Hot Springs of Baransky Volcano

The hot springs lie at the foot of Baransky Volcano on Iturup Island, in the Kurilsky municipal district of Sakhalin Oblast, about 20 km from the town of Kurilsk. Baransky Volcano is an active stratovolcano 1125–1132 meters high with a crater roughly 650 meters across; its last eruption was recorded in 1951, and it was named in 1946 after the geographer professor N. N. Baransky.

Thermal field

The slopes and foot of the volcano hold an extensive thermal field with fumaroles, steam vents, mud pots and hot rivers. Steam rises constantly from the ground, and the rocks and riverbed are coated with yellow and green mineral deposits left by sulfur and other substances dissolved in the water. The site includes Kipyashcheye (Boiling) Lake and the Kipyashchaya (Boiling) River, which drops in an eight-meter waterfall. On the volcano's slopes there are also small hot pools known as the "Blue Eyes" (Golubye glazki), with very high water temperature and acidity; getting close to their edge is dangerous.

What to see

Beside the Kipyashchaya River a tourist facility called "Rechka Kipyashchaya" has been built, with an ecological trail, a parking area, changing rooms and a shower. Wooden stairways and walkways lead from the viewing platforms right down to the water. Several pools of varying temperature, from 40 to 100 °C, are arranged for bathing; water around 40 °C is considered comfortable for soaking. The hot water of the river and the clouds of steam are visible well before the facility itself, so the springs stand out even to someone simply passing by on the trail.

History

The volcano was named in 1946 after the geographer professor N. N. Baransky. Its last recorded eruption dates to 1951; the cone is 1125–1132 meters high with a crater about 650 meters across. In 2007 the Okeanskaya geothermal power plant was built at the foot of Baransky Volcano, intended to use the volcano's heat to supply Iturup Island with electricity. Today the plant is considered mothballed and effectively abandoned, though the idea of harnessing the area's thermal energy remains relevant.

Getting there

From Kurilsk it is about 20 km on a dirt road to the Baransky Volcano area. Cars can reach the thermal field itself, and from there the springs are reached on foot along equipped paths and stairways. Iturup Island lies within a border zone, so travel there and to its surroundings requires a permit obtained in advance through the Gosuslugi portal, which must be carried throughout the trip.