Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is a city in the Far East of
Russia. It is the administrative center of the Sakhalin region and
forms the municipality of the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk with the
status of a city district, as an administrative-territorial unit is
a city of regional importance. Population - 198,973 people. (2018).
It is the sixth largest city in the Far East. The distance from
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to Moscow is 6,400 km.
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is located in the southeastern part of Sakhalin
Island, on the Susuya River, 25 km from the Sea of Okhotsk. The
climate is temperate monsoon. It is the largest transport hub on the
island: the intersection of regional roads, railway station and
airport. There are Sakhalin State University and the Sakhalin
Scientific Center of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy
of Sciences.
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is located in the valley of the
Susuya River, 25 km north of Aniva Bay and the same distance west of the
Sea of Okhotsk. From the west and east, the city is surrounded by hills,
brightening up the dull monotony of panel houses. The city is located in
a seismically hazardous zone, which determines the low-rise nature of
buildings. There is little industry: a thermal power plant running on
local coal, as well as light industry. Heavier production (oil, coal,
timber) is concentrated outside the city, and in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk it is
represented only by offices.
The central street is called, as you
might guess, Lenin Street and runs through the whole city from north to
south. Parallel to it is the railway. A rectangular layout convenient
for orientation is being formed around Lenin Street. The center is
bounded from the west by the railway, from the north by Sakhalinskaya
street, from the east by Komsomolskaya street, and from the south by
Pobedy Avenue (it turns out a square with a side of a little less than
two kilometers). The Susuya River flows northwest of the center and does
not play a big role in the life of the city.
Departure to the
north (Dolinsk, Nogliki, Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky) and south (Korsakov)
along Lenina Street or Mira Avenue. Departure towards the western coast
(Kholmsk, Nevelsk) along Sakhalinskaya street.
The main way to get to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk from mainland
Russia is by air. Fans of land transport will have to use detours, see
the article Sakhalin.
By plane
1 Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Airport
(IATA: UUS), Khomutovo. ✉ ☎ +7 (4242) 788-390 (inquiry), +7 (4242)
788-055 (answering machine). The airport is located 8 km south of the
city center. You can get there by public transport by city buses No. 3,
63. The airport building is small; there is a left-luggage office, a
small grocery store, a cafe (open until 21:00) and a waiting room. In
bad weather, the airport can be closed for days.
The local carrier is
Aurora Airlines, and several other Russian airlines and the Korean
Asiana also fly to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.
Russia: daily flights from
Moscow (Aeroflot, 9 hours), Vladivostok (Aurora, 2 hours) and Khabarovsk
(Aurora, just over an hour). More rare communication with St.
Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Blagoveshchensk. On local routes, planes fly to
Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Okha, Yuzhno-Kurilsk
China: once a week flight
from Harbin (Vladavia)
South Korea: daily flights from Seoul (Asiana,
Aurora; travel time 3.5 hours)
Japan: Aurora flies to Sapporo and
Tokyo several times a week
By train
2 Railway station,
Vokzalnaya street, 54. ☎ +7 (4242) 71-29-94 (information). 06:30–20:30.
The station is located in the very center of the city.
By train
you can come to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk from the north of the island from the
city of Nogliki (two trains a day, on the way 13.5-15 hours). From Okha
and Aleksandrovsk-Sakhalinsky, you must first go by bus, and then change
to the same trains in Nogliki or Tymovsk. In the morning and evening
commuter trains run to Korsakov and to Novoderevenskaya station. You can
also get to Kholmsk by rail (via Tomari), but there is no point in such
a trip: the bus is faster, cheaper and more convenient. The current
local timetable for long-distance and commuter trains is available on
the website of the Sakhalin Passenger Company.
By bus
There is
no bus station in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Buses and minibuses depart from the
building of the railway station, next to which there are ticket offices
(tel. +7 (4242) 72-25-53; open 7.30 - 12.00, 13.00 - 15.00, 15.30 -
18.30). Minibuses depart on filling, buses - on schedule.
Main
destinations (resulting in ferries to Japan and the mainland
respectively):
Korsakov: bus 115 every half an hour from 7.20 to
22.00, about an hour on the way, cost 130 rubles (2014). Buses are twice
as fast.
Kholmsk: bus 516 every hour from 8.45 to 21.00; bus 518 is
also suitable, leaving 6 times a day and following through Kholmsk to
Nevelsk. The cost is 250 rubles (2009). Minibuses cost 400 rubles
(2009), the journey takes about an hour.
By car
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is connected by roads with all the cities of the
island, and it is unlikely that you will be able to drive past. From
Korsakov Р488 (31 km), from Kholmsk Р495 (81 km), from
Aleksandrovsk-Sakhalinsky 550 km, from Nogliki 630 km, from Okha 850 km.
Public transport in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is represented by buses and minibuses. The fare on buses is 22 rubles (2020).
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk was built up after the war and is of little interest from the point of view of architecture. The urban environment is formed by buildings of the 60s-70s, among which are typical late Stalinist buildings and various structures of the last decade. However, a few buildings from the Japanese period have survived. The most attractive of them are now museums.
1 Museum of the Governorate of Karafuto (Regional
Museum of Local Lore), Communist Avenue, 29. Perhaps the symbol of
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Souvenir stalls in the city sell magnets with views
of the museum, opened on August 1, 1937. Over the three decades of the
existence of the governorship of Karafuto, a large number of local
history items have accumulated, for the display of which by the
mid-1930s. there was no suitable space. Governor Karafuto has decided to
build a majestic and spacious museum building and allocate funds for the
construction. The museum building is made in the traditional Japanese
architectural style "Imperial Crown", which embodied both the military
power of the Japanese Empire and the richness of the centuries-old
Japanese culture. The most notable element of the style is the tiled
roof in the style of a medieval Japanese palace. The museum was built in
2 years from reinforced concrete and included approximately the same set
of rooms and expositions as the current Sakhalin Museum of Local Lore:
storage facilities, a library, a room for lectures and, of course, halls
for expositions about flora and fauna, the history of Karafuto, geology,
indigenous peoples of the island, Karafuto's key industries.
Interestingly, the museum was closed to the public for the winter due to
lack of heating. Museum staff used stoves to heat their offices. An
arboretum was built on the opposite side of the entrance to the museum.
Also, a copy of the border sign was installed on the territory of the
museum as a symbol of the appearance of a border with Russian northern
Sakhalin near the island of Japan. Now the building can be examined in
detail from all sides, since access to the territory of the local
history museum is free.
2 Branch of the Hokkaido Development Bank
(Regional Art Museum), Lenin Street, 137. Neoclassical building built in
the early 1930s.
3 Residence of the Commander of the Security Forces
of the Karafuto Governorate, Nevelskoy Street, 44a. The building was
built in 1908 as the residence of the commander of the security forces
of the Karafuto governorate. Then, for almost 20 years, the building
housed the Karafuto Governorate Museum. After the museum moved to a new
building, the military police were located here. From the side of
Nevelskoy Street, the building is hidden by high gates, but you can
approach it for inspection from the side of Dzerzhinsky Street or
Sakhalinskaya Street. The oldest building in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.
4
Toyohara City Hall, 41 Communist Avenue. The building was built in the
mid-1920s and is now occupied by numerous offices. To the left of the
building, among the trees, there is a plinth from a stele commemorating
the visit of Crown Prince Hirohito to Toyohara in 1925. It is known that
the prince spoke at the city hall in front of its employees.
5 Karafuto Governorship Conference Hall, 30 Dzerzhinsky Street. Built
in the early 1930s. in the post-constructivist style, designed by the
same architect who, just a few years later, will design the majestic
Karafuto Museum (the current local history museum) in the Japanese
traditional style. Now the building houses the military investigation
department.
6 City hospital, Chekhov street, 41k2. Built in the style
of post-constructivism in the early 1930s. in place of a wooden
one-story building. Patients could use the elevator to go to the upper
floors. There was also a solarium for the patients. The building has
retained its purpose and in our time - is used as a military hospital.
7 Treasury of the main Shinto shrine in Karafuto Governorate. The tiny
concrete house with a gable roof was once part of the main Shinto shrine
in Karafuto Governorate. The temple was opened in 1911 on the slope of
the hill, which rests against the central part of the city. From the
height there was a magnificent view of the city and the valley. Japan's
military victories in the early 20th century led to the tradition of
placing war trophies on temple grounds. Here, on the pedestals, a
Russian 230 mm caliber gun, used to defend Port Arthur, and a chimney of
the Russian cruiser Novik, which was flooded by the crew near the
Korsakov post, were installed. A seven-meter column was placed next to
the gun as a symbol of victory in the Russo-Japanese War. The basis for
this monument was a 152 mm cannon barrel, also involved in the defense
of Port Arthur. The gun and barrel were made in St. Petersburg at the
Obukhov Steel Plant. Now they are exhibited on the territory of the
local history museum, and the chimney of the Novik cruiser has been
lost. The temple received a visit from Crown Prince Hirohito in 1925. He
even planted a tree next to the temple. And in 1931, Hirohito, already
in the rank of emperor, presented the temple with a bronze bell, a
golden sword, a bow and a silk cloth. To store these relics, a treasury
was built, which in Soviet times was used as a utility room for the
dacha of the Regional Committee of the CPSU, built on the site of the
temple. The dacha, known as "Leonovskaya" by the name of the first
secretary, still performs its functions today. The only way to get to
the treasury is on foot. The path begins on the Square of Glory.
Approximately behind the current memorial with an eternal flame, there
was a gun and a monument from a trophy barrel, next to which there was a
small pond with a fountain in its center. Climb the stairs to the
platform with military equipment. Once upon a time, a staircase, albeit
with a different coating, led to the temple. To the left of the site
with military equipment was the chimney of the Novik cruiser. Go around
the fence of the Leonovskaya dacha on the left along the forest paths to
the very top of the fence. Here, a few meters from the fence, you will
find a treasury and a well-maintained spring.
8 The building at 44
Sakhalinskaya Street, 44 Sakhalinskaya Street. A miraculously surviving
example of a typical building from the time of Toyokhara. Rebuilt in the
late 2010s, and a 2015 photo shows the original Japanese windows.
There are many monuments scattered around the city -
to Chekhov, Pushkin, Kruzenshtern and many other people: from those who
were directly related to the development of Sakhalin to those who hardly
even knew about its existence. On Victory Square there is a memorial to
those who died in the Great Patriotic War and victims of local
conflicts, but the most interesting is a small but impressive monument
to those who died during the earthquake in Neftegorsk (Lenin Square,
next to the station).
Religious buildings have been built in recent
decades: the Orthodox Resurrection Cathedral (1995; St. Innokenty
Boulevard) in a typical pseudo-Russian style and the Catholic Church of
St. James (2001; Victory Avenue, neo-Gothic style).
1 Sakhalin Regional Museum of Local Lore, Communist
Avenue, 29. ✉ ☎ +7 (4242) 72-75-55. Tue–Sun 11:00–18:00, Sat
11:00–20:00. 70 rubles. The museum is dedicated to the geography of
Sakhalin and the history of the development of the island: from the
period of early settlement by convicts in the second half of the 19th
century to post-war events. Archival photographs, household items,
archaeological finds, materials on ethnography, geography and geology
are presented. Of undoubted interest is the exposition with stuffed
inhabitants of the Far Eastern seas and wildlife of the Sakhalin region.
The outdoor exposition is also curious - Japanese stelae and boundary
stones, dwellings of the indigenous Nivkh people, endemic plants, old
artillery equipment, a Japanese light tank, reconstruction of the
buildings of the Sakhalin penal servitude and a Japanese tea house.
Outdoor exhibits can be viewed free of charge.
2 Sakhalin Regional
Art Museum, Lenin Street, 137 (entrance from the adjacent square). ✉ ☎
+7 (4242) 723-643. Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00, Thu 10:00–20:00. 70 rubles. A
collection of Russian art typical of the province, with a high
proportion of works by local artists. Along with paintings, objects of
decorative and applied art, including those from the countries of the
East, are presented. The museum regularly hosts exhibitions.
3
Literary and Art Museum of A.P. Chekhov "Sakhalin Island", Prospekt
Mira, 104. ✉ ☎ +7 (4242) 43-66-36, +7 (4242) 43-67-74. Tue–Wed
10:00–18:00, Thu–Fri 10:00–19:00, Sat–Sun 11:00–18:00. 50 rubles. The
museum with such a non-trivial name appeared in 1995 and serves as a
cultural center. On the first floor there is a permanent exhibition
illustrating the famous book of Chekhov, on the second floor there is an
exhibition hall. In the permanent exhibition, the recreated atmosphere
in the common cell of the Aleksandrovskaya exile prison, as well as the
layout of all its buildings, deserves attention. There are also
photographs of Sakhalin penal servitude and household items of Sakhalin
convicts and settlers of the late 19th century.
4 Museum of the
History of the Sakhalin Railway, Vokzalnaya Street, 55 (next to the
railway station). ☎ +7 (4242) 71-41-97. Mon–Fri 09:00–18:00, lunch
12:00–13:00. The museum consists of two parts: an open-air platform with
railway equipment and a room with exhibits in the two-story wing of the
Railwaymen's House of Culture. Museum railway equipment in the open air
can be seen through the fence. This part of the exposition is located
across the road from the Railwaymen's House of Culture, a few tens of
meters from it in the direction from the station, and is directly
adjacent to the railway tracks. Along with wagons and cargo platforms,
the museum's collection includes a Japanese diesel train, snowplows,
which are vital in the conditions of Sakhalin snowdrifts, as well as a
mining shield used in the construction of tunnels. Oct 2016 edit
Parks & Activities
5 Mountain Air Ski Complex , Gorky Street, 7/1.
✉ ☎ +7 (4242) 51-11-10. Opening hours depend on the season. Soviet ski
base, in 2004 converted into a modern recreation center; is located to
the east of the city, on the slopes of one of the hills. Several ski and
toboggan runs, a paragliding platform and all the necessary
infrastructure, including ski lifts. For those who are not interested in
downhill skiing, the complex is useful as a good observation deck with
panoramic views of the city. You can climb by cable car (valid during
the opening hours of the complex; 250 rubles per lift (2014)), the lower
station of which is located on Sq. Pobedy (eastern end of Pobeda Ave.).
In the evening, the ski complex is illuminated and is clearly visible
from the city.
6 Park of Culture and Leisure named after Y. Gagarin,
Detskaya Street, 1. ✉ ☎ +7 (4242) 42-44-64. A large city park to the
east of the residential quarters of Kommunistichesky Prospekt and
Sakhalinskaya Street, a pleasant place for a walk. The landscape park in
the valley of the Rogatka River, a tributary of the Susui, appeared
under the Japanese, but in the post-war years it was replaced by
buildings. From the Japanese park there was a pond (Lake Superior) and
pleasant alleys, to which entertainments closer to the Soviet layman
were added: rides, boating, a stadium and a children's railway. The
latter is small (the ring is about 2 km long) and operates during the
snowless season (usually from May to October).
7 Sakhalin
zoobotanical park, Detskaya street, 4A. ☎ +7 (4242) 72-45-09, +7 (4242)
50-56-26. 10:00–20:30. Tickets: 80 rubles (2010). A small zoo, which
contains 145 animals - mostly Far Eastern fauna: brown bear, Amur tiger,
wolves, raccoons, deer.
8 Ski-roller track, Vienna street, 5. A
popular place for walking, jogging, and in winter for cross-country
skiing. In the building of the Youth Sports School for winter sports, in
summer you can rent Nordic walking sticks for free, in winter - skis,
but for money. Exercise caution when training sports sections on the
track.
9 Sakhalin Botanical Garden, Gorky Street, 25. ✉ ☎ +7 (4242)
75-35-78. A scientific organization that studies the flora of Sakhalin
and the possibility of adaptation on the island of plants from other
natural areas. There is a picturesque park on the slope of the hill.
Visiting is by appointment.
10 Sakhalin Theater Center named after A.P. Chekhov,
Communist Avenue, 35. ☎ +7 (4242) 42-52-62, 30-62-42. Theater with a
rich (by Sakhalin standards) history, founded in 1930. The repertoire
combines classical and modern productions with concerts, including
variety ones. The theater is located in a remarkable building built in
1964 - a functionalist box, decorated with socialist realist mosaics.
11 Sakhalin Puppet Theatre, Communist Avenue, 28a. ✉ ☎ +7 (4242)
45-80-70 (cash desk), 45-80-60 (answering machine). cash desk
10:00-19:00 (break 15:00-16:00). 250-650₽. Good children's theater,
known outside of Sakhalin. It can be boring for adults here, but in the
absence of a different theatrical life, even a children's performance
becomes entertainment.
Since the 2014/2015 season, the professional sports
club Sakhalin has been playing in the Asian Hockey League (AHL), which
is an analogue of the NHL and KHL for the countries of the Asia-Pacific
region. It is noteworthy that PSC "Sakhalin" is the only club from
Russia among the teams from Japan, South Korea and China. The AHL season
runs from September to early April. The Sakhalin club holds its home
games on the ice of the Kristall Sports Palace. A professional men's
basketball club from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, playing in one of the lower
Russian leagues, also plays in the same arena. Entrance to the home
games of PSC Sakhalin is free.
12 Kristall Sports Palace, Gorky
Street, 29. ☎ +7 (4242) 240-160.
There is also a professional
football club in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk that plays in the Vostok zone of the
second Russian division. Quite a few random people come to the games of
the Sakhalin hockey club, who are attracted by the international sign of
the AHL tournament. At the same time, matches of FC Sakhalin gather
exclusively loyal fans and football connoisseurs, many of whom have not
missed a single home game of Sakhalin football players since the club
gained professional status in 2007. FC Sakhalin plays home matches at
the Spartak Stadium. The arena has only one stand, which offers an
excellent view of the ski slope of the Gorny Vozdukh complex.
13
Spartak Stadium, Gorkogo street, 7. ☎ +7 (4242) 50-59-55.
14 October Concert Hall , Communist Avenue, 45. ☎ +7
(4242) 224-612 (voice answering machine), +7 (4242) 224-561 (box
office). The cinema has a large and small halls.
15 Komsomolets
Cinema and Concert Hall, 52 Sakhalinskaya Street. The oldest cinema in
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk with a unique atmosphere and original lobby design. It
has 1 hall for 197 seats.
16 "The Best Cinema", 2nd Central Street,
1b (3rd floor of City Mall shopping mall). ✉ The cinema has 5 halls.
The main way to get to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk from mainland Russia is by
air. Fans of land transport will have to use roundabout ways.
By
plane
1 Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Airport (IATA:UUS) Wikidata item,
Khomutovo. ✉ ☎ +7 (4242) 788-390 (inquiry), +7 (4242) 788-055 (answering
machine). The airport is located 8 km south of the city center. You can
get there by public transport by city buses No. 3, 63. The airport
building is small; there is a left-luggage office, a small grocery
store, a cafe (open until 21:00) and a waiting room. In bad weather, the
airport can be closed for days.
The local carrier is Aurora Airlines,
and several other Russian airlines and the Korean Asiana also fly to
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.
Russia: daily flights from Moscow (Aeroflot, 9
hours), Vladivostok (Aurora, 2 hours) and Khabarovsk (Aurora, just over
an hour). More rare communication with St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk,
Blagoveshchensk. On local routes, planes fly to Komsomolsk-on-Amur,
Okha, Yuzhno-Kurilsk
China: once a week flight from Harbin (Vladavia)
South Korea: daily flights from Seoul (Asiana, Aurora; travel time 3.5
hours)
Japan: Aurora flies to Sapporo and Tokyo several times a week
By train
2 Railway station, Vokzalnaya street, 54. ☎ +7 (4242)
71-29-94 (information). 06:30–20:30. The station is located in the very
center of the city.
By train you can come to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
from the north of the island from the city of Nogliki (two trains a day,
on the way 13.5-15 hours). From Okha and Aleksandrovsk-Sakhalinsky, you
must first go by bus, and then change to the same trains in Nogliki or
Tymovsk. In the morning and evening commuter trains run to Korsakov and
to Novoderevenskaya station. You can also get to Kholmsk by rail (via
Tomari), but there is no point in such a trip: the bus is faster,
cheaper and more convenient. The current local timetable for
long-distance and commuter trains is available on the website of the
Sakhalin Passenger Company.
By bus
There is no bus station in
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Buses and minibuses depart from the building of the
railway station, next to which there are ticket offices (tel. +7 (4242)
72-25-53; open 7.30 - 12.00, 13.00 - 15.00, 15.30 - 18.30). Minibuses
depart according to filling, buses - according to the schedule (see
here).
Main destinations (resulting in ferries to Japan and the
mainland respectively):
Korsakov: bus 115 every half an hour from
7.20 to 22.00, about an hour on the way, cost 130 rubles (2014). Buses
are twice as fast.
Kholmsk: bus 516 every hour from 8.45 to 21.00;
bus 518 is also suitable, leaving 6 times a day and following through
Kholmsk to Nevelsk. The cost is 250 rubles (2009). Minibuses cost 400
rubles (2009), the journey takes about an hour.
By car
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is connected by roads with all the cities of the
island, and it is unlikely that you will be able to drive past. From
Korsakov Р488 (31 km), from Kholmsk Р495 (81 km), from
Aleksandrovsk-Sakhalinsky 550 km, from Nogliki 630 km, from Okha 850 km.
Public transport in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is represented by buses and minibuses. The fare on buses is 22 rubles (2020). The itinerary is here.
The largest city market is located at the intersection
of the street. Lenin and Sakhalinskaya st. Until recently, the market
was located in the open air, but from June 1, 2010, all trade should
move to the building at Vokzalnaya st. 3. The market is a conglomeration
of a wide variety of stalls - from the typical Russian trade in
vegetables, fruits, food products and consumer goods (the latter is
presented in two forms at once - in the Chinese and Korean parts of the
market) to seafood and exotic food, especially Korean. Unlike shops, and
even more so restaurants, prices here are quite reasonable, so the
market allows you to try inexpensive Korean cuisine and is the cheapest
(within Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk) source of seafood.
Shopping centers
Shopping center "New Continent", Sakhalinskaya st. 82a. ☎ +7 (4242)
77-48-41.
Shopping center "Slavianski Bazaar", st. Popovich, 65.
Shopping center "Success", Sakhalinskaya st. 71.
There are many
shopping centers on the outskirts of the city - for example, in the
village of Khomutovo, on the road from the airport to the city, there is
a large City Mall complex.
Shopping and entertainment complex
"City Mall" , 2nd Central Street, 1B. ☎ +7 (4242) 777-222. 10:00-21:00.
This is the largest shopping and entertainment complex in the Far East.
On its territory there is a supermarket, many shops, cafes and
restaurants, a food court, a five-screen cinema, a bowling club, a
fitness club, an area for children with attractions
The flip side of oil prosperity is high prices in the
service sector. Compared to other regional centers of the same size,
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is expensive, but relatively cheap cafes can be found
in the city. In other price categories, there are many cafes /
restaurants of Japanese, Korean and just Asian cuisine. Every major
hotel has its own restaurant.
Few culinary specialties. Fish and
seafood are present mainly as Japanese cuisine, and purely local
products (crabs, caviar) are easier to buy in the market than to find in
the restaurant menu. Due to the abundance of Koreans, Korean cuisine is
well represented, which, apparently, is the local culinary attraction.
The local brewery produces more than ten varieties of beer, including
live.
Cheap
Cafe "Kolobok", st. Lenina, 220a. ☎ +7 (4242)
72-56-54. 8:00–19:00. Lunch: 400-500 rubles (2019).
Cafe "Minutka",
corner of Khabarovskaya st. and st. Kryukov. Mon-Fri, 10.00-19.00; Sat,
9.00-16.00. Lunch: 200 rubles (2009).
Cafe "Rus", st. Marksa, 24. ☎
+7 (4242) 74-29-94. Mon-Fri, 10.00-17.00. Lunch: 150-200 rubles (2009).
Cafe Sakhalin, corner of Sakhalinskaya st. and st. Lenin (4th floor of
the department store "Sakhalin"). Mon-Fri, 10.00-19.00; Sat,
11.00-18.00; Sun, 11.00-17.00. Lunch: 150-200 rubles (2009). edit
12
Cafe Smak, Khabarovskaya st. 84a. ☎ +7 (4242) 72-47-05. 9.00-19.00.
Lunch: 200 rubles (2009).
Canteen of the Sakhalin University, 33
Kommunistichesky Ave. (corner from Mira Ave.). Open on weekdays at
lunchtime (except summer holidays).
Dining room "Sovetskaya",
Prospect Mira, 106 (1st floor of the "House of Trade"). ☎ +7 (4242)
22-54-50. Mon–Fri 11:00–16:00, Sat–Sun 11:00–15:00. 300 rubles. You
should not think that the dining room has survived to this day unchanged
since Soviet times - the dining room in its current form was opened in
2014 after renovation. The Soviet spirit is represented by
characteristic posters and slogans on the walls, as well as the musical
repertoire of the Soviet era.
Average cost
Cafe "Coffee and
Cigarettes", 74 Communist Ave. ☎ +7 (4242) 42-08-25.
Cafe Pacific, 32
Communist Ave. ☎ +7 (4242) 72-70-08. 8.00-20.00. Hot dishes: from 300
rubles; espresso: 50 rubles (2009). A cafe popular with foreigners. The
menu includes dishes of European cuisine.
Cafe "Black Cat" , Chekhov
street, 43A. ✉ ☎ +7 (4242) 42-52-63. 12:00–23:00. Dinner: 250-400 rubles
(2009). Dishes of Russian and European cuisine, cozy atmosphere, jazz
playing.
Bibi-Khanum restaurant, st. Sakhalinskaya, 2. ☎ +7 (4242)
46-78-35. Nice inexpensive Uzbek restaurant, located on the banks of the
equally lovely Rogatka River. The waiters wear national costumes, they
are very kind and caring. Lions are woven into the interior. There is a
big TV, they show Uzbek music. The food is European. There is a
wardrobe. At the request of the client bring cognac.
Restaurant "Taj
Mahal", Anton Buyukly street, 38 (entrance from the yard). ☎ +7 (4242)
49-94-88. Mon-Thu, 11.30-23.30; Fri, Sat, 11.30-0.30; Sun, 11.30-22.00.
A chain Japanese Indian restaurant on Sakhalin is a surreal combination,
but quite decent food.
Restaurant "Shanghai Blues", Mira ave., 56/2.
☎ +7 (4242) 50-61-21. 12–24. Hot dishes: 350-500 rubles (2011). (the
motto is “we go to Shanghai blues”) A luxurious Chinese restaurant
located in a picturesque industrial area along Prospekt Mira. The food
is delicious, large and not very expensive: mostly Chinese, but there is
also a section of European cuisine. Played by Sting and Nick Cave. In
the evenings you can meet Koreans, Japanese, Americans, Filipinos,
Portuguese. The waiters are kind and nice. The cafe is painted. The
interior features dragons, jingling cymbals and dancing balls. At the
request of the client, mushrooms are brought.
Steak bar 777, st.
Chekhov, 71. ☎ +7 (4242) 42-94-62.
Sushi bar "Nihon Mitai" , Pobedy
Avenue, 28B. ☎ +7 (4242) 72-05-50. 11:00–23:00. Self service sushi bar
and Japanese restaurant.
Expensive
Restaurant "Prince
Bagration", Dzerzhinsky street, 44A. ☎ +7 (4242) 22-20-20. Hot dishes:
from 600 rubles (2010). An expensive restaurant that does not have a
dedicated style is a mixture of Mediterranean, Caucasian, Korean and
Japanese cuisine.
Restaurant "Toyohara", st. Lenina, 246a. ☎ +7
(4242) 74-14-86. 12.00-22.00. Asian (mostly Japanese) cuisine.
Furusato Restaurant, st. Lenina, 179. ☎ +7 (4242) 74-27-36. 12.00-15.00,
18.00-23.00. The most prestigious and pretentious Japanese restaurant in
the city.
Every major hotel has a bar where you can comfortably
spend the evening, often in the company of foreigners. If you prefer to
communicate with the locals, then in good weather it's nice to drink
beer right on the street, in the park. Gagarin.
Bar "Ice cup",
Sakhalinskaya st. 113. ☎ +7 (4242) 72-62-72. Bar at a local brewery,
live beer in stock.
Mishka Pub, Chekhov Street, 45 (at the Rubin
Hotel). ☎ +7 (4242) 43-88-11. 12:00–24:00, Fri–Sat 12:00–01:00. British
style pub, popular with foreigners.
Night club 777, st. Chekhov, 71.
☎ +7 (4242) 42-94-62. Large club with several dance floors and varied
music.
Nightclub Dive, 66 Mira Ave. ☎ +7 (4242) 42-94-44. Thu-Sun,
21.00-6.00. Discos, bars, billiards.
Nightclub Jump, 56a, Mira Ave. ☎
+7 (4242) 72-77-36, 72-60-54, 72-76-75. Youth club, disco from Thursday
to Sunday.
Night club "Chameleon", Pogranichnaya st. 24a. ☎ +7 (4242)
42-22-10. Discos, concerts.
For a city with a population of less than 200 thousand
people, there are a lot of hotels in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. The price
distribution is anomalous and resembles resorts - expensive hotels with
two restaurants, bars, saunas and other comfort elements dominate.
Despite the high cost, paid (and expensive) Internet access is
everywhere. Perhaps the only difference from the resorts is the
predominance of single rooms oriented towards business travelers. There
are practically no convenient, relatively inexpensive hotels suitable
for travelers in the city. The market for daily rent of apartments
exists, it is presented on the Internet at
http://board.sakh.com/realty/lease/.
Cheap
1 Hotel
"Dalnevostok" (Far East), st. Lenina, 179 (on Lenin Square). ☎ +7 (4242)
42-94-53. Single room: from 500 rubles; double room: from 800 rubles
(2009). Soviet-type hotel, the cheapest in the city. Shower on the
floor, paid separately.
2 Moneron Hotel, 86 Kommunistichesky
Prospekt (on the station square). ☎ +7 (4242) 72-34-53, 72-34-54. Single
room: from 700 rubles; double room: from 1200 rubles (2009). An
unpretentious but clean hotel with single, double and triple rooms
without amenities. Shower for a fee.
3 Hostel "Ostrova",
Komsomolskaya street, 296 (3rd entrance, apartment 31). ✉ ☎ +7 (900)
66-111-06. from 750₽. An apartment converted into a hostel with a single
toilet and shower. For a towel you need to pay 100 rubles separately.
Rooms for 2, 4 and 6 persons.
Average cost
4 Eurasia Hotel,
Vokzalnaya st. 54 (near the train station). ☎ +7 (4242) 71-35-60,
71-44-66. Single room: 2500 rubles; double room: 2800 rubles (2009).
Single and double rooms with private facilities.
Lotos Hotel,
Kurilskaya st. 41a. ✉ ☎ +7 (4242) 43-09-18, 42-43-98. Single room:
2400/2700 rubles (2010). Modern hotel in the city center, only single
rooms (with private facilities). Free Internet access, kettle in the
room, free secure parking.
Hotel "Neptun", st. Dzerzhinsky, 14
(corner from Sakhalinskaya st.). ☎ +7 (4242) 77-47-20. Single room: 2000
rubles (2009). A small hotel in the city center - five single rooms with
private facilities.
5 Panorama Hotel, Prospekt Mira, 231 (on the
territory of the shopping center "Panorama Beta"). ✉ ☎ +7 (4242)
700-888. Single room: 2300₽; double room: 2700-3000 rubles (2010).
Downtown. Single and double rooms (with private facilities). Breakfast
is not included in the price. The hotel has an extensive range of
services: a cafe, a sauna, a swimming pool and even a cinema hall.
6 Rybak Hotel, st. Marx, 51 (at the station square). ☎ +7 (4242)
72-37-68. Single room: from 1700 rubles; double room: from 2400 rubles
(2009). An unpretentious hotel in the city center with single, double
and even triple rooms. Shower and toilet on a block of two rooms.
7 Tourist Hotel, Sakhalinskaya street, 2. ☎ +7 (4242) 467-800. Single
room: 3000 rubles (2015). One of the decent and not too expensive hotels
in the city. Single rooms with a "one and a half" bed and amenities, as
well as suites. The rooms are decorated in a wooden style, breakfast is
included in the price. Free WiFi.
8 Yubileinaya Hotel Wikidata item,
Altaisky lane, 10. ✉ ☎ +7 (4242) 49-83-00. Single room: 3800rubles
(2022). Hotel in a new building near the eternal flame. Single rooms
with private facilities and the possibility of sharing, as well as
suites. Breakfast is paid separately.
9 Belka Hotel, Khabarovskaya
street, 29B. ✉ ☎ +7 (4242) 461-761. Single room: 2900 rubles ; double
room: 3400rubles (2010). Modern hotel in a stylish wooden building.
Single and double rooms with private facilities. The hotel has a
restaurant, bar, sauna and spa.
Expensive
10 Gagarin Hotel ,
Komsomolskaya street, 133. ✉ ☎ +7 (4242) 498-400. From 3000 rubles
(2010). Business class hotel in the city center: two restaurants, sauna
and many other services.
11 Strawberry Hills Hotel, 2 Sunshine Street
(south of the city, next to the road to the airport). ✉ ☎ +7 (4242)
45-07-00. From 4000 rubles (2010). The hotel at the settlement of
foreign workers "Zima", which is the reason for the strange name of the
street for Russia. Comfortable rooms, western service.
12 Mitos
Hotel, Yew alley, 5 (south of the city, next to the road to the
airport). ☎ +7 (4242) 45-20-10. Another hotel in the vicinity of the
village "Zima", occupies two pretty houses. Single rooms and suites,
restaurant.
Hotel "Natalya", Anton Buyukly street, 38 (entrance from
the yard). ☎ +7 (4242) 46-49-49. Double room: 3500-4000 rubles (2010).
"Apart-hotel" in the city center with regular double rooms, as well as
more expensive two-room suites and one suite.
13 Hotel Rubin,
Chekhov Street, 85. ☎ +7 (4242) 42-22-12. Double room: 4500 rubles;
apartments: from 5000 rubles (2010). A small hotel dominated by
apartments, due to which almost all rooms turn out to be “higher
comfort” and, of course, higher prices. Wi-Fi in the basement. Adjacent
to the hotel is the English-style Mishka Pub, but otherwise the Rubin
hardly stands out from a number of other expensive hotels in the city.
14 Sakhalin-Sapporo Hotel, st. Lenina, 181. ☎ +7 (4242) 72-15-60.
Three-star hotel in the city center, occupies a Soviet-era building, but
more or less renovated from the inside. Reviews are mixed, but overall
the price doesn't seem to match the quality very well.
15 Mira Hotel,
Mira Avenue, 255. ✉ ☎ +7 (4242) 45-45-00. Double room: 4800rubles
(2010), discounts are possible when ordering online. Free Wi-Fi on the
ground floor.
16 Mega Palace Hotel, Detskaya street, 4 (next to the
zoo). ✉ ☎ +7 (4242) 450-450. Standard room: 4600 rubles (2010), discount
rates are possible. Formally a four-star hotel, located northeast of the
city center. Standard single / double rooms with a large bed, there are
also suites. Paid Wi-Fi in the rooms (and apparently free on the ground
floor), two restaurants and much more.
17 Pacific Plaza Sakhalin,
Prospect Mira, 172. ✉ ☎ +7 (4242) 455-000. Double room: from 4000rubles
(2010). Business hotel in the city center: double rooms, junior suites
and suites. Two restaurants and a bar. Paid WiFi.
18 Santa Resort
Hotel, Venskaya Street, 3 (next to Gagarin Park). ✉ ☎ +7 (4242) 511-000.
Double room: from 6000 rubles (2010). An expensive hotel in a
picturesque forest area to the east of the city. Gym, spa, tennis
courts, Japanese and European restaurants and a bunch of other services
of varying degrees of need. Paid Wi-Fi, however free buses to the city.
Access to the Internet
Access via desktop computers
is available in many post offices.
O. P. Kuznetsov Central City
Library, st. Lenina, 244. ✉ ☎ +7 (4242) 42-45-59. Tue-Fri, 11.00-19.00;
Sat, 10.00-17.00. Cost: 60 rubles / hour (2017).
Access via Wi-Fi:
free on the third floor of the Royal shopping center (Emelyanova st.,
36), and paid in many cafes and hotels. Paid access is provided by
Sakhalin Telecom and Dalsvyaz operators using payment cards.
Sakhalin Telecom - payment cards 100 rubles per hour (2010), sold in
access areas and service centers:
st. Komsomolskaya, 213a
st. Karl
Marx, 32
Dalsvyaz - 90 rubles per hour (2010), cards are sold at
service centers (Lenin St., 220). You can also pay via SMS, but with a
large margin.
st. Lenina, 220: 8-20 daily
st. Purkaeva, 78:
Mon-Fri, 8-19; Sat, 9-16
mobile connection
Beeline
st.
Lenina, 198: Mon-Fri, 9-20; Sat and Sun, 10-18, tel. +7 (4242) 46-32-21
st. Yesenina, 52: Fri-Fri, 9-19; Sat and Sun, 9-18
st. Karl Marx, 32:
Mon-Fri, 9-19.30; Sat and Sun, 9-18
Megaphone
st. Chekhova, 87:
9-21 daily (head office)
st. Lenina, 180: 9-20 daily
MTS
Ave. Mira 245: Mon-Fri, 9-20; Sat and Sun, 10-19 (central office)
Komsomolskaya st. 165: 9-21 daily
st. Lenina, 172 and 281: 9-21 daily
Mail
The postal code of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is 6930**. Post offices
in the city center:
Branch number 6, st. Emelyanova, 29. ☎ +7 (4242)
55-13-23, 55-09-18. Mon-Fri, 8.00-20.00; Sat, 9.00-18.00; break
13.00-14.00. Internet access point.
Branch No. 7, 157 Mira Ave. ☎ +7
(4242) 42-43-14. Mon-Fri, 8.00-20.00; Sat, 9.00-18.00; break
13.00-14.00.
Branch number 8, st. Lenina, 268. ☎ +7 (4242) 42-35-98.
Mon-Fri, 8.00-20.00; Sat, 9.00-18.00; break 13.00-14.00. Internet access
point.
With apparent prosperity, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is distinguished by high social tension for Russia, manifested, for example, in a high level of juvenile delinquency. The abundance of foreigners makes the city center relatively safe, although even here at night you should be careful.
Founded by the Russians in 1882 as a convict settlement Vladimirovka, the name comes from the personal name "Vladimir", which belonged to the local superintendent of hard labor. According to the Portsmouth Peace Treaty, from 1905 to 1945 it was part of Japan under the name Toyohara (豊原), which can be translated as "Beautiful Plain" (field, steppe). After the return of the southern part of Sakhalin to the USSR following the results of World War II, by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of June 4, 1946, it was renamed Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (according to its location in the south of Sakhalin).
The administrative structure and territorial division of
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk changed depending on historical conditions. The
settlement of Sakhalin by Russian people went mainly at the expense
of convicts and exiled settlers, since the tsarist government failed
to organize a free colonization of the island.
The start of
sending the exiles was laid back in 1858, and 11 years later
Sakhalin was officially declared a place of exile and hard labor.
According to the order of the military governor of the Primorsky
region, Major V. N. Yantsevich was appointed head of the exiles in
South Sakhalin and at the same time the head of the Korsakov
district in May 1881, who received the following instructions:
For the settlement of those finishing their terms of hard labor,
a place should be chosen ... quite convenient for arable farming,
15-30 versts from Korsakovskoye; all measures of legal assistance
facilitated the opportunity for future settlers to acquire a house,
livestock, plow land, take part in fishing and other trades, etc.
The chosen place, if possible in the direction of the main road from
south to north, should be planned, divided into sections and as a
new settlement is called by some permanent name.
On September
15, 1883, Yantsevich applied for the approval of the names of the
newly erected four villages in the south of Sakhalin: the first -
Solovyovsky, the second - Mitsulsky, the third - Vladimirsky and the
fourth - Vlasovsky.
Founded in 1882, the village of
Vladimirovka, on the site of which the city subsequently grew, was
part of the Korsakov District. In 1885, 57 people lived in
Vladimirovka. And ten years later, the number of inhabitants
increased to 130. Among them were two exiled convicts, 43 exile
settlers, 38 exiled peasants and 47 children with them.
The
whole life of the settlers was determined by decrees of the Russian
Empire and the "Regulations on the management of Sakhalin Island",
circulars and instructions of the Main Prison Directorate, orders
and orders of the East Siberian and Amur Governors-General, the
Primorsky Region Governorate, as well as the administration of the
Korsakov prison.
At the end of the 19th - beginning of the
20th century, Vladimirovka was a typical Russian village with
individual, mostly medium and small, farms. The central part of the
village was located north of the current leather and rubber footwear
factory, and the outskirts were on the site of the current main post
office. There was a mill on the river Rogatka. There was an
agricultural farm at the western end of the current Sakhalinskaya
Street. There was a post office, a school, trading shops, a chapel,
a number of state-owned houses.
After the capture of South Sakhalin by the Japanese during the
Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, as a result of the Portsmouth Peace
Treaty of 1905, in administrative terms, it became the governorship of
Karafuto. By 1908, its official administration was moved from Korsakov
deep into the island, to the village of Vladimirovka, which was first
renamed the village, and in August 1915 - the city of Toyoharu.
Until March 1907, power in South Sakhalin was in the hands of the
military administration. In June 1913, South Sakhalin came under the
jurisdiction of the Minister of the Interior of Japan, and in July 1917,
under the direct subordination of the Prime Minister. The governorship
of Karafuto was divided into four district prefectures with centers in
the cities of Toyohara (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk), Maoka (Kholmsk), Esutora
(Uglegorsk), Shikuka (Poronaysk). The city of Toyohara and 16 nearby
volosts represented one Toyohara administrative region.
Toyohara,
as the capital, not only embodied the best principles of urban
construction of that time, but was carefully built around the symbols of
imperial power. The main administrative buildings, including the
government residence, as well as the post office, faced the main Jinja
do:ri street, which ran straight east to the Karafuto jinja temple,
which was completed in 1911. It became one of the 67 kampeitaisha -
Imperial Temples of the 1st rank in the Japanese Empire. The central
hall kept a sword in a white scabbard, presented as a gift by Emperor
Meiji as a sacred treasure on the occasion of the initiation ceremony,
and the entire complex was created in honor of the three gods of the
Shinto pantheon: Okunitama no mikoto, Onamuchi no mikoto, Sukutaikona no
mikoto.
As a center of patriotic piety, the temple was also an
important tourist attraction and a memorial to the new heroes of the
emerging colonial mythology. By the end of the 1930s. in a grove
adjoining the temple garden, there was an impressive avenue of monuments
to the developing narrative of colonization: weapons captured during the
Russo-Japanese War, a monument to the Ainu Matsunosuke who shot seven
Russians while defending his owner’s property, and a monument to those
who died during the construction of the Toyohara-Maoka road.
On February 11, 1945, I. V. Stalin, F. Roosevelt and W. Churchill
signed an agreement in Yalta on the conditions for the entry of the USSR
into the war with Japan. Among them is the return of South Sakhalin to
the USSR and the transfer of the Kuril Islands. After the return of
South Sakhalin, a system of Soviet civil administration was formed. The
city of Toyohara became part of the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Okrug. For the
implementation of administrative and economic management, a civil
administration is being created here under the military council of the
2nd Far Eastern Military District. In January, February 1946, the
Japanese district prefectures, city and rural councils were liquidated.
By a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated
February 2, 1946, the Yuzhno-Sakhalin Region was formed as part of the
Khabarovsk Territory on the territory of South Sakhalin and the Kuril
Islands. Its administrative center was the city of Toyohara, renamed the
city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk on June 4, 1946.
On the basis of the
Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of January 2,
1947, the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk region was liquidated and its territory was
included in the Sakhalin region, which was separated into an independent
region of the RSFSR. Its administrative center was the city of
Aleksandrovsk-Sakhalinsky, and on April 18, 1947, the city of
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk became. In 1946-1947, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk was also the
center of the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk region.
On the basis of the
decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR dated April
10, 1952, Oktyabrsky and Sovetsky districts are formed in
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. On August 31, 1956, the district division of the city
was abolished. By this time, by decision of the regional executive
committee, the settlements of Vladimirovka, Bolshaya Elan and Dalnee had
entered the boundaries of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. In January 1966, the
Sinegorsk settlement and Listvennichny village councils were transferred
to the submission of the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk City Council, the center of
which was transferred in 1971 to Khomutovo.
In September 1977,
the area of the city was 8241 hectares, and by the beginning of 1982 it
had increased to 13800 hectares, of which 2700 hectares were built up.
From 1983 to 1988, two districts were again created: Leninsky and
Oktyabrsky. The border between them ran along Ukrainskaya Street from
the city border to Lenina Street, then along Pobeda Avenue and further
along it to the eastern outskirts of the city. To the east of this
border was the Leninsky district, which included the northern
microdistrict of the Sakhalin Integrated Research Institute and the
village of Sinegorsk. The rest of the territory belonged to the
Oktyabrsky district, which included the villages of Khomutovo,
Listvennichnoye, Oktyabrsky, Dalnee and the railway stations
Novoderevenskaya and Pereval.
The city is located at a distance from the sea coast, about 50 km
from the western coast, 25 km from the eastern coast and the Sea of
Okhotsk, and 20 km from Aniva Bay, which washes the island from the
south. On the eastern side, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is protected by a mountain
range. Chekhov Peak (1,045 m above sea level) is one of the highest
peaks of Sakhalin, 15 km northeast of the city. In connection with the
crash of Il-14 in 1976, Mount Ostraya (980 m) also received notoriety.
In relation to the surrounding territory, the city is located on a plain
surrounded by hills, due to which it has a peculiar climate that is not
characteristic of the coastal cities of the island. Summer in
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk can be very hot, and in winter, due to lack of wind,
severe frost.
The city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is equated with the
regions of the Far North.
The city is located in an
earthquake-prone area. The probability of strong earthquakes is quite
high. Currently, construction is carried out using special technologies
that allow buildings to withstand earthquakes up to 8 points on the
MSK-64 scale.
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is in the MSK+8 time zone. The offset of the applicable time from UTC is +11:00. According to the applied time and geographic longitude, the average solar noon in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk occurs at 13:29.
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, like the entire island of Sakhalin, is included in
the monsoon zone of temperate latitudes. The average annual temperature
is +2.8 °C. The coldest month is January with an average daily
temperature of −12.2 °C, the warmest is August with an average daily
temperature of +17.3 °C.
Due to the high humidity, already at an
air temperature of +22 ° C in the shade it becomes hot and stuffy,
comfortable and warm - at +18 ° C - 19 ° C.
Estimated outdoor
temperature in summer is +25.7 °C, in winter -14 °C. The duration of the
period with an average daily temperature below 0 °C is 154 days, the
duration of the heating period is 230 days. The average temperature of
the coldest five-day period is −13 °C. The absolute minimum air
temperature of −36 ° C occurred in January 1961. The maximum air
temperature was recorded on August 9, 1999 and amounted to +34.7 °C
(according to the Climate Monitor, the maximum air temperature was
observed in August).
Snow load 400 kg/m² (VI region).
Wind
load - 60 kg / m² (V region).
Climatic region - II G.