Durnovo Island

Durnovo Island is one of the islands of the Rimsky-Korsakov Archipelago in Peter the Great Bay, part of the Sea of Japan, off the southern coast of the Khasansky municipal district of Primorsky Krai. It belongs to the Far Eastern Marine Biosphere Reserve and is known chiefly for its sheer southern cliff and the Paleozoic fossils found in the coastal rock.

Nature

The island is small, with a split, two-peaked summit; its slopes are covered with shrubs and deciduous forest, and a small plateau sits at its centre. The highest point rises to about 97 metres. The northern shore is relatively gentle and lined with a pebble beach, while the southern shore drops sheer into the sea — the sight most excursion routes through the reserve are built around. Exposed sedimentary outcrops along the coast preserve remains of Paleozoic fauna, making the island a point of interest for geologists and naturalists alike.

As part of the Far Eastern Marine Reserve, Durnovo Island is protected: its waters and shores are a habitat for seabirds and a site of regular scientific observation.

History

The island is named after Pyotr Nikolaevich Durnovo (1844–1915), a Russian statesman and naval officer. He graduated from the Naval Cadet Corps in 1860 and spent several years serving on imperial navy ships in the waters off Japan and China, including the clippers Gaydamak, Naezdnik and Posadnik — the same vessels that carried out the hydrographic survey of Peter the Great Bay during which the islands of the archipelago received the names of naval officers. Durnovo later built a career as a state official: from 1905 to 1906 he served as Minister of Internal Affairs of the Russian Empire, and afterwards headed the right-wing faction in the State Council.

Getting there

Independent landing on the island is not allowed, since it lies within the reserve's protected zone. Durnovo can be seen as part of organised excursions through the Far Eastern Marine Biosphere Reserve: boat routes along the islands of the Rimsky-Korsakov Archipelago traditionally approach the island's sheer southern shore. The same waters are popular among divers, drawn by the clear water and underwater relief around the island.