Simushir (Симушир, 新知島) is a deserted volcanic island, part of the Kuril Islands in Russia, located at .

A series of volcanoes (up to 1539 meters) form the structure of this highly elongated island, 59 km long and 12 km wide, with an area of 227.6 sq. km. A partly submerged, 7.5 km wide caldera is situated at the northeastern tip of the island. In the center of the island lies Prevo Peak and down to the southwest lies Zavaritski Caldera, with three calderas contained within each other.

Administratively this island belongs to the Sakhalin Oblast of the Russian Federation.

History

Russian explorer Gerasim Izmailov was marooned on Simushir in the early 1770s. He spent a full year subsisting on "scallops, grass, and roots".

The Ainu and the Aleuts settled Simushir in the 19th century.

At the northeastern tip of the island is the Brouton Bay used by the Soviet Navy as a secret submarine base between 1987 and 1994. The remains of the base can be seen clearly on satellite images. Today the island is not inhabited, and several Soviet villages, like Kraternyy are deserted.

Believed currently to be under exploration to exploit the oil field from Simushir with air traffic and supply for Exxon under license from The Russian Federation. Details unknown!

References

• Global Volcanism Program
• Simushir submarine base
• Russians Said to Have Built Submarine Base Near Japan - New York Times:REUTERS Published: October 24, 1982

External links

• Sakhalin Oblast