One of the Russian islands got its name from the Amur River (translated from Manchu), but it is very difficult to guess about it. “Sakhalyan-Ulla” was written on the map, which meant “Rocks of the Black River” - thus the name of the water stream was mistakenly transferred to the land.
It is interesting that the history of Sakhalin Island remembers the mistake made by I. F. Kruzenshtern. The great traveler concluded about the discovery of the peninsula, later the Japanese corrected the mistake, proving that this piece of land is surrounded by water on all sides.
Island and people
The history of Sakhalin Island is inseparable from the life of its inhabitants. Archaeologists claim that the first inhabitants appeared here in the early Paleolithic era. Unfortunately, very few artifacts have survived, witnessing the origin of life in this region of the planet.
Much more is known about the inhabitants of Sakhalin since the 17th century, when the development of Siberia and the territories of the Far East by Russian explorers began. When they reached the island, they found the Ainu and Nivkh tribes here: the former occupied the southern part of the island, the latter were located in the north.
Until the middle of the 19th century, there were no disputes between Russia and Japan, none of the states encroached on these territories. In 1855, a treaty on friendship was signed, one of the provisions of the document said about the joint ownership of the island by the two states. After 20 years, the situation changed - according to the new agreement, Sakhalin became a Russian island, and the Kuril Islands were withdrawn to Japan.
History of the island in the twentieth century
The Russo-Japanese War led to the defeat of the Russian army and navy. A new treaty was signed between the states, now part of the island below the 50th parallel went to the winner, that is, to the Japanese. The army of the Land of the Rising Sun went even further: taking advantage of the delay in the establishment of Soviet power in the Far East, Japanese troops also occupied the northern part of the island.
The end of Japan's claims to this territory was put by the Second World War - this can be said about the history of Sakhalin Island briefly, without touching on the details of military operations. In 1946, both Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands became the property of the Soviet Union. But a peaceful, calm life on the islands did not come soon.
