis Regel et Til. - Ayansky lumbago, Ayansky dream-grass
Pulsatilla taraoi (Makino) Takeda ex Zam. et Paegie - Tarao's lumbago, Tarao's dream-grass
Rhododendron aureum Georgi - Golden Rhododendron
Rhododendron brachicarpum D. Don - Short-fruited rhododendron
Rhododendron camtschaticum Pall. - Rhododendron Kamchatka
Rhus ambigua Lav. ex Dipp. - Rus (sumac) doubtful
Rhus trichocarpa Miq. - Rus (sumac) hairy
Rubus arcticus L. - Arctic raspberry
Sasa kurilensis (Rupr.) Makino et Schibata - Kuril bamboo
Saxifraga cherlerioides D. Don - Saxifraga cherleriiformes
Saxifraga fortunei Hook. f. - Saxifraga Fortune
Sedum pluricaule (Maxim.) Kudo - Multi-stemmed sedum
Sedum rosea (L.) Scop. - Pink sedum, Golden root
Senecio cannabifolius Less. - Hemp-leaved ragwort
Silene sachalinensis Fr.Schmidt - Sakhalin Smolevka
Stellaria ruscifolia Pall. ex Schlecht. - Chickweed
Symplocarpus renifolius Schott
Taxus cuspidata Siebold et Zucc. - Pointed yew
Trillium camtschatcense Ker-Gawl. - Trillium Kamchatka
Vaccinium praestans Lamb. - Vaccinium is outstanding, Krasnika
Viburnum furcatum Blume ex Maxim. - Viburnum fork
Woodsia polystichoides D. Eat. - Woodsia multirow

The significant length from north to south of Sakhalin - 943 km, Kuril Islands - 1200 km contributed to the formation of various plant belts: from the tundra in the north to almost subtropics in the south, with the corresponding composition of the flora. Of considerable importance is the location of the archipelago with the dominance of oceanic fogs and unpredictable wind conditions and the flora of neighboring territories: o. Hokkaido and mainland East Asia. That is why the vast majority of rare plants have habitats of the East Asian and North Pacific type.
Particularly notable is the southern island of Kunashir, 100 km long, where not far from the sea there are very valuable areas of broad-leaved forest rich in interesting plants, which can be called a natural botanical garden. Fr. is also rich in flora. Iturup (200 km long) and southwest Sakhalin. Fr. is particularly picturesque. Shikotan (50 km long).
Uninhabited territories, extreme weather (frequent and heavy rains, fogs, daytime temperature contrasts, etc.), lack of trails restrain the enthusiasm of the pioneer. The northern islands with many unmelted snowfields are especially inhospitable. There are no trees here, there is a lot of resinous Maksimovich alder, which you remember for a long time.
The main enemy of the traveler is the impenetrable walls of bamboo and dwarf cedar. Giant thickets of tall grass in the south - these large perennial herbaceous plants on fertile soils reach three to four meters in height during the summer season.

In addition to the listed plants, it is easy to notice other interesting and decorative tree species in the forests. Such as Sargent's cherry (plum) (Prunus sargentii Rehd.) with magnificent deep pink flowers (up to 4 cm in diameter!) completely covering the branches. The pink cloud of the blossoming tree makes an unforgettable impression, reminiscent of the charm of sakura. The Kuril cherry (Prunus kurilensis (Miyabe) Miyabe), strewn with many smaller light pink flowers, is also beautiful. The large, slender, beautiful bird cherry tree (Prunus ssiori Fr. Schmidt) with unusually long clusters of flowers is also surprising. The forked viburnum (Viburnum furcatum Blume ex Maxim.) is spectacular, decorated with bright inflorescences and fruits, decorative already in early spring, thanks to its rather peculiar leaves with an elegant pattern of depressed veins.

The plants of rocks and screes are especially different. In conditions of struggle for existence, the leaf apparatus of rocky plants significantly decreases and the number of flowers increases. Special life forms were formed: miniature plants with a mass of relatively large flowers, often covering the leaves. The stone frame is a magnificent backdrop that emphasizes the beauty of the plant.

The inaccessible highlands are inhabited by peculiar plants. Special types of plants have taken root on the tops of mountains and volcanoes. Under conditions of low temperatures, specific moisture (constant humidity of the air and substrate with powerful drainage) and lighting (frequent fogs), the dominance of strong winds, compact plants tightly pressed to the ground (or slag) were formed.

The main “hosts” of the highlands are bamboo (in the south) and dwarf cedar (everywhere). The height of the bamboo tree is determined by the level of snow cover. When climbing after bamboo, forest or woodland, you find yourself in a belt of dwarf cedar.

the flora of the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin is unique. The islands are small in area and therefore especially fragile and vulnerable. The remoteness and small population partly ensures their safety. Unfortunately, wild plants are retreating further and further from populated areas. And their places are taken by weeds...

Ground vegetation is sparse in the north of the ridge and somewhat richer in the south. Small-leaved forests and tall grasses dominate. Coniferous-deciduous and coniferous forests are less common. The flora of the Kuril Islands includes about a thousand species of plants. The youth of the surface and intense volcanism are associated with the low distribution of endemic and relict plant forms and the uniqueness of the soils.

The soils have several humus horizons covered by volcanic ash. Their fertility depends on the composition of the ashes. On ashes with an abundance of phosphorus and lime, soils are more fertile than on ashes made of glassy acidic particles. The soils of the Kuril Islands belong to the mountain-tundra, mountain-meadow, turf, and silty-peaty types. Podzolic soils are rare.

On the northern islands, along with thickets of dwarf cedar and shrubby alder, meadows and heathlands are common; Above 550-1000 m there are mountain tundras, mainly shrub-lichen. They are characterized by heather, saxifrage, etc. In the middle part of the Kuril Arc, from the island of Rasshua to Iturup, the lower parts of the mountain slopes are surrounded by sparse birch forests of stone birch (Betula ulmifolia) and wet meadows. Birch forests often have an understory of alder (Alnaster maximowiczii). Above are belts of shrubs and heath. In the north of this segment of the Kuril Arc, heathers form the lowest belt (up to 100 m), descending into the damp and cooled foothills due to climatic inversion, and stone birch forests begin above them.

On the southern islands - Iturup, Kunashir - and the islands of the Lesser Kuril Ridge, the vegetation is more lush and diverse. There are dense thickets of Kuril bamboo (Sasa kurilensis) and large umbrella species. On mountain slopes protected from the influence of cold currents, as well as on the plains and hills of the extreme south of the Kuril ridge, coniferous-broad-leaved and broad-leaved forests with oaks, maples, elms, velvet, etc. grow. Tall grass and coniferous-broad-leaved forests above are replaced by spruce-fir forests ( from Picea ajanensis, P. glehnii and Abies sachalinensis) with an admixture of deciduous species, rising to 500-600 m. On Iturup and Shikotan there are also open forests of Kuril larch (Larix kurilensis). Above the coniferous forests there are stone birch forests, and often there are immediately thickets of dwarf cedar and shrubby alder. The forests of the southern islands - high air humidity has a depressing effect on the trees.

The islands are surrounded by vast fields of algae, making it difficult for ships to approach the shore.
http://www.www.ecosystema.ru/rusgeo/6_3_2_6.html

Near the islands of the Kuril ridge, the underwater vegetation is represented by huge underwater meadows of seaweed, most of which are occupied by seaweed. It is used for many purposes and is also eaten.

Large forests of Melano spermae algae surround each island of the ridge - they spread around them in a green stripe, reaching up to half a mile. The most amazing algae is considered to be Nereocystis Lutkeanus algae. They grow very quickly. Starting to grow in April, already at the end of June the algae reach 50 meters in length and rise to the water surface of the sea. When sailing on a boat, it is quite difficult to escape from their embrace.

Ground vegetation

The ridge of the Kuril Islands has a fairly strong extension from north to south, due to which the vegetation cover on each individual island is very diverse. The southern islands of the ridge have the richest species composition of plants, the northern islands are covered with less vegetation, and the middle ones are completely poor in it. In addition, vegetation varies depending on the altitude above sea level.

The northernmost islands of the Kuril ridge are covered with thickets of shrubby alder and dwarf cedar. There are also many swamps and tundra vegetation growing here. The local vegetation is similar to that of Cape Lopatka. These include such edible species as blueberries, sweet grass, sweet root (sout), wild garlic, sarana, shelamaynik, kutagarnik (kanasut), cloudberries and shiksha.

The vegetation growing on the southern islands of the northern link and the northern islands of the middle link of the Kuril ridge has the poorest species composition. These islands also have a small area and the absolute heights are very low. Even shrubby alder and dwarf cedar do not grow here. Bare areas of steep mountain slopes can often be found on the islands of Ekarma, Chirinkotan and Raikoke. Only in the lowlands are there green mosses and rare flowers.

The peaks and highlands of the Middle and Northern Kuril Islands are covered with green islands of grass, scattered between stones and consisting of small bushes, individual tufts and specimens of herbaceous plants. There are also a lot of lichens and mosses growing here.

The islands, which make up the middle link of the Kuril ridge, do not have coniferous tree species, except for dwarf cedar. There are thickets of shrubby alder and groves of white birch with a small undergrowth of Kuril bamboo. The northern limit of bamboo growth passes through Ketoi Island. The main part of the Middle Kuril Islands is occupied by thickets of heather and elfin pine. The further south you go, the larger the heath areas become.

To the south of the Bussol Strait, an increase in species vegetation and the density of vegetation cover is very clearly felt. Dense thickets of grass occupy the island of Etorofu and the lowlands of the island of Uruppu. On the island of Etorofu you can also find thickets of nettles, asa, umbrella grasses and fuki, which make it impossible to walk around the island; you can only walk along well-trodden paths or drive along the sea. In the depressions of the island of Kunasari, a jungle of nettles, sasa and umbrella plants has grown, reaching the height of a man. In the river valleys of the island, reeds grow, alternating with irises, sorrel, wild onions and lilies. On dry hills they give way to beautiful carpets of forget-me-nots, daisies, carnations, geraniums, buttercups and dandelions. The sand dunes of Sikotan Island are covered with scented roses and wild peas.

The southern islands of the Kuril chain, such as Etorofu, Uruppu and Kunasari, are covered with coniferous forests of Sakhalin fir (Abiessachalinensis), Hokkaido spruce (Piceajezoensis) and a small amount of Glen spruce (PiceaGlehni). Coniferous forests begin at the foot of the mountains, and the further north, the lower the upper limit of their distribution.

Sometimes maple (Acerukurunduense) and yew are found in coniferous forests. The forest undergrowth consists of sasa - almost impenetrable thickets of Kuril bamboo. Above the coniferous forests lie groves of elfin birch, with an undergrowth of dwarf cedar and the same bamboo. Sometimes tall grasses are found in them, represented by Kamchatka shelamaynka (Filipendulakamtscha-tica), spear-leaved cacalia (Cacaliahastata), sweet hogweed (Heracleumdulce), palm-leaved ragwort (Seneciopalmatus), bear angelica (Angelicaursina) and other plants. Even higher, above the groves of elfin birch, there are difficult-to-pass thickets of shrubby alder (Alnus Maximoviczii) and dwarf cedar (Pinuspumila).

In the southern islands, especially Kunashiri Island, the southern mountain slopes are covered with groves of deciduous trees such as oak, maple, aspen and Japanese birch. But their areas are very small. The further south you go, the more noticeable the vertical zonation of vegetation becomes - northern forests are located on low hills and lowlands (Shumushu Island), southern forests reach high mountain slopes. On Uruppu Island, only the mountain peaks are not covered with forest - they are snow-covered most of the year. The highest points of Kunasiri Island are occupied by groves and solitary trees. In the lowlands of the island of Sikotan there are meadows and swamps, and the tops of the hills are occupied by forests.

Vegetation cover is distributed depending on the exposure of the slopes: for example, on the island of Ekarum, shrubs are located on the eastern side. Also, the formation and distribution of vegetation is strongly influenced by the orographic structure of the islands, protection from the effects of strong winds and the distribution of the loose cover of the weathering crust.

The forests are of low quality. Trees are exposed to high atmospheric humidity, which leads to early tree decay, the formation of knots and hollows. The island of Etorofu has the best forest composition, although it also has most of the dead trees. In those valleys through which corridor winds pass, and those located on windward mountain slopes, you can often find creeping, flag and dwarf trees with a twisting and curved trunk.

Fauna of the Kuril Islands

For a long period of time, the main fish species were sea beaver (otter) and fur seal. Over time, due to uncontrolled fishing, the number of these animals has decreased quite significantly.

The number of fur seals was so large that their rookeries were on almost all the islands of the ridge. Before the advent of cruel industrialists, the clothing of the local aborigines, the Ainu, was made from seal skins. In the 70-80s of the last millennium, Ainu clothing began to be made from bird skins, and only the edges of clothes and collars were trimmed with seal fur. In the old days, on the islands of Raikoke, Sredneva and Musiru there were fur seal rookeries, each of which numbered 50,000 individuals. Now they too are abandoned.

By the end of the last century, the number of sea beavers also began to decrease. In one season, the schooner's catch was 2,000 fur seal pelts, when only 70-80 beaver pelts could be obtained in a year. Previously, herds of sea beavers numbered 100 or more animals, but now it is rare to find even 12 individuals in a herd. In the last century, there were 18 sea lion rookeries on the islands of the Kuril chain, and the annual catch was 100,000 individuals. There are so many sea lion rookeries nowhere in the world. When sailing near the islands, sailors use the roar of sea lions and the smell of their rookeries as a guide. The seal is found throughout the entire territory of the ridge. There is much less fishing for it. Near the southern islands live the grey-bellied, humpback and gray whales, which are rarely seen off the northern islands.
Also near the southern islands there are many dolphins, which are also the object of fishing. All hunted animals have wonderful skins (beaver, seal and sea lion), fat and tasty meat (seal and sea lion). The migratory route of whales, which in the summer go to the Pacific Ocean to feed and in the fall return for the winter to the shores of Korea and further to the south, passes along the Kuril Islands.

Near the islands of the ridge you can find such industrially valuable large whales as the herring whale or fin whale (Balaenopteraphysalus), sperm whale (Phyxtercutodon) and bottlenose whale. A variety of freshwater fish are found in rivers and lakes: mountain and spring trout, roach. In the summer, large schools of salmon fish flock to the mouths of island rivers to spawn, where they become available for fishing. Typical salmonid fish of the Sea of Okhotsk include pink salmon, sockeye salmon, chum salmon, coho salmon and pink salmon, while the southern islands are home to masu salmon.

The coastal waters of the islands are home to many invertebrate animals: sea urchins, jellyfish, crabs, starfish, mollusks, sea cucumbers and sea anemones.

Due to the proximity of a large expanse of water, a large number of oceanic birds, characteristic of the southern and central parts of the Pacific Ocean, nest on the Kuril Islands. These include storm petrels, petrels and albatrosses. Near freshwater bodies of water there are red-throated loon and ducks: merganser, mallard, teal, killer whale, tufted duck, pintail and scoter. There are also many nesting sites for gulls, waders and terns. The Kuril Islands are rich in coastal seabirds, which form huge nesting colonies - bird colonies - on the majestic steep cliffs. These include kittiwakes and two species of guillemots, which lay their eggs in rocky ledges, where they can then be collected and eaten. Great auks, auklets, guillemots, puffins and elders, nest in rock slides, burrows and cracks in rocks.

The largest bird markets are located on the islands of Ketoi, Onekotan, Sirinkotan, Buroton and Usisiru, as well as on the satellite islands - the Kotani (Bird) rocks, Kamome and others.
Land birds are also very diverse. Forest birds live here, similar to those that live in Primorye and Kamchatka. These include bullfinches, nutcrackers, woodpeckers, jays, grosbeaks, tits, pikas and buntings. A large number of northern taiga birds live on the islands, including redpolls, bee-eaters, nutcrackers and black woodpeckers. And the southern half of the ridge is home to the Japanese long-tailed tit, blue flycatcher, Japanese quail and others. The most common bird species are barn swallows, wagtails and skylarks. On the northern and middle islands of the Kuril ridge (Onekotan, Araito, Paramusire, Syumushu, Shimusiru and Haramukotane), the tundra partridge, which has its own special local subspecies - Logopusmutuskurilensis, nests on treeless mountain peaks. Birds of prey on the islands include the peregrine falcon, gyrfalcon, buzzard, hawks, several species of owls, and huge carrion-eating eagles. In total, 170 bird species live on the Kuril Islands, most of which nest in the south.

Most of the land mammals are represented by forest animals. There are brown bears on the northern and southern islands. Almost all islands are home to foxes - only small islands do not have them. Fox fur is very beautiful, especially silver brown. Due to the special value of fox fur, the Japanese built fox nurseries on many islands. The southern islands are home to squirrels, otters, hares, sables, as well as a huge number of small rodents.

There are few reptiles on the Kuril Islands; they can only be found in the southern part of the ridge. Also in this part there are many insects, which are practically absent on the middle islands and a little more on the northern ones. The southern islands are home to many ants, beetles, cockroaches, bumblebees, ticks, mosquitoes, midges and flies.

Initially, the Ainu lived on the islands of Japan (then it was called Ainumoshiri - land of the Ainu), until they were pushed north by the proto-Japanese. But the ancestral lands of the Ainu are on the Japanese islands of Hokkaido and Honshu. The Ainu came to Sakhalin in the 13th-14th centuries, “finishing” their settlement in the beginning. XIX century.

Traces of their appearance were also found in Kamchatka, Primorye and Khabarovsk Territory. Many toponymic names of the Sakhalin region have Ainu names: Sakhalin (from “SAKHAREN MOSIRI” - “wave-shaped land”); the islands of Kunashir, Simushir, Shikotan, Shiashkotan (the endings “shir” and “kotan” mean “plot of land” and “settlement”, respectively). It took the Japanese more than 2 thousand years to occupy the entire archipelago up to and including Hokkaido (then called “Ezo”) (the earliest evidence of skirmishes with the Ainu dates back to 660 BC). Subsequently, almost all of the Ainu degenerated or assimilated with the Japanese and Nivkhs.

Currently, there are only a few reservations on Hokkaido where Ainu families live. The Ainu are perhaps the most mysterious people in the Far East. The first Russian navigators who studied Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands were surprised to note the Caucasoid facial features, thick hair and beards unusual for the Mongoloids. Russian decrees of 1779, 1786 and 1799 indicate that the inhabitants of the southern Kuril Islands - the Ainu - had been Russian subjects since 1768 (in 1779 they were exempt from paying tribute to the treasury - yasak), and the southern Kuril Islands were considered Russia as its own territory. The fact of the Russian citizenship of the Kuril Ainu and the Russian ownership of the entire Kuril ridge is also confirmed by the Instruction of the Irkutsk Governor A.I. Bril to the chief commander of Kamchatka M.K. Bem in 1775, and the “yasash table” - the chronology of the collection in the 18th century. c Ainu - inhabitants of the Kuril Islands, including the southern ones (including the island of Matmai-Hokkaido), the mentioned tribute-yasaka. Iturup means “the best place”, Kunashir - Simushir means “a piece of land - a black island”, Shikotan - Shiashkotan (the ending words “shir” and “kotan” mean “a piece of land” and “settlement”, respectively).

With their good nature, honesty and modesty, the Ainu made the best impression on Krusenstern. When they were given gifts for the fish they delivered, they took them in their hands, admired them and then returned them. It was with difficulty that the Ainu managed to convince them that this was being given to them as property. In relation to the Ainu, Catherine the Second prescribed to be kind to the Ainu and not to tax them, in order to alleviate the situation of the new Russian sub-South Kuril Ainu. Decree of Catherine II to the Senate on the exemption from taxes of the Ainu - the population of the Kuril Islands who accepted Russian citizenship in 1779. Eya I.V. commands that the shaggy Kurilians - the Ainu, brought into citizenship on the distant islands - should be left free and no tax should be demanded from them, and henceforth the peoples living there should not be forced to do so, but try to continue what has already been done with them through friendly treatment and affection for the expected benefit in trades and trade acquaintance. The first cartographic description of the Kuril Islands, including their southern part, was made in 1711-1713. according to the results of the expedition of I. Kozyrevsky, who collected information about most of the Kuril Islands, including Iturup, Kunashir and even the “Twenty-Second” Kuril Island MATMAI (Matsmai), which later became known as Hokkaido. It was precisely established that the Kuril Islands were not subordinate to any foreign state. In the report of I. Kozyrevsky in 1713. it was noted that the South Kuril Ainu “live autocratically and are not subject to citizenship and trade freely.” It should be especially noted that Russian explorers, in accordance with the policy of the Russian state, discovering new lands inhabited by the Ainu, immediately announced the inclusion of these lands in Russia, began to study and economic development, carried out missionary activities, and imposed tribute (yasak) on the local population. During the 18th century, all the Kuril Islands, including their southern part, became part of Russia. This is confirmed by the statement made by the head of the Russian embassy N. Rezanov during negotiations with the commissioner of the Japanese government K. Toyama in 1805 that “north of Matsmaya (Hokkaido) all lands and waters belong to the Russian emperor and that the Japanese did not extend their possessions further." The 18th century Japanese mathematician and astronomer Honda Toshiaki wrote that “... the Ainu look at the Russians as their own fathers,” since “true possessions are won by virtuous deeds. Countries forced to submit to force of arms remain, at heart, unconquered.”

By the end of the 80s. In the 18th century, enough evidence of Russian activity in the Kuril Islands was accumulated for, in accordance with the norms of international law of that time, to consider the entire archipelago, including its southern islands, to belong to Russia, which was recorded in Russian state documents. First of all, we should mention the imperial decrees (recall that at that time the imperial or royal decree had the force of law) of 1779, 1786 and 1799, which confirmed the Russian citizenship of the South Kuril Ainu (then called the “shaggy Kurilians”), and the islands themselves were declared possession Russia. In 1945, the Japanese evicted all the Ainu from occupied Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands to Hokkaido, while for some reason they left on Sakhalin a labor army of Koreans brought by the Japanese and the USSR had to accept them as stateless persons, then the Koreans moved to Central Asia. A little later, ethnographers wondered for a long time where in these harsh lands the people wearing the open (southern) type of clothing came from, and linguists discovered Latin, Slavic, Anglo-Germanic and even Indo-Aryan roots in the Ainu language. The Ainu were classified as Indo-Aryans, Australoids, and even Caucasians. In a word, the riddles became more and more, and the answers brought more and more new problems. The Ainu population consisted of socially stratified groups (“utar”), headed by families of leaders by the right of inheritance of power (it should be noted that the Ainu clan went through the female line, although the man was naturally considered the head of the family). "Uthar" was built on the basis of fictitious kinship and had a military organization. The ruling families, who called themselves “utarpa” (head of the Utar) or “nishpa” (leader), represented a layer of the military elite. Men of “high birth” were destined for military service from birth; high-born women spent their time doing embroidery and shamanic rituals (“tusu”).

The chief's family had a dwelling within a fortification ("chasi"), surrounded by an earthen mound (also called a "chasi"), usually under the cover of a mountain or rock jutting out over a terrace. The number of embankments often reached five or six, which alternated with ditches. Together with the leader's family, there were usually servants and slaves (“ushu”) inside the fortification. The Ainu did not have any centralized power. The Ainu preferred the bow as a weapon. No wonder they were called “people with arrows sticking out of their hair” because they carried quivers (and swords, by the way, too) on their backs. The bow was made from elm, beech or euonymus (a tall shrub, up to 2.5 m high with very strong wood) with whalebone guards. The bowstring was made from nettle fibers. The plumage of the arrows consisted of three eagle feathers. A few words about combat tips. Both "regular" armor-piercing and spiked arrowheads were used in combat (possibly to better cut through armor or to get an arrow stuck in a wound). There were also tips of an unusual, Z-shaped cross-section, which were most likely borrowed from the Manchus or Jurgens (information has been preserved that in the Middle Ages the Sakhalin Ainu fought back a large army that came from the mainland). Arrowheads were made of metal (early ones were made of obsidian and bone) and then coated with monkshood poison “suruku”. The root of aconite was crushed, soaked and placed in a warm place to ferment. A stick with poison was applied to the spider's leg; if the leg fell off, the poison was ready. Due to the fact that this poison decomposed quickly, it was widely used in hunting large animals. The arrow shaft was made of larch.

The Ainu swords were short, 45-50 cm long, slightly curved, with one-sided sharpening and a one-and-a-half-handed handle. The Ainu warrior - dzhangin - fought with two swords, not recognizing shields. The guards of all swords were removable and were often used as decoration. There is evidence that some guards were specially polished to a mirror shine in order to repel evil spirits. In addition to swords, the Ainu carried two long knives (“cheyki-makiri” and “sa-makiri”), which were worn on the right hip. Cheiki-makiri was a ritual knife for making sacred shavings "inau" and performing the ritual "pere" or "erytokpa" - ritual suicide, which was later adopted by the Japanese, calling it "harakiri" or "seppuku" (as, by the way, the cult of the sword, special shelves for sword, spear, bow). Ainu swords were put on public display only during the Bear Festival. An old legend says: Long ago, after this country was created by God, there lived an old Japanese man and an old Ain. The Ainu grandfather was ordered to make a sword, and the Japanese grandfather: money (it is further explained why the Ainu had a cult of swords, and the Japanese had a thirst for money. The Ainu condemned their neighbors for money-grubbing). They treated spears rather coolly, although they exchanged them with the Japanese.

Another detail of the Ainu warrior’s weapons were battle mallets - small rollers with a handle and a hole at the end, made of hard wood. The sides of the beaters were equipped with metal, obsidian or stone spikes. The beaters were used both as a flail and as a sling - a leather belt was threaded through the hole. A well-aimed blow from such a mallet killed immediately, or at best (for the victim, of course) disfigured him forever. The Ainu did not wear helmets. They had natural long thick hair that was matted together, forming something like a natural helmet. Now let's move on to the armor. Sundress-type armor was made from bearded seal leather (“sea hare” - a type of large seal). In appearance, such armor (see photo) may seem bulky, but in reality it practically does not restrict movement, allowing you to bend and squat freely. Thanks to numerous segments, four layers of skin were obtained, which with equal success repelled the blows of swords and arrows. The red circles on the chest of the armor symbolize the three worlds (upper, middle and lower worlds), as well as shamanic “toli” disks, which scare away evil spirits and generally have magical significance. Similar circles are also depicted on the back. Such armor is fastened at the front using numerous ties. There was also short armor, like sweatshirts with planks or metal plates sewn on them. Very little is currently known about the martial art of the Ainu. It is known that the proto-Japanese adopted almost everything from them. Why not assume that some elements of martial arts were also not adopted?

Only such a duel has survived to this day. The opponents, holding each other by the left hand, struck with clubs (the Ainu specially trained their backs to pass this test of endurance). Sometimes these clubs were replaced with knives, and sometimes they fought simply with their hands until the opponents lost their breath. Despite the cruelty of the fight, no cases of injury were observed. In fact, the Ainu fought not only with the Japanese. Sakhalin, for example, they conquered from the “Tonzi” - a short people, truly the indigenous population of Sakhalin. From “tonzi”, Ainu women adopted the habit of tattooing their lips and the skin around their lips (the result was a kind of half-smile - half-mustache), as well as the names of some (very good quality) swords - “toncini”. It is curious that the Ainu warriors - Dzhangins - were noted as very warlike; they were incapable of lying. Information about the signs of ownership of the Ainu is also interesting - they put special signs on arrows, weapons, and dishes, passed down from generation to generation, so as not to confuse, for example, whose arrow hit the beast, or who owns this or that thing. There are more than one hundred and fifty such signs, and their meanings have not yet been deciphered. Rock inscriptions were discovered near Otaru (Hokkaido) and on the island of Urup.

It remains to add that the Japanese were afraid of open battle with the Ainu and conquered them by cunning. An ancient Japanese song said that one “emishi” (barbarian, ain) is worth a hundred people. There was a belief that they could create fog. Over the years, the Ainu repeatedly rebelled against the Japanese (in Ainu “chizhem”), but lost each time. The Japanese invited the leaders to their place to conclude a truce. Piously honoring the customs of hospitality, the Ainu, trusting like children, did not think anything bad. They were killed during the feast. As a rule, the Japanese were unsuccessful in other ways to suppress the uprising.

“The Ainu are a meek, modest, good-natured, trusting, sociable, polite people who respect property; brave on the hunt

and... even intelligent.” (A.P. Chekhov - Sakhalin Island)

From the 8th century The Japanese did not stop slaughtering the Ainu, who fled from extermination to the north - to Hokkaido - Matmai, the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin. Unlike the Japanese, the Russian Cossacks did not kill them. After several skirmishes, normal friendly relations were established between the similar-looking blue-eyed and bearded aliens on both sides. And although the Ainu flatly refused to pay the yasak tax, no one killed them for it, unlike the Japanese. However, 1945 became a turning point for the fate of this people. Today only 12 of its representatives live in Russia, but there are many “mestizo” from mixed marriages. The destruction of the “bearded people” - the Ainu in Japan stopped only after the fall of militarism in 1945. However, cultural genocide continues to this day.

It is significant that no one knows the exact number of Ainu on the Japanese islands. The fact is that in “tolerant” Japan there is often still a rather arrogant attitude towards representatives of other nationalities. And the Ainu were no exception: their exact number is impossible to determine, since according to Japanese censuses they are not listed either as a people or as a national minority. According to scientists, the total number of Ainu and their descendants does not exceed 16 thousand people, of which no more than 300 are purebred representatives of the Ainu people, the rest are “mestizo”. In addition, the Ainu are often left with the least prestigious jobs. And the Japanese are actively pursuing a policy of assimilation and there is no talk of any “cultural autonomy” for them. People from mainland Asia came to Japan around the same time that people first reached America. The first settlers of the Japanese islands - YOMON (ancestors of the AIN) reached Japan twelve thousand years ago, and YOUI (ancestors of the Japanese) came from Korea in the last two and a half millennia.

Work has been done in Japan that gives hope that genetics can resolve the question of who the ancestors of the Japanese are. Along with the Japanese living on the central islands of Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu, anthropologists distinguish two other modern ethnic groups: the Ainu from the island of Hokkaido in the north and the Ryukyu people living mainly on the southernmost island of Kinawa. One theory is that these two groups, the Ainu and Ryukyuan, are descendants of the original Yomon settlers who once occupied all of Japan and were later driven from the central islands north to Hokkaido and south to Okinawa by the Youi newcomers from Korea. Mitochondrial DNA research conducted in Japan only partially supports this hypothesis: it showed that modern Japanese from the central islands have much in common genetically with modern Koreans, with whom they share much more of the same and similar mitochondrial types than with the Ainu and Ryukuyans. However, it is also shown that there are practically no similarities between the Ainu and Ryukyu people. Age assessments have shown that both of these ethnic groups have accumulated certain mutations over the past twelve thousand years - this suggests that they are indeed descendants of the original Yeomon people, but also proves that the two groups have not had contact with each other since then.

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