Baklan Bay

Baklan Bay is a bay of the Gulf of Peter the Great in the south of Primorsky Krai, within the Khasansky municipal district, about 50 km southwest of Vladivostok, next to the village of Slavyanka. The bay's older name was Manchzhurka (Manchzhur), and its sandy beach is still known by that name.

Geography

The bay cuts into the coast between a cape at the tip of the Clerke Peninsula and Cape Chirok. Two islands, Sibiryakova and Antipenko, lie at its entrance. The bay's water surface covers 22.7 square kilometers.

The northern shore is elevated and rocky, while the southern shore is low, covered with grass and shrubs. The bottom is mostly sandy, with scattered rocks.

History

The bay received its current name in the late 1880s or early 1890s, in honor of the gunboat Manchzhur (in some sources, Mandzhur). Before that, and for a long time afterward, the bay was known as Manchzhurka or Manchzhur. In 1972, during a Soviet-wide campaign to replace Chinese and Manchu place names along the Primorye coast, the bay was officially renamed Baklan, although the old name stuck to the beach in everyday use.

Today

Baklan Bay is now a popular recreation spot for residents of Vladivostok and the Khasansky district. About 4 km of sandy beach, still called Manchzhurka, stretches along the bay. Several recreation bases operate nearby, including Akvatoriya, a 10-15 minute walk from the beach.

In recent years local residents and environmental activists have raised concerns about large-scale construction on the bay's shores, which could affect the beach and the coastal environment. The bay also borders a military training ground on the Clerke Peninsula, so access to the shore can be restricted during exercises for safety reasons.

Getting there

Baklan Bay lies about 50 km southwest of Vladivostok, next to the village of Slavyanka. It can be reached by car or public transport through Slavyanka. Because some stretches of the coast are hard to reach, residents of Slavyanka have repeatedly raised the issue of regular bus service to the bay's beaches.