Voevoda Waterfall

Voevoda Waterfall lies on the western coast of the Tatar Strait in the Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky municipal district of Sakhalin Oblast, about 5 kilometers south of Cape Zhonkiere and near the village of Due. The Ugledarka River plunges here from a coastal cliff straight onto a pebble beach, and the waterfall is often called one of the most majestic on the western coast of Sakhalin Island.

What to see

The waterfall has two tiers. The lower tier is about 23 meters high and the upper tier about 25 meters, so the total drop reaches up to 49 meters. The stream falls from a sheer coastal cliff and breaks into spray before it reaches the sea. The cliffs it falls from are made of Paleogene rock that contains fossil shells of ancient mollusks.

History

The name "Voevoda" is linked to the Voevodinskaya prison that once stood nearby. The village of Due was one of the first penal-labor settlements on Sakhalin: it was home to the Duyskaya and Voevodinskaya prisons, important for the island's coal industry in the 19th century. On the coastal cliffs in this area traces of convict labor can still be found — tunnels, remains of stairways and abandoned coal mines. The waterfall itself was already photographed at the turn of the 20th century by an unknown photographer.

How to get there

Due can be reached by car or bus from Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky. From the village, the waterfall is reached on foot along the coast or through the forest; the route is marked here and there with red ribbons. It is about 1 km from the mouth of the Ugledarka River to the lower tier, and another 0.5 km to the upper tier. Along the way there is a stream that is hard to cross without rubber boots. The waterfall can also be reached by boat along the coast.

Good to know

The nearest settlement is the village of Due in the Alexandrovsk-Sakhalinsky municipal district. Even local residents do not always know exactly where the waterfall is, so it is worth checking the route in advance. Waterproof footwear is useful for the hike along the coast and through the forest.