Atlasov Lighthouse

The Atlasov Lighthouse stands on Atlasov Island (formerly known as Alaid), part of the Severo-Kurilsky municipal district of Sakhalin Oblast. It is the northernmost island of the Greater Kuril Chain — essentially the above-water part of the Alaid volcano, which rises 2,339 meters and is the tallest of Russia's volcanic islands. Severo-Kurilsk lies about 45 kilometers away across the sea, and the island can only be reached by boat.

History

The island received its current Russian name in 1954, honoring the explorer Vladimir Atlasov, who surveyed Kamchatka and the surrounding lands in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Before that it was called Alaid, with the variants Anfinogen and Dyakon also recorded. In Ainu sources it was known as Uyakuzhach, meaning "high rock."

During the Soviet era a settlement called Atlasovo existed at the foot of the volcano, home to the lighthouse and weather station staff. Today the settlement is abandoned and the island has no permanent population. The lighthouse itself is currently inactive, its light extinguished.

Nature

The island is formed by the active Alaid volcano and remains volcanically active, with eruptions recorded in recent times. Its shores are steep and hard to access, and vegetation is sparse due to volcanic rock and constant winds.

Legends

A legend tells of the "heart of Alaid," which the volcano is said to have left behind in Kuril Lake on Kamchatka. The island is also mentioned in the Strugatsky brothers' science-fiction story "The White Cone of Alaid," though its action takes place on the neighboring island of Shumshu.

Getting there

There is no regular transport service to Atlasov Island. It can only be reached by sea, aboard a boat from the settlement of Severo-Kurilsk, roughly 45 kilometers away. A trip requires planning: suitable weather and an arrangement with local boat owners.