Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and its Suburbs
The majority of Sakhalin’s population lives on the southern half of the Island, centered mainly in the capital city of the region, Yuzhno – Sakhalinsk, and the two ports, Kholmsk and Korsakov. The Sakhalin region also includes the Island of Moneron and the disputed Kuril chain.
For its nearly 120-year history the up-to-date centre of the Sakhalin Region has changed its name trice: "Vladimirovka", "Toyohara" and "Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk". And every time a new epoch set in together with a new name. When city was called Vladimirovka, the local inhabitants called it "Black River". Russian famous writer A.P.Chekhov said that there were only 3 houses at the village that time.
Nowadays Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is a modern city with well-developed economy and with high level of social, political and cultural life. At present owing to the execution of the number of international projects and programs in oil and gas industry Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk started the first steps of economic and cultural growth, the city infrastructure is being actively developed, traditional industries - construction, agriculture, food and light industries have got a new impact to progress.
The city is spread out from north to south in a picturesque valley, surrounded by the mountains of the Susunaysky Range in the East. The Public Park of Culture and Rest decorates the city greatly. It is well-famous for its handiwork lake and the children's railway.
City has many sightseeing.
There is one famous place in the city - City Museum of Local Lore, where unique collections of materials about nature of the island are gathered. It has more than 80 thousands of items in its collections, the most interesting of them are exhibited in exhibition-halls.
The drab rows of Soviet-style concrete blocks that makes up much of the island's capital are really not that interesting for travelers, especially not the ones who have been adventurous enough to come here in the first place. On the other hand, there should be enough to entertain you for a day while you get your bearings and organize things to venture out into Sakhalin's great outdoors — and you really owe it to yourself to get out there if you have come this far. If you're short on time and only here to catch a ferry, skip these sights and hike up Chekov Peak — the trail head is a muddy dirt road just behind the Santa resort, the whole hike takes around 6 hours if you're in reasonable shape.
Additional material
Many people prefer to travel abroad; others say that there is much to be seen in our own country.
Most people find travelling very exciting. It gives them an opportunity to enjoy sightseeing, to discover new things, to meet interesting people, to rest physically and morally and to get wonderful impressions.
For me there is hardly anything more interesting and exciting than a journey to a foreign country. I've been to London, Paris and Rome and it is the most wonderful experience in my life. Travelling abroad gives me a chance to feel thousands of miles away from home, to visit great cities and small villages, to admire foreign architecture, cuisine and culture, to make friends and what not. What is more, it is the best way to broaden your mind, to improve your knowledge of history and geography and to make your life interesting.
However, a lot of people are sure that there is much to be seen in our own country. Indeed, it is difficult to disagree with them. There are many places of interest in my native town: ancient churches, monuments, museums and parks. One can go to Moscow and visit its theatres, cathedrals, art galleries and what not. The Kremlin attracts thousands of tourists as it is the heart of Moscow and the centre of the Russian government. St. Petersburg, the former capital of Russia, is known for its magnificent palaces, famous museums, beautiful buildings and wide streets. Besides, there are many small towns and villages in our country which are definitely worth visiting.
To conclude, we should learn everything about our own country first of all. But if we want to learn more about the world around us and to expand the mind, we should travel abroad.
§ Chekhov Literary and Art Museum (Городскойлитературно-художественныймузейкнигиА.П.Чехова), Housed in a 1954 building somewhat reminiscent of Chekhov's house, there are some items from the everyday life of Anton Chekhov and his family as well as a collection of some of his artworks, and naturally copies of Chekhov's book "Sakhalin Island" in various languages from all over the world, as well as a Facsimile edition from 1895.
§ Railway museum, Vokzal'naya St 34 (near the train station), An open-air exhibition of old locomotives and railway trucks, including Japanese machinery operated on Sakhalin. The tunnel boring machine is also on display here. The museum does not really follow the declared schedule, so arrange in advance or glance through the fence.
§ Sakhalin Regional Art Museum (Сахалинскийобластнойхудожественныймузей), Opened in 1989 in the building of the former Japanese bank "Hokkaido Takuseku" from the 1930s. The three permanent expositions include: "Copies of Ancient Russian Frescos", "Art of Japan", and "Art of Korea".
§ Sakhalin Regional Museum (Сахалинский государственный областной краеведческиймузей), Housed in the former Japanese building dating back to 1937, the museum hosts exhibitions about the islands natural and climatic features, as well as the history of Sakhalin and a quite good ethnographic collection of the island's indigenous peoples. Don't miss the outdoor exhibition that includes Japanese steles and border stones, the houses of indigenous people, local plants, and old cannons.
§ Sakhalin Zoo (Сахалинский зооботанический парк), Russian zoos are depressing, and this one founded in 1993 is no exception; though they seem to be genuinely interested in improving conditions, limited funds have thus far prevented any major improvements. They have 145 species up for display, mainly fauna related to Sakhalin such as wolves and brown bears.
§ If you are interested in theJapanese heritage, consider the regional and art museums, the house of the garrison court (1908; Nevel'skogo St 44), and the small bridge on Sakhalinskaya St. Other Japanese buildings were destroyed before 70s.
§ Chekhov International Theatre Center (СахалинскийтеатральныйцентрЧехова),. Really not that much "International" about it, this theatre is in a rather unusual (for a frontier region) building covered by mosaics in the socialist realism style (1964). The theatre has roots back to the 1930s. It sometimes has musicals and concerts on the repertoire, if sitting through 2 hours of incomprehensible Russian is not your thing.
§ Gagarin Park (Парк им. Ю.А. Гагарина). Scrappy but loved, the 220-acre Gagarin Park is a nice place for a stroll, supposedly the largest in the far east and something of a leisure center for the local population. The park features athletic facilities, adventure playgrounds, a lake with small boats, a miniature railroad for kids, a zoo and a run down amusement park. On the eastern corner of the park there is a trail head leading up the hill for a nice view over the city.
§ Gorny Vozdukh Ski center (горнолыжный комплекс 'Горный Воздух'), An alpine complex located within Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk city proper. It has nine runs (1 black, 5 reds & 3 greens) and three lifts, including a spanking new 2.5 km gondola lift. There is also a bit of English information on the local snowboarding federation's website
§ Sakhalin Diving (СахалинДайвинг), This PADI dive shop can help with tours to Moneron island, listed in the Sakhalin guide. There is also a diving club on Kommunistichesky Pr 19 (DKS@sakhalin.ru/42-26-91) edit
§ Sakhalin Regional Puppet Theatre (Сахалинскийобластнойтеатр), .While mostly geared towards children, some of their shows are actually quite extraordinary, so it might be an option for a rainy day, even if you don't have kids. They are quite renowned within Russia and even booked abroad occasionally.
§ Cinema
Kinopanorama (Кинозал «Кинопанорама»), Komsomolets (Культурный центр молодёжи «Комсомолец»), October (Киноконцертный зал «Октябрь»), Premier (Кинозал «Премьер»),