Cape Trezubets

Cape Trezubets is a rocky headland at the northern tip of Shikotan Island, the largest island of the Lesser Kuril Chain in Sakhalin Oblast. The cape lies within the South Kuril Urban District and forms one side of the entrance to Malokurilskaya Bay (Cape Dumnova forms the other side); on the shore of the bay stands the village of Malokurilskoye, the island's administrative center. Cape Trezubets is part of the Kurilsky State Nature Reserve and is one of the most recognizable natural landmarks of Shikotan.

Why "Trezubets"

The cape was named after the rocky massif on its summit: three fused, sharp-pointed peaks that from a distance resemble the prongs of a trident (trezubets in Russian). According to another description, it is three rock stacks stretched in a row along the shoreline, and they form the shape of a trident only when viewed from a particular angle; from other viewpoints the rocks look different.

Malokurilskaya Bay

The bay whose entrance Cape Trezubets guards is small: about one kilometer long, with an entrance roughly 350 meters wide and up to 15 meters deep. It is the only place in the South Kuril Islands where large vessels can moor at a pier, which makes the bay the main sea gateway to Shikotan.

What to see

The cape rises 161 meters above sea level. From its summit there is a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean and the green hills of Shikotan, covered with taiga vegetation and thickets of Kuril bamboo. In the warm season, blooming edelweiss can be seen on the coastal cliffs, a rare sight for the Kuril Islands. The sheer rock walls of the cape and the open space at the top make Trezubets a natural viewpoint over the island's northern shore and Malokurilskaya Bay.

History of the island

The name "Shikotan" comes from an Ainu word meaning "a large inhabited place"; in the 18th century the island was also known as Figurny Island and Shpanberg Island. The island lies in a seismically active zone: a strong earthquake and tsunami struck it in 1994. Since 1945 a border guard ship detachment has been stationed on Shikotan.

Getting there

From the village of Malokurilskoye, Cape Trezubets is about 4 kilometers away along the shore of the bay; on foot the walk takes roughly 45 to 60 minutes. The village itself lives on fishing: it has a port, a fish cannery and a power station, and ships connect Shikotan with the other Kuril Islands, while a helicopter service links it with Kunashir.