Novikovskie Shtolni

Novikovskie Shtolni (the Novikovo adits) are old mine galleries on the sea coast of the Korsakovsky district in Sakhalin Oblast, next to the village of Novikovo. Today the adits are the destination of a well-known coastal hiking route in southern Sakhalin.

History

The adits were cut during the period of Japanese rule over South Sakhalin, when the island was called Karafuto. The village near the adits was then called Oyamanbetsu, an Ainu name meaning "big river Yaman". After South Sakhalin was transferred to the USSR on 15 October 1947, the village received its present name, Novikovo, in honour of the cruiser Novik.

Legends and accounts

According to people who have gone inside, the floor of the adits is covered with a large number of scallop shells. The galleries themselves have largely been forgotten over the years, so for hikers who come across them along the coastal path the find is often unexpected.

What to see

The route runs along the sea coast near Novikovo, with an elevation change of 3 to 9 metres; part of the way goes over rocks and along the waterline, part along a low cliff above the sea. The adits themselves are low, dark tunnels cut into the rock of the coastal cliff; almost no daylight reaches inside, so a flashlight is needed to look around. The entrance is easy to miss among the rocks unless you know the exact point along the route.

Novikovo, the village next to the adits, stands on the south-eastern coast of Sakhalin, in the Korsakovsky district. The shoreline here has rocky outcrops and cliffs running right down to the sea, typical of the southern tip of the island.

Getting there

The coastal route starts at 46.363144° N, 143.3583° E and ends at the adits at 46.358161° N, 143.357688° E. The walk is about 0.76 km long. The nearest settlement is the village of Novikovo in the Korsakovsky district of Sakhalin Oblast.

Good to know

A flashlight is useful for looking inside the adits, since almost no daylight reaches them. Part of the route runs over coastal rocks, so it is worth timing the walk around the tides and wearing suitable footwear.