Commander Islands- an archipelago of four islands in the southwestern part of the Bering Sea of ​​the Pacific Ocean. Administratively they are part of the Aleutian region of the Kamchatka Territory of Russia. The islands are named after the navigator Commander Bering Vitus Bering who discovered them in 1741. The Commander Islands are a place where Russian and Aleutian cultures mix. They have huge potential for the development of northern tourism.

Commander Islands Map

90 miles northeast of Kamchatka are the Commander Islands, part of the Aleutian chain. The islands include: the largest - Beringa, slightly smaller ones - Medny and two very small ones - Toporkov and Ariy Kamen. The nearest islands of the Aleutian chain are located 190 miles to the east, well, this is already US territory.

History of discovery

On the map of Russia, east of Kamchatka at the latitude of Moscow, two small points with the name “Commander Islands” are marked in the Pacific Ocean. These islands were discovered in 1741 by the expedition of the outstanding Russian navigator Commander Vitus Bering, in whose honor they received their name.

Commanders are actually two large islands, Bering and Medny, separated by a strait. Only in the northern part of Bering Island, where the only village of Nikolskoye is located, is the relief more or less smoothed out, with gentle hills, wide valleys and large lakes.

The Second Expedition lasted 10 years. Most of this period was painful for Bering: a sailor, a commander, he had to sit side by side, either in Yakutsk or in Okhotsk - quarreling with local officials, fighting off their denunciations, stopping attempts to pinch off expeditionary supplies: Bering supported the actions of numerous detachments of his expedition , he understood that he would cope with this task better than others, but could not come to terms with the fact that he was sending others on dangerous routes. He will lead the last voyage himself. "St. Peter" and "St. Paul", two packet boats built at the Okhotsk shipyard under his command, are ready for the voyage. There will be a trip to the east, to the shores of America, and to the north, to the strait. But first, it is necessary to clarify, according to the instructions of the Senate, the coordinates of the land of Juan de Gama, which lies southeast of Kamchatka.

On June 4, 1741, from the Kamchatka harbor of the "Holy Apostles Peter and Paul" the packet boats "St. Peter" under the command of the head of the second Kamchatka expedition, captain-commander Vitus Jonassen Bering, and "St. Paul" under the command of fleet captain Alexei Ilyich left for the unknown shores of America Chirikov. Chirikov was the first to reach America on July 15, but a tragic incident confused all his further plans: the only two boats sent to the shore in Takhanys Bay did not return and the fate of 15 Russian sailors remains unknown to this day. On the way back, Chirikov discovered a number of islands in the Aleutian ridge and on October 9 entered his native Avacha Bay. His voyage is assessed as a triumph of Russian maritime art.

Bering saw America a day and a half later, approached the island, gave it the name St. Elijah (now Kayak Island), allowed the expedition naturalist Georg Steller to go ashore, and Sofron Khitrovo managed to go on boats for water.

Meeting with the Americans - from the diary of Georg Steller

After standing for less than a day, we turned back: autumn was approaching. The return journey turned out to be stormy and difficult. Scurvy broke out, and Bering himself fell ill. The sailor Shumagin was the first to die and was buried on the island (this group of islands is still called the Shumaginsky islands). When, according to all data, they were already approaching Kamchatka, the packet boat was practically uncontrollable and floated “like a piece of dead wood.”

When they saw land on November 4, 12 people on the ship had already died, 34 were sick. Bering decided to land on unknown land. They anchored, but a storm wave broke the anchor rope, and “St. Peter” was carried toward the reefs bordering a small bay, near which the water boiled with white foam. Having slipped literally 20 meters from the entrance reef, the packet boat found itself on calm water. They stood at the two remaining anchors and began to take the sick ashore; many of them, taking a breath of fresh, clean air, died.

Adjacent to the bay was a valley surrounded by low mountains, already covered with snow. A small river with crystal clear water ran through the valley. They began to build houses on its shore. The sick Bering was transferred to a separate dugout dug especially for him. Arctic foxes scurried around, and the abundance of seals and sea otters was surprising. Soon, during a storm, the packet boat "St. Peter", torn from its anchors, was thrown ashore; patients continued to die; Bering died on December 8. Unlike the others, he was buried tied to a board. By spring they looked around - they found out that they were on a treeless, uninhabited island (from Steller’s diary), and decided to build a small ship from the remains of the packet boat in order to get to Kamchatka on it. They ate the meat of a discarded whale, beat seals and sea otters. In the spring, the situation was saved by grasses, and most importantly, by a sea cow.

On August 14, 1742, on the built one-masted hookor "St. Peter", the surviving 46 people (out of 77 who set sail) left the island, giving it the name Bering.

A wooden cross was placed on the commander's grave. In Commander Bay, 14 crew members of the packet boat “St. Peter”, who could not withstand the illnesses and hardships of the voyage, remained forever, as well as a store with ship property and 14 cannons - silent and eternal evidence of the expedition that made a great geographical discovery. Truly this place is a shrine of the Russian fleet.

In 1874, representatives of the Russian-American Company, estimating where the grave of the great navigator could be located, erected a wooden cross. Later, local historians erected the current monument. It consists of two stone rectangles superimposed on each other, covered with a cast iron plate on top. An iron cross 3.5 m high crowns the tombstone. The monument is majestic, strict and simple. In the only village on Bering Island, the village of Nikolskoye, on the coast of the Pacific Ocean, three more monuments to Vitus Bering were erected on a historical site.

In 1991, the 250th anniversary of Bering and Chirikov's voyage to the shores of Northwestern America was celebrated, and the International Society "Underwater World" together with the Institute of Archeology of the USSR Academy of Sciences organized an expedition to Commander Bay on Bering Island. At the suggestion of the head of the expedition A.K. Stanyukovich, the Leningrad Society "Memory of the Baltic" formed an underwater archaeological detachment, which included experienced Leningrad submarine divers V.N. Polyakov, M.E. Mikhailova, D.Yu. Stolbov, A.P. Rubailo, I. A. Pyaterichenko and V. A. Dronov from the Voronezh club "Reef". The main objectives of the expedition: comprehensive study and preservation of the historical and cultural heritage of the Commander Islands, search for Bering's grave, underwater archaeological work to search for the anchors of the packet boat "St. Peter" in Commander Bay.

Geography

The Commander Islands are located in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean, bordering the Bering Sea to the south, and are the western tip of the Aleutian island arc. The archipelago includes about 15 islands of different sizes, the largest of which are Bering Island and Medny Island. The islands are located in a fairly compact group and lie approximately 175 kilometers east of Kamchatka between 55° 31" north latitude and 165° 04" and 168° east longitude. The Bering and Medny islands stretch from northeast to southwest, they are separated by a strait 49 kilometers wide. In this strait the sea is rarely calm - currents and winds do their job. Passing the strait on small vessels is not a safe undertaking. And for the same reason, it is extremely difficult to approach the island itself, Medny.

The length of Bering Island is 90 km, the average width is 18 km, the area is 1667 sq. km. Medny Island length is 53 km, average width is 5 km, area is 186 sq. km. Low (average height 9 m) and flat Toporkov Island with an area of ​​approximately 0.5 sq. km. is located 4 km west of Cape Entrance Reef (Nikolskoye village, Bering Island) and has a circumference of 2 km. Another island - Ariy Kamen - is located 10 km west of Nikolskoye and is a rock 53 meters high and 1 km in circumference. The remaining islands are much smaller isolated rocks, which are located in close proximity to the shores of the Bering and Medny islands. The Commander Islands are the top of underwater ridges. The heights of Bering Island are 150-755 meters above sea level, the highest point is Mount Steller (755 m); Medny Island is slightly lower - 360-647 meters, the highest point is Mount Steineger (647 m). Both islands are broken by faults.

Due to the abundance of precipitation, inland waters are widely represented by short rivers, rivers and streams; There are many lakes and swamps. Large lakes reach depths of up to 20 m, being former sea bays. The largest lake on Bering Island is Saranoye Lake. The largest number of sockeye salmon come here to spawn.

The coastal-marine zone is characterized by large depths, which is typical of island arcs. This contributes to the abrasive activity of waves, which is also favored by small ebbs and flows, expanding the zone of manifestation of the wave factor. In addition, ice does not form in the coastal zone, with the exception of narrow fast ice off the low-lying coast of the northern part of Bering Island, where temporary ice drift from the coast of Kamchatka is possible.

Geological structure

Like other island arcs, the Komandor-Aleutian arc is composed of volcanic rocks - basalts and andesites. The volcanic island of this arc protrudes above sea level in the form of separate groups of islands in the Aleutian archipelago. Its larger part is characterized by modern volcanism and intense earthquakes. By their origin, the Commander Islands belong to the continental-ocean type. There are no modern manifestations of volcanism on them, but earthquakes are observed quite often in the form of tremors, although their strength is insignificant (occasionally there are 5-6 points). According to the latest data, thanks to the installed modern equipment, the island is moving towards Kamchatka at a speed of 6-7 mm per year. That is, in about 162 million years the island will connect with Kamchatka (these are the assumptions of the author of this site :-)). Tsunami waves are associated with seaquakes on the Commanders. There are no volcanoes or hot springs on the island. There is no oil and gas either. Only on o. Mednom discovered reserves of copper ore, after which it was named.

Currently, there is no single point of view on the geological history of the Commander Islands. Reconstruction of relief development is possible only in general terms due to the incompleteness of geomorphological and paleogeographic data. Therefore, there is no exact data on the origin of the islands.

Climate

The Commander Islands are located in the oceanic sector of the temperate zone in the southern non-ice-covered part of the Bering Sea (the southern border of the floating ice runs along the 56th parallel, not reaching the Commander Islands). The climate of the islands is mainly influenced by circulation processes developing over the northern part of the Pacific Ocean. The Commander's climate is influenced by the cold current from the Arctic Ocean and branches of the warm Kuroshio Current. As a result of the interaction of these factors, a rather peculiar climate is formed here with relatively mild winters and cool summers. The transition seasons are shorter than summer and winter (some researchers figuratively call the islands “the land of eternal autumn”). The ocean does not freeze in winter.

The obvious manifestation of interconnected zonal components in island nature - climate, soils, vegetation - led to the formation of a subarctic natural zone on the Commander Islands. It is noticeable that to a large extent this natural zone was formed under the influence of the subarctic climate. In the conditions of Commander, such a climate receives moisture all year round, and in winter, heat from the Pacific Ocean. As mentioned, the subarctic oceanic climate determined the nature of the soil and plant covers of the tundra and forest-tundra types. The influence of the azonal factor - the intra-island features of the mountainous terrain - affects the peculiar features of the microclimate and the distribution of cultivated plants. Thus, on Medny Island in Korabelnaya Bay they successfully grew many vegetables and potatoes. But on the same island in the village of Preobrazhenskoye, the residents failed: here the vegetables did not have time to ripen. Again, the peculiarities of the valley topography explain the emergence of a forest-tundra landscape in it. A tundra landscape is formed on the surface of mountains, plateaus and hills.

Constant weather observations on the Commanders have been carried out since 1889. The only weather station is now located in the village of Nikolskoye on Bering Island. Until the mid-60s, observations were also carried out in the village of Preobrazhenskoye on Medny Island, but then the village and the weather station ceased to exist. The average annual temperature on Bering Island is 2.1 degrees Celsius, on Medny Island - 2.8 degrees Celsius. The average annual wind speed on the Commanders is 7.1 m/s. Almost every month there are days when the wind speed reaches hurricane force - more than 30 m/s (108 km/h). Most of these days are in March and December. You sit in the house and think - will the glass in the windows squeeze out or not? The dishes clink quietly, the house is made of wood. So far everything is going well, except for the slate sheets that have been torn off here and there from the roofs. In general, we are accustomed to this weather. The number of days with winds exceeding 15 meters per second is about 80 per year.

Animal world

The intermediate position between North-Eastern Siberia and the northern part of the Pacific Ocean favored the formation of a rich fauna on the Commander Islands. Fish, birds, and mammals are widely represented here. Among fish, salmon are the most important - sockeye salmon, coho salmon, pink salmon and others. Numerous birds form bird markets of gulls, fulmars, puffins, cormorants, guillemots and others (more than 170 species of birds in total). Amphibians and reptiles are completely absent here. Simply put: we don’t have dragons, dinosaurs, crocodiles, snakes, lizards or frogs.

The main wealth of the Commander is its unique animal world. The islands have become an invaluable treasure trove of a wide variety of animals and birds, including rare, endangered and endemic ones, not found anywhere else in the world. The history of the development of the Commander Islands from the moment of their discovery is inextricably linked with the trade of fur-bearing animals. On the island beaches there were extensive rookeries of fur seals, among which sea lions stood out for their yellow-brown color. Many blue foxes lived in their neighborhood, and the most valuable fur-bearing animals in the world, sea otters, took refuge in the complex labyrinths of the coastal rocks.

During the long-term interaction of zonal, azonal and paleogeographic factors, the diverse and rich nature of the Commander Islands was created. This is the main reason why over the past two and a half centuries since the discovery of the Commander, they have undergone intensive development. The “development” of the Commander Islands began literally the next year after the participants of V. Bering’s expedition returned to Kamchatka. Their stories about the untold wealth of fur-bearing animals on the islands attracted the attention of Kamchatka industrialists. Temporary raids by industrialists continued until 1825, when the Aleuts were resettled to the Commanders for permanent residence. You can trace the “efficiency of management” from the information received from industrialists about the harvesting of marine animals. Thus, in 1754, P. Yakovlev, who spent the winter on Bering Island, reports that there were still a lot of sea cows and industrialists “are causing great waste and death to those herds of cows found near the shore in the sea.” He was the first to advise his superiors to ban the harmful fishing of sea cows. However, the extermination of sea cows continued, and already during the winter on Bering Island in 1760-1761. industrialist A. Tolstoy there were very few of them left, so the team ate the meat of fur seals and sea lions. As is known, the last sea cow was killed seven years after this message. The improvement of the fishing industry was facilitated to a certain extent by scientific research, which began to be carried out in the second half of the 19th century. and continue to this day.

Much has been done by domestic and, partly, foreign scientists to study the flora and fauna of the Commander. Numerous scientific materials, mainly on seals, sea otters and arctic foxes, have been published in various publications. It is significant that knowledge of animals was carried out, as a rule, in connection with the needs of the fishing industry. Among the researchers, one cannot help but mention N.A. Grebnitsky, who worked in 1877 - 1907 as the head of the fisheries at the Commanders. The famous zoologist E.K. Suvorov studied the fur trade on the Commander Islands and published a book about it (1912). Among foreign researchers, the American biologist L. Steineger is known, who visited the Commanders from 1882 to 1922; he wrote several books about the islands. Much work was carried out on various biological issues, including the problems of fur farming.

Scientific research has led to restrictions on the slaughter of fur seals and blue foxes since 1924, and a ban on the hunting of sea otters. On a scientific basis, since 1954, Arctic foxes have been bred in cages, and since 1969, the relocation of sea otters to Bering Island from Medny began, where they were still preserved.

Currently, the Commanders are once again famous for their fur seals, the number of which has grown so much that it has become possible to resume their rational fishing. There are many arctic foxes on Bering Island, and in winter they are hunted for their valuable skins (nowadays they are almost never mined - it is not economically profitable).

The Commander Islands are a place of mass nesting of seabirds, a stopover during the migration period of Charadriiformes and Anseriformes. The Mednovsky blue fox, northern sea otter, antur, gyrfalcon, peregrine falcon, grey-winged gull, and red-legged gull, included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation, breed here. About 300 thousand marine mammals are concentrated along the coastline of the islands. Several species, such as sea otters, anturus, Commander's sand lance, and minke whales, are listed in the IUCN Red Book. There are also killer whales and beaked whales. How many whales there used to be can be judged from the article, which talks about the planned whaling near the Commander Islands.

Compared to the coast, where in the summer months life seethes and bubbles, never calming down for a minute, the interior tundra areas of the islands are quite deserted and poor in living creatures. Only the Lapland plantain can be called truly numerous here - a modestly colored bird reminiscent of our sparrow. In the mountains, on passes covered with yellow gravel, pairs of Mongolian plovers will meet you and accompany you for a long time, and on the descent into the river valley their place will be taken by other sandpipers - Beringian sandpipers. But all these birds, having raised their babies, will gradually move closer to the sea, and then the tundra will be completely empty. The only bird that can be found here at any time of the year is the tundra partridge.

There are even fewer four-legged inhabitants in the tundra than birds. Wild reindeer, American mink, red vole and... rats. They were brought here by humans in the recent past. Deer and voles first appeared on the island in the 19th century. Rats, and at the same time mice, “true friends” of man, most likely arrived with the first goods brought here by people. They live both in the village and on the island.

Vegetable world

Due to frequent strong winds and low summer temperatures, the islands are treeless, although they are located at the same latitude as, say, Tula or Ufa. All attempts to grow the imported trees invariably ended in failure. Among the Komandorsky species of rowan, birch and willow, shrub and dwarf shrub forms predominate, and very rarely, in gullies protected from the winds, you can find small, strongly curved trees. Common willow thickets along river valleys rarely exceed 1.5 m in height. Most of the territory is occupied by various types of tundra and herbaceous communities. In general, Komandorsky communities are characterized by a strong mosaic pattern depending on microclimatic conditions, soil, exposure and slope slope.

The soil and vegetation cover of the islands is of the tundra type. The soils are thin, slightly podzolized, with a predominance of loamy and sandy loam fine earth. Primitive soils slowly form on rocky slopes. Only on the coasts do more fertile soils with a peat-humus layer form. The tundra vegetation covering such soils owes its existence to the subarctic features of the oceanic climate. Excessive moisture, low air temperatures during the growing season and strong winds are to blame for this. Therefore, low-grass carpet vegetation, as well as creeping forms of trees and shrubs, are developed here. On open surfaces there are common growths of juniper and dwarf cedar. Only in the valleys are there thickets of willow, rowan, and stone birch 1-2 m high. There, in the lower tier, lush tall grasses of hogweed and shelaminum are striking. Harsh natural conditions explain the fact that there are almost 2.5 times fewer land plants on the Commanders than on the Kuril Islands. But in the relatively warm coastal waters of the Commander Islands there is an exceptional abundance of various algae (about 200 species), i.e. almost half of all types of terrestrial vegetation.

E.F. Guryanova, a well-known specialist in seaweed who worked on the Commanders, believes that it is difficult to find similar areas in the entire World Ocean that are comparable in their flora to the algae of Bering Island. Is this not one of the reasons that explains the localization specifically on the Sea Cow Commanders? Moreover, their enemies were absent here until a man appeared who foolishly destroyed numerous herds of these animals in just over two decades.

Commanders are located at the junction of floristic regions - gravitating in their species composition to Kamchatka, they also bear features of the flora of the Aleutian ridge. Suffice it to say that almost a quarter of the species are located on the boundaries of their ranges (11 species have the western and 93 - eastern boundaries of their ranges on the islands). This transition can be traced within the Komandorsky archipelago itself - on Medny Island, “American” species have become more widespread, a striking example of this is the abundance of curved buttercup, and literally carpets of Claytonia Siberian. On both islands, the endemic of the Commander Islands - island wormwood - is quite common. Due to this uniqueness, Commanders are often identified as a separate floristic region.

About 40 species were brought to the islands by humans. Most of them appeared in the 70-80s. 20th century during a period of intensive agricultural work. Annual reseeding was carried out on numerous mowing areas. Subsequently, this work was determined to be unprofitable and further work was abandoned. Some of the introduced species have disappeared, some can still be found, but almost all populations are small and in a depressed state, many of them bloom only by September and cannot reproduce by seeds. Some species, such as cumin, wild garlic and golden root, were specially planted by residents in different years in the northern and middle parts of the island, but they are not in the best condition.

There are a lot of berries on the islands, but only “according to the list” - many types, but little use; a fruitful year here can be safely equated to a lean year on the mainland. The most collected ones are rowan and crowberry, followed by cloudberry, princess and blueberry, and also lingonberry. The rest are present in "trace amounts". But there really are a lot of mushrooms. Among the Red Book species we can name the following: the abundant on Bering Island, a lover of small, clean lakes, the inconspicuous sea slipper, the quite common dim Yatabe slipper, the truly rare and in need of strict protection, the beautiful grandiflora slipper, and the real slipper, known only from Steller's list. Arnica Lessing and Trillium Kamchatka, which are rare for the islands, are also included in the Red Book of Kamchatka.

Storm petrels and puffed puffins nest in holes made in the turfy caps of rocks, while guillemots, mossocks and white-bellied guillemots nest in cracks in rocky cliffs, niches and voids under stones. Cormorants perch somewhere on the edge and, stretching out their snake-like necks, watch with interest the noisy life of their numerous neighbors. And prim guillemots sit nearby. Fulmars - sea pigeons - perched on the steep cliffs. The peregrine falcon regularly collects tribute from bird markets, capable of overtaking the chosen victim with a swift lunge. By the way, blue foxes are not averse to eating bird eggs or chicks. Coastal cliffs also serve as a haven for various small birds - wrens, finches, buntings. The simple but melodic songs of these birds are extremely pleasing after the incredible cacophony that reigns in seabird colonies.

The indigenous inhabitants of the islands are the Aleuts

Until 1825, there was no permanent population on the Commander Islands. On about. Bering and on Copper Island, the Russian-American Company (R.A.K.) imported replacement batches of Russian industrialists (miners) for the extraction of fur from sea cats and beavers (sea otters). The first artel was landed on Medny Island in 1805, it consisted of 13 people. This group of sea hunters stayed on the islands for a long time. Other artels were also imported, some of whose members were married to Aleuts. Documents dated 1819 indicate that 15 people lived (temporary settlement) at that time in the south of Medny Island, and 30 in the north of Bering Island.

Then both islands were part of the Atha department of the R.A.K. By decision of the Main Office of the Russian Colony of America, the ruler of the department, Mershenin, organized in 1825 the delivery of the first batch of Aleuts with their families from Atha Island to Bering Island. In 1826, another party of Aleuts and Creoles* was resettled from the islands of Attu and Atha.

Together with the first Russian artels, the introduced aborigines of the Aleutian Islands and Creoles became the first permanent residents of the current Aleutian region of the Kamchatka region. In 1827, 110 people lived on Bering Island (17 Russians, 24 Aleuts, 13 Creoles; 21 Aleut women, 35 Creoles). In subsequent years, Russian pensioners (whose contracts with R.A.K. had expired) and workers brought from Kamchatka, the Fox and Andrean Islands, Kodiak Island, Sitka and California settled on the islands. Among them were Eskimos, several Indians, individual representatives of different peoples of Russia, including the indigenous inhabitants of Kamchatka - the Kamchadals and Ainu.

After the sale of Russian America and the Aleutian Islands, the Commander Islands were transferred to the Peter and Paul District. A feature of life on the islands is isolation from the outside world and the islands themselves from each other. In 1879 (B. Dybovsky), 168 people lived on both islands of Aleuts (including 100 on Medny Island), a total of 332 Creoles, among the rest there were 10 percent Russians and other nationalities. Considering that the Creoles spoke Russian and adhered to the national traditions of their mothers, scientists classify the majority of their population as Aleuts.

At the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries. the entire population of the islands accepted Orthodoxy.

The name of the people - Aleuts - was invented by the Russians. The self-names of the indigenous population of the islands are different: Sasignan or Saksinnan (Bering Island), Unangan (Medny Island), etc. Then, mixing with Creoles and representatives of other peoples, the population adopted the self-name Aleuts. However, the language on Bering Island and Medny Island did not become common: two dialects developed.

The written language of the Aleut language, created by the Bishop of Kamchatka, Aleut and Commander Innocent (Veniaminov), who was also a prominent ethnographer and linguist, did not spread to the Commander Islands.

Writing on the Commanders was not created in Soviet times, although there were prerequisites for this: the alphabet was approved, and the “Aleutian-Russian, Russian-Aleutian Dictionary” (E. Golovko) was published.

The main reason was the small number of Aleuts living compactly on Bering Island (the village of Preobrazhenskoye on Medny Island was closed in the 1960s) - 370 people.

Despite very strong assimilation, the Aleuts retained their genetic structure, and science recognizes them as Aleuts. It’s worse with culture: with the death of the language (fewer and fewer of its speakers), many national customs and traditions are lost, oral folk art - folklore - is fading away.

The Aleutian intelligentsia and old-timers are doing everything possible to revive and preserve the national culture. For these purposes, a small people in the regional center - the village of Nikolskoye - created two dance and folklore groups - "Unangan" and "Chiyan".

Around the island with a backpack

Of greatest interest to travelers is the northeastern coast of Bering Island from Cape Monati to Cape North-East, since Cape Nepropusk, Komandor and Buyan bays, and the highest waterfalls are located on this coast.

Cape Monati(54° 41" north latitude, 166° 40" east longitude) is the southeastern tip of Bering Island. It is tall and rocky. To the north of the cape, the area rises to mountains devoid of vegetation more than 500 m high. Not everyone has been able to visit there. The fastest and relatively safest way is by sea by boat.

Cape Neprosk 48 meters high, located 5.5 km north of Cape Monati and is a sheer rocky cliff. two and three kilometers south of Cape Nepropusk there are two waterfalls, falling from a height of 26 and 68 meters.

Cape Peregrebny is located 13 km north of Cape Nepropusk. 4 km north of it stretches a high steep bank with magnificently beautiful waterfalls, dropping their waters from heights of 65, 93 and 69 meters.

Cape Tolstoy located approximately 8 km northwest of Cape Peregrebny and formed by a rocky outcrop of land more than 180 meters high. There is an all-terrain road along Laida.

Cape Commander protrudes slightly from the coast and is located just over five kilometers from Cape Tolsty. The cape is formed by a hill that descends to the sea with sand and pebble scree, in places overgrown with grass. In the area of ​​the cape in 1741, the packet boat "St. Peter" was wrecked. Captain-Commander Vitus Bering died here. The graves of the remaining crew members are also located here. There is an all-terrain road along Laida.

Cape Polovinny. Polovina Bay, Polovina River. It is located 8 km from Cape Commander. To the south of it, a noticeable low-lying valley reaches the shore, running across the island. There is an all-terrain road along Laida.

Cape Buyan located northwest of Cape Polovinny at a distance of 14 km. It is formed by a sharp turn of a low bank and protrudes slightly into the sea. In Buyan Bay, the Buyan River washes away semi-precious stones - jasper, opal, agate. There is an all-terrain road along Laida. You can also get there by motorcycle, but it’s difficult.

Old Harbor Bay- popularly "Old Woman". It juts out into the northeastern coast of Bering Island, 16-17 km from Cape Buyan. It is formed by a small bend of the coast and two reefs. It is located, as we say, “on the other side.” Southern coast of the Bering Sea. Local resort. For some reason the weather here is always better than in the village. More sunny days, warmer. On weekends, sometimes quite a lot of people gather to relax and sunbathe. If you're lucky, swim in the bay, which is very shallow. Go fishing.

North-West rookery. The "home" rookery is located 16 km from the village. Visible from the window of the house. The road is well-trodden, although it can be called a road with a stretch. The most accessible place to visit. True, the observation overpass is almost completely destroyed.

Northern rookery, Cape Yushina. About 25 km along the road from the village. A new observation overpass approximately 300 meters long was built. The road to the rookery is also very rough. But for a walker there are no problems. You can walk along the shore from the North-West rookery.

Photos

They are an archipelago that includes 4 large and 10 small islands. They are located in the southwest of the Bering Sea. It is located in the North Pacific Ocean. The Bering Sea on the map should be found between the Far Eastern part of Russia and American Alaska. According to the administrative division, the archipelago is located in the Kamchatka Territory of the Russian Federation. Few people know who the Commander Islands are named after.

Russian and Aleutian cultures are closely intertwined in them. The largest formation is Bering Island, which has an elongated shape from north to south. It has an area of ​​1660 square kilometers. Of all four island formations, people live only on this one. The rest of the Commander Islands remain uninhabited. Russia has many areas with low population density. These islands are just one of them.

The village of Nikolskoye on Bering Island has approximately 700 residents. To get to the mainland, they need to travel several hundred kilometers. By plane, the flight is 3 hours, and there is practically no other way to travel. In winter, the island is covered with snow and blown by strong winds. In summer, warmth pleases local residents only occasionally. The prevailing weather is damp, abundant fog, and frequent rain. Characterized by sudden changes in weather conditions.

Vitus Bering's first expedition

It all started with the Russian Tsar, who “cut a window to Europe.” At the end of his reign, he took an active part in creating measures to open new northern and eastern territories, as well as laying sea routes to American and Indian lands. At the beginning of 1725, exhausted from serious illnesses, the Russian Tsar developed instructions for the preparatory work of the “Siberian Expedition,” the goal of which was to reach America through the northern seas, study the shores there and put them on the map.

The leader of the expedition was whose discoveries will become amazing in the future. The choice in favor of the Dane fell, first of all, because of his repeated attempts to reach American shores. However, he failed to pass through the strait, which was later named after him, as a result of which he returned to St. Petersburg in 1730.

Second expedition of Vitus Bering

In the capital of the Russian Empire, Bering reported on his journey to the government of Anna Ioannovna, and also demonstrated a plan for new research, arguing the importance of studying the northern territories and the Siberian coast so that trade with North-West America and Japan could be possible.

The Danish navigator's plan received support, as a result of which significant funding was provided for its implementation. That is why everything that Bering discovered was assigned to Russia. The Senate, the Admiralty and the Academy of Sciences exerted special diligence in implementing the project. In 1732, a Senate decree appeared on the preparation of the Second Kamchatka Expedition. It went down in history as the Great Northern Expedition. The text of the decree stated that the expedition was the most distant, with significant difficulties, being implemented for the first time.

The Great Northern Expedition began in 1733 and ended in 1743. After studying its results, you can find out who the Commander Islands are named after. The expedition included 7 detachments that were independent of each other. The 10 ships accommodated 580 people. The tasks of each detachment included surveying a specific area.

Unit tasks

The first detachment, led by lieutenants Stepan Muravyov and Mikhail Pavlov, took its route from Arkhangelsk. He was intended to study the coastal zone between Pechora and the Gulf of Ob.

The second detachment, which set off from Tobolsk, was commanded by Lieutenant Dmitry Ovtsyn. He needed to explore the coast east of the Ob Bay to the northern end of the Taimyr Peninsula or to Khatanga.

Lieutenant Vasily Pronchishchev led the third detachment, whose tasks included exploring the coast west of the mouth of the Lena. His wife Tatyana went on the voyage with the Russian officer. She became the first woman to participate in a polar expedition.

The head of the fourth detachment was Lieutenant Peter Lasinius, after whose death Dmitry Laptev was appointed responsible. The tasks of this group of researchers included studying the eastern coast, which extended from the mouth of the Lena to the modern Bering Strait.

The fifth detachment was headed by Bering himself. It is the merits of this person in the future that will answer the question: “Who are the Commander Islands named after?” The fifth detachment was intended to explore Kamchatka, North-West America and the existing islands in the North Pacific Ocean.

The sixth detachment, led by Martyn Shpanberg, needed to find out about the Kuril Islands and the Japanese coast. The tasks of the seventh detachment, which was named Academic, included studying the interior of Siberia. Professor Gerhard Miller was appointed its director. The researchers' work was carried out in secret.

Achievements of the first squad

The first detachment spent 4 years moving from Arkhangelsk to the mouth of the Ob. The researchers did not achieve much success (compared to what Bering discovered) - a rather small area of ​​the coast, Yugorsky Shar, as well as the islands of Matveev, Dolgiy and Mestny were described. This is largely due to the appearance of scurvy, which began to plague the expedition members almost from the first days of the journey.

There were problems with discipline among the sailors, to achieve which cruel punishment with rods was used. There were disagreements in the leadership of the first detachment, and in winter the local population experienced harassment from the forwarders, on the basis of which complaints began to be received against them. After this, there was a change in leadership; Lieutenant Stepan Malygin took command of the group, who subsequently completed the mission of the first detachment.

Achievements of the second squad

The expedition of Vitus Bering in part of the second detachment managed to achieve great successes compared to the first group. During its mission, Officer Ovtsyn’s detachment completed its assigned tasks, which concerned the study of the coast from the mouth of the Ob to the Yenisei. After arriving in St. Petersburg, the group leader was demoted three years from the start of the journey, based on a political decision. He was credited with a close relationship with Prince Dolgoruky, who was in exile.

After this, Fyodor Minin and Dmitry Sterlegov became the leaders of the second detachment. During his first voyage, Minin managed to reach only the mouth of the Yenisei. After which, in the summer months of the following year, he moved further east. But after passing a number of small islands and encountering ice, Minin decided to stop his journey. Sterlegov covered the distance by land northeast from the mouth of the Yenisei to the cape, which would later receive his name. The Kamchatka expedition of Vitus Bering of the second detachment ended here.

However, there were disagreements between the new leaders of the second detachment. After returning from the expedition, a lawsuit arose, as a result of which Minin was demoted to sailor for 2 years.

Achievements of the third squad

The third detachment on the ship "Yakutsk" from the mouth of the Lena made its way in a westerly direction. After they reached the mouth of Olenek, the group leader, Pronchishchev, decided to spend the winter. After this, the detachment continued the expedition, overcoming heavy ice. Having reached the coast from the east, the researchers, due to the impossibility of continuing their journey, returned to the mouth of Olenek.

After Pronchishchev’s death in 1736, Khariton Laptev became the head of the detachment. Forwarders have completed exploring the coast of the Taimyr Peninsula via land.

Achievements of the fourth squad

The fourth detachment suffered considerable losses of life due to scurvy, as a result of which its leader, Peter Lasinius, died, as well as 35 members of the expedition. The new leader was Dmitry Laptev, who successfully explored the shores between Lena and Kolyma. Under his command, the fourth detachment made efforts to bypass and reach Kamchatka by sea, but to no avail.

Achievements of the fifth squad. Discovery of the Commander Islands

The fifth detachment led by Bering on the postal ships "St. Peter" and "St. Pavel" headed for North America. On July 15, 1741, the captain of the “St. Pavel" Alexey Chirikov. A few days later, a ship led by Bering approached the mainland. Due to the storm "St. Peter" ended up on which the captain-commander died of scurvy. The burials of the deceased expedition members were found in 1991.

So, who are the Commander Islands named after? In honor of Commander Vitus Bering. But not only the names of the islands are associated with it. The Strait and the Bering Sea on the map in the North Pacific Ocean also bear the name of the great commander.

Achievements of the sixth and seventh squads

Thanks to the sixth and seventh detachments, useful information was obtained in the geographical, geological, ethnographic sphere of the north and east of Siberia, and the Kuril Islands ridge and northern Japan were also discovered and studied.

Heading:

One of the tragic pages of the chronicle of the heroic voyages of Russian sailors of the mid-18th century. In the spring of 1741, two sailing ships, the packet boats St. Peter and St. Paul, set off from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to the shores of North America. This was the 2nd Kamchatka Expedition, commanded by Captain-Commander Vitus Bering, a native of Denmark, an officer of the Russian fleet. He was the captain of the packet boat "St. Peter", and the "St. Paul" was captained by Alexey Chirikov. Soon after leaving Peter and Paul Bay, the ships fell into thick fog and lost sight of each other. They continued their further journey separately. "St. Paul" reached the shores of North America and by the fall safely returned to Petropavlovsk.

The fate of the packet boat “St. Peter” was completely different. Researchers point out that the main misfortune of the expedition was the “malicious” map of the French scientist Joseph Nicolas Delisle, who then served in the Russian Academy of Sciences. The map showed the hypothetical land of Juan de Gama, and Bering was instructed to find this land. “The Delisle map,” the navigator of the “St. Peter” Sven Weksel later wrote, “was incorrect and deceitful, because otherwise we had to jump over the land of Juan de Gama... My blood boils every time I remember the shameless deception , into which we were introduced by this incorrect card, as a result of which we risked our lives and good name. Because of this card, almost half of our team died in vain.”

Bering's ship nevertheless reached the island, behind which the mainland of North America was visible, and set off on the return journey on the same course. The storms became more and more violent every day. The sailing equipment was worn out, the hull of the packet boat was loosened. Scurvy began among the crew. Many sailors died from hunger and disease, and the rest were so weak that they were unable to keep watch. Bering also fell ill; he could no longer go on deck. The situation was desperate. The almost uncontrollable ship sailed at the mercy of the waves and wind.

On November 4, 1741, land appeared on the horizon. The joy of the people knew no bounds. Everyone who was somehow still able to stand on their feet climbed onto the deck. The treeless land was mistaken for Kamchatka; Bering was not sure that it was Kamchatka, but still gave the command to land on the shore.

Thick low clouds did not allow the coordinates of the land to be determined using navigation instruments. A member of the expedition, scientist-naturalist Georg Steller, drew attention to the uniqueness of the flora and fauna of the coast. Many blue foxes gathered near the landing people. The animals were not at all afraid of humans. All this allowed Steller to assume that the land on which they landed was an unknown, uninhabited island. Later, he climbed to the top of a nearby high mountain and saw that they were indeed on an island. This discovery greatly upset the expedition members. The situation was extremely difficult. The sick sailors died one after another, and scurvy continued to kill them on the ground. The winter cold was setting in, and the team's clothes turned into rags.

By spring, only a little more than half of the ship's crew remained alive. The survivors have already recovered somewhat from the disease. They lived in sand pits, insulated with skins and covered with the remains of sails. They ate partridge meat, of which there were incredibly many. Steller, who knew herbs and their healing properties, prepared medicinal decoctions.

The team stayed on the island for about ten months. During this time, Steller compiled a scientific description of the local fauna and flora. He was the first to describe fur seals, whose rookeries are still considered perhaps the main attraction of the Commander Islands, sea lions, giving them the name sea lions. His unique description of the now exterminated sea cow is priceless. She lived in the only place on the globe - on the Commander Islands. Steller (as the legend says) was the first to climb to the highest point of Bering Island (this height was later named Mount Steller) and discovered another island in the northeast, which was later called Copper Island because native copper was found on it.

In the spring, the surviving members of the expedition built a small ship (hooker) from the wreckage of the packet boat and the forest thrown up by the sea, which delivered them to the Peter and Paul Harbor in fifteen days.

After the opening of the Commander Islands became the scene of predatory raids by industrialists. Enterprising merchants quickly plundered the fur riches of the islands. All the ships passing by sought to replenish water and food supplies here. As a result, after 27 years, Steller’s cow was completely destroyed. A huge beast with very tasty meat and nutritious fat turned out to be completely defenseless against humans. The sea cow ate algae and stayed close to the shore, sometimes remaining on the reefs at low tide. Steller's cormorant was also exterminated. The rarest sea otter, the sea otter, is on the verge of extinction.

Industrialists also visited Komandor Bay, where Bering’s expedition spent the winter. They took away the remains of equipment and cargo, almost completely destroying traces of the discoverers' stay and wintering. But they could not or did not want to take away the guns from the packet boat “St. Peter”. Stacked, these cannons lay on the shore for many years. They were gradually covered with sand. In 1936 they reappeared and were photographed. These photographs are kept in the Aleutian Museum of Local Lore in the village of Nikolskoye on Bering Island. In 1944, after a strong storm, cannons appeared on the shore again. Two of them were transported by dogs to Nikolskoye. Then one was sent to Denmark, the homeland of Vitus Bering, and the other to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, where it stands in front of the museum building.

They tried to find the rest of the guns many times: they simply dug with shovels, divers went under the water, searched with mine detectors, but neither the guns nor their traces have yet been found.

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Geographical position

The Komandorsky State Natural Biosphere Reserve is located on the Commander Islands and the adjacent 30-mile sea area. The total area of ​​the reserve is 3,648,679 hectares.

Geographical location of the Komandorsky State Nature Reserve.

The geographical location, geological history of the islands, features of their structure, climate and hydrological conditions of the surrounding ocean determine the main unique features of the flora and fauna of the reserve.

The Commander Islands are located in the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean (the Pacific Ocean is the oldest ocean on the planet - it has existed since the Paleozoic). From the south they are washed by the waters of the Pacific Ocean, and from the north by the waters of the Bering Sea.

The Commander Archipelago is the western block of the Aleutian island arc. Often, due to the peculiarities of the geological history and location of the Commander Islands, separated from the main part of the Aleutian Islands by a wide strait, the arc is called the Commander-Aleutian. The total length of the Commander-Aleutian arc, consisting of 150 islands and 47 straits, is 2260 km (this is the longest island arc on the planet). It is like a bridge connecting two continents – Eurasia and North America.

The Commander Islands are located at coordinates 55° 25’ and 54° 31’ N. and 165° 04’ and 168° E.

The islands are separated from the Kamchatka Peninsula by the Kamchatka Strait with a width of almost 190 km and a depth of 4420 m (this is the deepest and largest in cross-section, the strait of the entire island arc), and from the rest of the Aleutian arc by the Near Strait with a width of just over 363 km and a depth of 2000 m. Bering and Medny Islands are separated by the Admiral Kuznetsov Strait, which is 49 km wide and up to 146 m deep.

The Commander Islands include two large islands - Beringa and Medny and two small islands - Ariy Kamen and Toporkov.

On the Pacific side, the islands are limited by the Komandorsko-Aleutian deep-sea trench, the depth of which is 7000 m. The steepness of the underwater slopes is 30-35°. Despite the fact that in general the islands have a fairly long island shelf, in some places the edge of the dump passes only 4-5 km from the coast (beam of Poludennaya Bay on Bering Island).

Bering Island is the largest island of the Commander Archipelago, its area is 1667 km 2 (or 166,700 hectares). The length of the island from north to south (from Cape North to Cape Monati) is about 90 km. The maximum width of the island is 35 km (from Cape North-West to Cape Vaksel in the north of the island), and the minimum is 2.4 km (from Elina Bay to Likandrovskaya Bay in the south of the island). The length of its coastline is 257.4 km.

The highest point is Mount Steller - 755 m, and on average Bering Island rises 150-755 meters above sea level.

The island got its name in honor of Captain-Commander Vitus Bering.

The northern part of Bering Island is low and flat. Photo by Dmitry Pilipenko.

Medny Island is the second largest island of the archipelago. The area of ​​the island is 186 km 2 (or 18,600 hectares). The length of the island is 57 km, the width at its widest point is 8.4 km (from Cape Zhirovoy to Cape Senkinsky), and at its narrowest it is 0.35 km (from Sekachinskaya Bay to Peresheek Ostrovnaya Bay). Medny is slightly lower than Bering Island - 360-647 m, the highest point is Mount Steineger (647 m). The length of the coastline of Medny Island is 164.9 km.

On Medny Island you can hardly find at least one horizontal platform. The author of the photo is Evgeny Mamaev.

Medny Island got its name from native copper, which was discovered almost at the moment the island was discovered inXVIIIcentury. The author of the photo is Alexey Chetvergov.

Toporkov Island is located on the northwestern side of Bering Island in Nikolsky Roadstead Bay. The island is flat, up to 9 m high. Its area is 0.25 km 2, and its perimeter is 2 km.

Toporkov Island is a flat plateau. The author of the photo is Evgeny Mamaev.

Toporkov Island got its name because of the colony of Toporkov birds, which are numerous here.

Ariy Kamen Island is also located on the northwestern side of Bering Island. It is a rock rising 53 m above sea level. The area of ​​the island is 0.08 km 2, and the perimeter is about 1 km.

Ariy Kamen Island is a rock rising 53 m above the ocean surface. The author of the photo is Evgeny Mamaev.

Ariy Kamen Island is named so because of the numerous nesting guillemots here, which are called macaws in Aleutian.

Near the shores of the islands there are up to 60 isolated rock outcrops (kekurs) and surface stones. The most notable of these are Dog Pillar, Beaver Rocks and Steller's Arch.

There are dozens of kekurs along the coast of the Commander Islands. The author of the photo is Evgeny Mamaev.

Steller Arch is the most famous rock outcrop located on the west coast of Bering Island. Photo by Dmitry Pilipenko.

Origin of the islands

The Commander Islands, as well as the entire Aleutian island arc, are the peaks of an underwater volcanic ridge. By their origin, as evidenced by the content of rare earth elements in the Komandorsky lavas, the islands are oceanic and lie on the ocean floor, although in a number of works they are classified as a transitional type.

The Commander Islands appeared as a result of the early phases of Cenozoic volcanism. In total, experts count three stages of volcanism. It has long been believed that the fourth, modern stage of volcanism, characteristic of the Aleutian arc, is absent on the Commander Islands. However, in 1984, 70 km northeast of Bering Island in the Commander Basin, the Volcanologists massif with the active underwater volcano Piipa was discovered.

In the first stage (50-40 million years ago), volcanism was deep-sea in nature and the foundations of the islands were formed. Now the fruits of this stage of island formation can be observed from Poludennaya Bay on the western coast of Bering Island and Komandor Bay on the eastern coast of the island to its southernmost point - Cape Monati. On Medny Island, traces of this stage are found from the northern tip of the island to Korabelnaya Bay on the east coast.

Cape Monati is the southernmost tip of Bering Island. Here you can find traces of the first stage of volcanism on the islands. The author of the photo is Evgeny Mamaev.

Bobrovye Kamni is the northernmost tip of Medny Island. Traces of the first stage of volcanism on this island are found here. The author of the photo is Evgeny Mamaev.

20-15 million years ago, the second stage of volcanism occurred, during which almost the entire northern part of Bering Island and a small section of Medny Island - from Korabelnaya Bay to Cape Cherny - were formed. This stage of volcanism already occurred in shallow waters.

The northern part of Bering Island was formed during the second stage of volcanism on the islands. The author of the photo is Evgeny Mamaev.

Cape Cherny on Medny Island was formed during the second stage of volcanism on the Commander Islands. The author of the photo is Evgeny Mamaev.

In the final, third stage (5-2 million years ago), the structures of Cape North-West on Bering Island and the entire southern part of Medny Island, starting from Glinka Bay, were formed. This stage already took place in the air.

Cape North-West on Bering Island was formed during the third and final stage of volcanism on the islands. The author of the photo is Evgeny Mamaev.

Cape Yuzhny on Medny Island. The southern part of Medny Island was formed during the third and final stage of volcanism. The author of the photo is Evgeny Mamaev.

The general uplift of the islands occurred at the end of the Paleogene - beginning of the Neogene (23 million years ago). The so-called Buyanovskaya formation of rocks was formed.

This was followed by a new subsidence and formation of the Kamensk formation; The modern folding of the islands is formed. This period in the evolution of the islands dates back to the end of the Miocene (5 million years ago). This was followed by an uplift that brought the main area of ​​the Commander Islands above sea level.

At the end of the Tertiary period (2.5 million years ago), the last outbreak of volcanism followed, after which the entire area of ​​the islands rose above sea level (approximately between 200 and 70 thousand years ago).

In addition to volcanism, tectonic processes of plate movement took part in the formation of the modern appearance of the islands. These processes occurred during the Quaternary period (less than 2 million years ago). Single blocks of islands were split and displaced. The largest faults on Medny Island can be traced in the Zhirovaya, Gladkovskaya and Korabelnaya bays, near the Isthmus. If you look at the map of Medny Island, one of these shifting places is visible in Korabelnaya Bay - the southern part of the island is displaced in the northeast direction relative to its northern part, the island seems to be broken.

On Bering Island, fault locations are also well defined. Thus, the valleys of the Gladkovskaya and Polovina rivers are indicative in this regard. Another group of faults and displacements of parts of the island is clearly visible from the nature of the valleys of such rivers as Kamenka, Starogavanskaya and Tovarishcheskaya Shayba - the direction of their flow changes sharply from northwestern to latitudinal. These rivers flow through highly curved valleys. As a result of a series of faults, the islands acquired the modern appearance of the coastline.

During the Quaternary, new uplifts occurred, the history of which can be traced along the marine terraces, especially in the northern part of Bering Island. Thus, 200-meter terraces were formed in the Middle Quaternary (about 800 thousand years ago), and 20-meter ones - in the Upper Quaternary (about 100 thousand years ago).

Coastal terraces were formed at different times in accordance with the tectonic dynamics of the islands. The author of the photo is Evgeny Mamaev.

Quaternary glaciation (2-1 million years ago) took part in the formation of the modern appearance of the Commander Islands. On Medny Island and in the southern part of Bering Island there are trough valleys, the tops of which end in glacial cirques.

The trough valley on Medny Island is evidence of Quaternary glaciation on the Commander Islands. The author of the photo is Evgeny Mamaev.

Currently, the uplift of the islands continues. The rate of uplift is about 2.2 mm/year.

Since the islands are located on the boundary of the interaction of the Bering Sea and Pacific lithospheric plates, significant geodynamic processes occur here. As a result of the interaction of plates, the islands are moving towards the Kamchatka Peninsula at a speed of about 50 mm/year (according to preliminary research results).

Climate and weather

Over the course of geological history, the climate on the Commander Islands has varied from subtropical to boreal. Traces of Quaternary glaciation (2-1 million years ago) are noted here.

The climate and weather in the North Pacific Ocean is largely determined by atmospheric circulation, which is represented by a system of low and high pressure areas. The center of low pressure (cyclonic) is located slightly north of the Aleutian island arc in the region of 180°E. and is called the Aleutian depression, or the Aleutian minimum. This is the area of ​​lowest pressure. The southern center of the anticyclonic high pressure system is called the Honolulu High and is located near the Hawaiian Islands. In the Aleutian Depression, atmospheric pressure changes throughout the year - the minimum is observed in December-February, and the maximum in June-August. At the same time, in the warm period of the year, the weather in the area of ​​the Commander Islands is mainly influenced by the relationship between the Aleutian minimum and the Honolulu maximum, and in the cold period - by the Aleutian minimum and the Asian anticyclone developing during this period.

Centers of atmospheric action that determine the nature of the climate on the Commander Islands.

Cyclonic vortices developing between these centers of atmospheric action largely determine the climate and weather on the Commander Islands. The islands are in the movement zone of most cyclones. In the years when the center of the Aleutian Low is established in the area of ​​the Commander Islands, warm air masses penetrate into the Bering Sea and winters are mild.

The Commander Islands are in the path of most cyclones heading into the Bering Sea.

From November to March, the Bering Sea basin absorbs from 7 to 14 cyclones originating in the south of the Asian continent. In total, 50-60 cyclones enter the Bering Sea every year. A significant part of the cyclones pass through the Commander Islands, which lie on the path of their movement. According to average long-term data, two areas with the highest frequency of days with cyclones are identified in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean - the Gulf of Alaska and the Commander Islands. Due to the fact that cyclones in the Bering Sea turn into vast, sedentary depressions (areas of low atmospheric pressure) that absorb new cyclones, the duration of continuous cyclonic activity can last up to 14 days. This leads to the fact that prolonged storms, snowfalls and blizzards are not uncommon here.

Frequent and prolonged cyclones lead to severe storms. The author of the photo is Evgeny Mamaev.

In addition to atmospheric circulations, the cold Kamchatka Current and branches of the warm Kuroshio Current have a huge influence on the climate of the islands.

Due to the peculiarities of its geographical location, the climate on the Commander Islands is maritime, temperate and humid. The islands are characterized by unfavorable weather with prolonged precipitation, stormy winds, short duration of sunshine, and smooth seasonal changes in air temperature and precipitation.

Winters on the Commander Islands are mild and only near the coast does a narrow strip of fast ice form. The author of the photo is Nadezhda Ryabchunova.

The seasons of the year are poorly defined. Spring begins in mid-April and lasts until the end of July. The amount of precipitation during this period is minimal. In June, the number of days with low clouds and fog increases, so there are few warm days.

The concept of summer on the islands is relative. In the summer months, weather with low clouds and drizzling fogs prevails; the air does not warm up significantly; only in some years the average daily air temperature exceeds 15 degrees. There is more precipitation at this time than in spring. The average wind speed is the smallest compared to other seasons - about 5 m/s.

In autumn, following the increase in the frequency of cyclones, the amount of precipitation and wind speed increase. The likelihood of hurricane winds increases.

Air temperature. The average annual air temperature on Bering Island is positive and amounts to 2-2.5°C, and on Medny Island – 2.8°C. The coldest month is February (-3.7°C), and the warmest month is August (+10. 6°C). The absolute minimum on the islands -23.5° C was recorded in February 1903, and the absolute maximum + 21.5° C was recorded in June 1938. Thaws in the cold season and cold snaps in the warm are not uncommon. A stable frosty period on the islands begins in the first ten days of December and lasts until the beginning of April. The total duration of the frosty period is 125 days.

The combination of low temperatures, high relative humidity with significant wind speeds turns the climate on the islands into extremely uncomfortable and harsh.

Frequent winds and high humidity make living conditions on the Commander Islands uncomfortable. The author of the photo is Anastasia Kuznetsova.

Air humidity. The islands are characterized by very high relative humidity throughout the year. A conditional indicator of “dryness” is a humidity of 30% or less. According to this indicator, there are no dry days on the Commander Islands. Maximum humidity levels occur in the summer - 91-93%, when the weather is often cloudy with fog and drizzle.

Precipitation. On average, the islands receive 660-690 mm of precipitation per year on Bering Island and up to 1213 mm on Medny Island. This is significantly less than, for example, on the Kamchatka Peninsula. The number of days with precipitation on the Commander Islands is 270-280 days a year. The average duration of precipitation on days with precipitation is 8-9 hours. Maximum precipitation occurs in October-November. A special feature of the islands is the low intensity of precipitation - frequent light drizzles - “buses”. Thunderstorms are rare on the islands, but the autumn months bring unexpected rainbows.

Wind. The Commander Islands are characterized by a complex wind regime, directly related to the general circulation of the atmosphere in the Asia-Pacific region. During the cold period, winds from the northern and northeastern directions predominate; in the summer, southwestern and western winds are most often observed.

The average annual wind speed on the islands is 6.8 m/s (24.5 km/h), with at least 1-2 days observed during the year when the wind speed exceeds the criteria for a dangerous phenomenon of 33 m/s or more (119 km /h or more). The maximum recorded gust speed on Bering Island is 50 m/s (180 km/h).

Due to strong winds, storms occur, the frequency of which increases significantly in the fall. The author of the photo is Evgeny Mamaev.

The strongest winds are observed in the autumn-winter period, and the smallest in the summer. According to long-term observations, the monthly average number of days with winds of more than 15 m/s (54 km/h) in winter is 15-18, and the maximum is up to 28 days. At the same time, the average annual number of days with winds of more than 15 m/s is 80.

Protracted autumn storms sometimes lead to catastrophic consequences. The author of the photo is Evgeny Mamaev.

On Medny Island, as well as in the southern half of Bering Island, due to the peculiar structure of the surface (strong mountain folding), special local winds are formed. Breaking through narrow valleys, the wind rolls down the leeward slopes with enormous force.

Snow cover. The first snow cover on the islands forms in early November, although the timing may shift by 2-4 weeks in one direction or the other. The earliest appearance of snow was observed on October 23. The first snow usually melts. Stable snow cover forms on December 1 (according to long-term average data). Melting begins in April, and the final melting occurs in early May. However, in mountain valleys the snow can lie all summer, and in some years it does not have time to melt at all.

In winter, snowstorms are not uncommon on the Commander Islands. The author of the photo is Evgeny Mamaev.

The number of days with stable snow cover is 160.

The snow cover reaches its maximum height at the end of March - 80-100 cm. The low height of the snow cover is associated with its blowing and high density, which is greatly facilitated by frequent winter thaws.

After prolonged snowstorms, deep snowdrifts form. The author of the photo is Alexander Afanasyev.

Fogs. The Commander Islands are known for their fogs. During the year, the number of days with fog averages 55, and in some years - 98. The foggy month is July (up to 17 days per month, maximum 29 days).

Fogs are a common occurrence on the Commander Islands. The author of the photo is Artem Komarov.

Most often, so-called advective fogs form here, which occur when warmer air meets colder water. This occurs when moderate winds from the south continue to blow in one direction. The reason for the frequent fogs creeping onto the islands from the ocean is upwelling, as a result of which cold deep waters rise to the surface, leading to the condensation of water vapor from warm air.

The calling card of the Commander Islands is fog. The author of the photo is Evgeny Mamaev.

Blizzards. The average number of days per year with snowstorms is 42, and the maximum is 82. Snowstorms are most often recorded in January-March - up to 24 days (March) per month.

Cloudiness. Cloudy skies are a characteristic feature of the climate of the Commander Islands. Thus, the average cloudiness score is 8.3 (that is, every day over 80% of the sky is covered with clouds). The number of days a year without sun is 147, which is the maximum in the Kamchatka Territory. The sunniest months are April, May, September and October.

Cloudy skies are a common occurrence on the Commander Islands. The author of the photo is Evgeny Mamaev.

Soils

The soil-forming rocks on the Commander Islands are basaltic andesite, mudstone and sea sand. Several types of soils formed on them.

Tundra podburs are represented mainly in the northern part of Bering Island and on the slopes of the hills in Gladkovskaya Bay on Medny Island. This soil is located under hummocky tundra.

Tundra podburs, poorly developed, superficially stony, are less common and occupy summit and near-summit mountain surfaces, located under gravelly tundras.

Soddy subarctic coastal soils were formed on marine terraces 2-5 m high, composed of sands under forb-grass communities. These are the most fertile soils on the Commander Islands.

Peaty and peat-boggy soils are located in lowland swamps. They are most widespread in the northern lowland part of Bering Island and in the middle and low floodplains of rivers.

Dune fields

A characteristic element of the landscapes of the Commander Islands are dune fields. In total, up to 8 large dune fields are noted on the islands. Such dune fields are found on Cape North-West, in Kitovaya and Nikolsky raid bays, between the Kamenka and Peschanka rivers, in Peresheek, Lisinskaya, Serebryannikova and Bobrovaya bays on the western coast of Bering Island, as well as in Polovina, Komandor and a number of other bays on the eastern coast. On Medny Island, dunes are known in Peschanaya and Korabelnaya bays on the east coast.

The largest dune field is located in Nikolsky Bay on Bering Island and stretches from the mouth of the Gavanskaya River to Kitova Bay. Its total length is 7 km and its width is up to 800 m.

The formation of dunes is associated with periods of regression (lowering sea levels), during which sand from the dried parts of the bottom was swept by winds. Thus, three relatively well-defined lines of dunes were formed, having different heights and ages. For the most part, the first line of dunes, up to 2.5 m high, closest to the sea, are up to 1400 years old. The second line of dunes, up to 12 m high, is up to 3,700 years old. The third line of dunes, located in the rear part, up to 30 m high, is up to 9700 years old. Such high ancient dunes are well developed in Nikolsky Bay, in the interfluve of Kamenka and Peschanka and in Bobrovaya Bay.

A dune field located between the Kamenka and Peschanka rivers on Bering Island. The author of the photo is Evgeny Mamaev.

The dunes are usually well turfed and covered with dense vegetation. The exception is the dune fields in Nikolsky Bay, where under the influence of livestock grazing in the 60s of the last century, the process of their dispersal is underway.

Inland waters

On the Commander Islands, inland waters are represented by rivers and streams, drainage and drainless lakes, peat lakes, swamps, etc. Inland waters are completely absent on the islands of Ariy Kamen and Toporkov.

Rivers and streams. Bering and Medny Islands have a dense river network. The rivers are fed by snow and mixed. Rivers, as a rule, are not large. The width of the channels is 1-2 m, in the mouth part it reaches 8 m. The depth is up to 1.5 m. In the southern mountainous part of Bering Island and on most of Mednoye Island, river valleys have a so-called “suspended” character, that is, they end cliffs from which rivers fall in waterfalls. The heights of the waterfalls range from 10 to 200 m. The rivers of the northern part of Bering Island are flat. These are the Ladyginskaya and Gavanskaya rivers.

In the southern part of Bering Island and in many places on the Copper River Islands, there are “suspended” valleys that end in cliffs. The author of the photo is Evgeny Mamaev.

The longest river is the Kamenka River on Bering Island. Its length is 27 km.

Valley of the Kamenka River on Bering Island. This is the longest river on the Commander Islands. Photo by Dmitry Pilipenko.

Lakes. There are 120 lakes on the Commander Islands with a total area of ​​about 40 km 2.

The largest lake on the islands is Saranoye Lake. Its area is 31.6 km2. The depth of the lake is 36 m. Currently, the lake level is 12 m higher than the ocean level. During the Riess-Würm transgression (rise in water level) of the ocean 130 thousand years ago, this lake was a sea lagoon. As confirmation of those distant events, relict crustaceans can still be found in it. About 20 thousand years ago, the sea level dropped, which led to the desalination of the lagoon and the formation of the modern appearance of Lake Sarannoy.

Lake Sarannoe is the largest lake in the Commander Islands. The author of the photo is Evgeny Mamaev.

The second largest lake in terms of water surface area is Lake Gavanskoye - 4.74 km 2 . Due to the influence of tides, the water in the lake is brackish. The lake is located in a valley, which was a shallow sea bay during the Riess-Würm transgression. After the ocean retreated, a lake formed. As evidence of its “sea” past, shells of marine mollusks can be found at the sources of the river of the same name.

Lake Havana is located in a valley that was once a sea bay. The author of the photo is Ivan Rybakov.

The largest lagoon-type salt lake on Bering Island is Lake Peresheikovskoye, located in the south of the island off the west coast. The area of ​​its water surface is 0.45 km2. It communicates with the ocean through a channel.

Lake Peresheikovskoye has a lagoonal character and the water in it is salty. The author of the photo is Anastasia Kuznetsova.

Another large lagoon-type lake is Lake Gladkovskoye on Medny Island.

The most ancient lakes on the Commander Islands are small relict lakes on the Pig Mountains. They were formed in the Middle Pleistocene - approximately 0.8-0.13 million years ago.

The relic lakes on the Pig Mountains are considered the most ancient on the Commander Islands - their age is 130-800 thousand years. Photo by Dmitry Pilipenko.

Swamps. Thanks to the characteristic climate and special moisture conditions, swamps have developed on the Commander Islands. However, due to the mountainous terrain, the area occupied by swamps is generally not so large, no more than 3% of the total territory of the islands.

The largest Northern Swamp is located on a 60-meter sea terrace on the northern tip of Bering Island. Its area is 8.5 km2. The thickness of peat deposits is up to 2 m. There are a number of thermokarst depressions filled with water. According to experts, the formation of the swamp began about 9.3-5.7 thousand years ago.

The Ladyginskaya River valley is a fairly large swamp area. Its area is 5.2 km2.

Another large swamp system on Bering Island is the Gavanskaya River valley. The total area of ​​this system is about 12 km 2. The age of the Havana swamp massif is estimated at 3-6 thousand years.

Floodplain swamps are located in the lower reaches of the Polovina and Poludennaya rivers and in the middle reaches of the Podutesnaya River on Bering Island, as well as in Peschanaya, Korabelnaya and Topolevskaya bays on Medny Island.

Tsunami

The Commander Islands are located in a tsunami-hazardous zone. The width of the tsunami front along the eastern coast of Kamchatka ranges from 100 to 400 km. On average, every century there is one catastrophic and 10-15 “ordinary” tsunamis. The height of the waves varies from 10 to 40 m.

Two tsunami cases are well documented on the Commander Islands - in 1960 and in 1969. The maximum height of the water rise was 1.5-2.5 m. Both the Kamchatka tsunami of 1952 and the Alaskan tsunami of 1964 had their consequences on the islands.

Sea currents

Sea currents have a huge impact on the climate and biological appearance of this or that part of the World Ocean. The Commander Islands are located in an area where several main currents exert their influence.

Diagram of sea currents in the North Pacific.

The warm Kuroshio Current at the level of the Japanese Islands turns into the North Pacific Current, which goes further in a northeasterly direction to the shores of Alaska. Here it splits into two branches, one of which forms the Alaskan Gyre and the Alaskan Jet Stream. The Alaskan jet current is the main one that carries the waters of the Pacific Ocean into the Bering Sea through the numerous straits of the Commander-Aleutian island arc. This current reaches the Blizhnye Strait, separating the Blizhnye and Komandorskie islands. Then it goes around the Commander Islands in the Bering Sea and turns in a northwestern direction, replenishing the waters of the Kamchatka Current. Part of the water flow of the Alaskan Jet Current goes around the Commander Islands from the south, and also participates in the formation of the Western Subarctic Gyre. Thus, the Alaskan Jet Current brings warm waters of the Pacific Ocean into the Bering Sea and, washing the Commander Islands, prevents the formation of ice around them in winter. In different years, the power of the current and the direction of its individual branches may change, which makes adjustments to the weather conditions on the islands and the characteristics of the marine ecosystem of the adjacent water area.

From the west through the Kamchatka Strait from the north, the cold waters of the Bering Sea are carried into the ocean by the Kamchatka Current. Moreover, in different years its main flow can occur either off the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula or off the Commander Islands. The speed of this current is 11-20 cm/s.

The branch of the Alaskan jet stream, entering the Bering Sea through the Blizhny Strait and partially through the Admiral Kuznetsov Strait, has a speed of up to 5 cm/s at a depth of 0 to 10 m. The western coast of the Commander Islands in a southern direction is washed by waters emerging from the cyclonic gyre over the Commander Islands basin through the Kamchatka Strait. The speed of this current on the surface is up to 10 cm/s, and at a depth of 200 m – 20-40 cm/s.

In addition to surface currents, vertical water circulation – upwelling – also takes place in the waters of the Commander Islands. The entire Komandorsko-Aleutian ridge is a zone of pronounced upwelling. The phenomenon of upwelling is the rise of deep water to the surface of the ocean. At the same time, deep waters bring nutrients to the surface and promote the active development of phytoplankton and, through trophic chains, lead to an increase in the biological productivity of the ocean (in particular, in zones with pronounced upwelling, increased densities of cephalopods, fish, seabirds and marine mammals are formed).

Bottom topography near the Commander Islands and upwelling pattern.

Upwelling in the area of ​​the Commander Islands is coastal and related to topography.

Strong, frequent and prolonged winds blowing along the coast lead to the rise of deep waters. The underwater topography of the islands leads to the same effect - the currents washing the islands, resting against the steep underwater slopes, rise upward.

Tidal activity of the ocean

The Commander Islands are located within the tidal range of the ocean.

Tides are periodic fluctuations in ocean water levels due to the gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun. The highest water level is called high water, and the lowest is called low water. Depending on the relative position of the Moon and the Sun in relation to the Earth, spring and quadrature tides are distinguished.

At the latitude of the Commander Islands, irregular diurnal tides prevail.

During low tides, extensive reef slabs are exposed. The author of the photo is Evgeny Mamaev.

The maximum tide on the Commander Islands is 2.3 m, and the minimum water level is 0.3 m. In the spring-summer months, maximum low tides occur in the morning and daytime hours, while in the autumn-winter period - at night watch. Every day, the time of maximum low tide shifts by about an hour, and its indicator changes by 10-20 cm.

Almost the entire territory of Siberia in the 18th century. was part of Russia. Only the Far East remained unexplored, and the answer to the main question was not found: is Siberia connected to America? To bring final clarity, two Kamchatka expeditions were organized under the command of the Dane Vitus Jonassen Bering (1681-1741).
The first set off from St. Petersburg in 1725, but failed. The second (1733-1743) was called the Great Northern Expedition for its scale. It consisted of nine detachments, and the campaign to North America was an integral part of it.
On June 4, 1741, Bering’s team left Avachinskaya Bay on two packet boats: “St. Peter” and “St. Paul”. The first was commanded by Bering himself, the second by Alexei Chirikov. The purpose of the expedition was to explore the coast of Alaska; the ships missed each other due to thick fog and storm. "St. Paul" reached Alaska first, and then returned to Kamchatka. “Saint Peter” approached Fr. Kayak (Alaska) for only 10 hours and turned back.
On November 4, 1741, “St. Peter” dropped anchor at the future Fr. Bering to replenish water supplies, the ship was later thrown ashore, so it had to winter here. Some of the crew did not survive the winter, including the commander himself. Having buried their comrades on the shore, including Bering, the crew built a single-masted ship (gukor) from the remains of the ship, which was pretty battered by storms, and left the island in August 1742.

Population

In 1805, an artel of Russian hunters of fur seals and sea otters was landed on Medny Island. Since 1825, a permanent population appeared on the Commander Islands; Aleut families were brought to Bering Island. The name “Aleuts” was invented by Russian residents to designate the northern peoples of Sasignan (Bering Island) and Unangan (Medny Island). Even in conditions of strong assimilation, the Aleuts retained their genetic structure and national identity.

Bering Sea Archipelago

The Commander Islands are primarily two large islands, Bering and Medny, separated by a strait. The relief of the islands is uneven and rugged: the result of the destructive work of northern winds and ocean waves. Earthquakes with a magnitude of 5-6 also occur here, one of which was experienced by the Bering expedition, but local residents consider them insignificant. The size of the islands is relatively small: Bering Island - length 90 km, average width 18 km; Medny Island - length 53 km, average width 5 km.
You can get here from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky by plane or by sea, which is more difficult, since there is no regular sea passenger service at all. Despite the obvious difficulties, tourists from all over the world flock here to touch the nature of the “Russian Galapagos”, to visit “the end of the world” ", see the grave of Vitus Bering. In 1874, a wooden cross was erected in the place where it could have been. Only in the 1990s did the long search for the grave of the brave commander succeed.
The current economy of Komandor is entirely dependent on the sea and tourists. Sea animals are hunted in the sea, and arctic foxes are hunted on land. Both Russian hunters and Aleuts do this. Over the centuries, the local population mixed with the Russians, and a unique Creole ethnic group took shape here, with a distinctive dialect and cultural traditions that are cherished here.

Nature

The fauna of the islands is also unique. Commanders are the main point on the migration routes and habitats of whales.
fur seals, sea lions, sea otters and seals. This is simply a paradise for them, because the ocean around the islands does not freeze due to the warm Kuroshio Current.
In order to preserve the fauna, the Komandorsky State Biosphere Nature Reserve was established with an area of ​​3,648,679 hectares. It is represented by 383 species of vascular plants, many rare, including endemic, species of flora and fauna. There are 250 species of fish, 213 species of birds, 25 species of mammals; about 300 thousand individuals of marine animals live along the coastline of the islands.

general information

Aleutsky districtRussian Federation.
Composition of the archipelago: two large islands - Beringa and Medny, two small ones - Toporkov, Ariy Kamen and rocks: Sivuchy Kamen, Bobrovye Kamen, etc., about 15 islands in total.
Location: .
Remoteness: 200 km east of the peninsula.
Administrative center: village Nikolskoye (the only settlement) - 580 people. (Bering Island) (2010).
Languages: Russian, Aleutian (two dialects - Bering Island and Medny Island).
Ethnic composition: Russians, Aleuts.
Religion: Orthodoxy.
Origin: volcanic.
Largest lake: Sarannoye (Bering Island)

Numbers

Square: 1848 km 2.
Population: 580 people (2010).
Population density: 0.3 people/km 2
Highest point: Mount Steller - 755 m (Bering Island).

Economy

Industry: hunting for sea animals.
Agriculture: crop production (potatoes), livestock husbandry (reindeer husbandry, Arctic fox breeding). Fishing.
Services sector: tourism.

Climate and weather

Oceanic, with cool summers and mild winters.
Average annual temperature: +2.1ºC (Bering Island), +2.8ºC (Medny Island).
Average annual precipitation: 500 mm.
Relative humidity: 80-90%.

Attractions

• Vitus Bering's grave
• Aleutian Museum of Local Lore
• Fur seal rookery "North-West"
• State Nature Reserve "Commander"

Curious facts

Steller's cow is an extinct marine mammal of the sirenian order, length up to 10 m, weight up to 4 tons. By the time of the Bering expedition, it was not found anywhere on earth except the Commander Islands. 27 years after the discovery of the islands, this sedentary herbivore was completely exterminated. The description compiled by the naturalist Georg Steller, who found it, and the name of the cape on the island have been preserved. Bering, named in her honor.

Male fur seals - cleavers - secure areas of 20-25 mg for a “harem”, each of them with up to 100 females.

During the Soviet era, from the Kamchatka Peninsula to the Commander Islands, in the village. Nikolskoye, there was a regular passenger ship "Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky", capable of accommodating the entire population of the islands.

At the beginning of the 19th century. the Commanders had their own Robinson: a certain Yakov Mynkov spent on the island. Bering completely alone for seven years without tools or fire.