Lesnoye Lake

Lesnoye Lake (Russian: Озеро Лесное) lies in the Tomari urban district of Sakhalin Oblast, southeast of the village of Krasnogorsk, about half a kilometer from the shore of the Tatar Strait. The lagoon-origin lake stretches from west to east: it is roughly 793 meters long, up to 287 meters wide, with a surface area of 21.8 hectares. Lagoon lakes like this one on Sakhalin's west coast are usually separated from the sea by a narrow sandbar and connect with it only during strong storms or floods.

Nature

The lake is shallow near its shores, but its central part reaches a depth of up to 21 meters, averaging around 5 meters — a notable drop for such a compact body of water, typical of lagoons formed in flooded river valleys. The water is clear, colorless and odorless, with visibility reaching 120 centimeters; by chemical composition it is hydrocarbonate-magnesium water. The lake is fed both by groundwater and precipitation, and a left tributary of the Chyornaya River flows through it, keeping the water in constant exchange rather than stagnant.

History

The village of Krasnogorsk, next to which the lake lies, was founded by the Japanese in 1907 under the name Chinnai — which in the Ainu language means "mountainous terrain in a river valley." During the period of Japanese rule over southern Sakhalin, the settlement was one of the industrial centers of the west coast: between 1935 and 1941 its population grew fourfold, and at least ten coal mines were opened in the surrounding area. After 1945, when the southern part of the island passed to the Soviet Union, coal mining in the district continued for several more decades, and many buildings from that era survive today as ruins.

Local residents also keep weather lore tied to the nearby mountain: if its peak is not visible through clouds or fog in the evening, the next day is expected to bring bad weather, and potato planting is traditionally begun only once the snow has fully melted from its slopes.

What to see

Lesnoye Lake is a popular recreation spot among local residents, who come here to fish and swim in the warmer months. Nearby are the remains of a Japanese power station and the abandoned Krasnogorskaya Mine No. 10 — reminders of the area's industrial past. Cape Leontyev, with a view out over the sea, lies close by on the shore of the Tatar Strait.

Getting there

The trip from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to the village of Krasnogorsk takes a little over three and a half hours: regular buses heading toward Uglegorsk or Shakhtyorsk run there, as do private minivans. From the village itself, a bus runs to the lake on the "Krasnogorsk — Lesnoye Ozero" route, and the lake can also be reached by car.