What’s hidden in Matua Island?

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From the middle of the Pacific Ring of Fire, the small piece of land of Matua holds the most mysterious secret among unexplored islands of the Russian Far East. Located in the middle of the Kuril Ridge and is well away from the populated areas of Sakhalin and Kamchatka, Matua is an uninhabited volcanic island which Russia and Japan claim as national territory. Administratively, it is part of the Severo-Kurilskiy urban district of the Sakhalin region. The island’s name was derived from the native Ainu language whose literal translation roughly means “hellmouth”. The island was initially frequented by the fishing and hunting parties of the Ainu people. However, when the Europeans first visited the island, they found no indication of a permanent Ainu settlement.

The first mention of Matua Island was found by a Russian explorer Ivan Kozyrevsky, who was on the northernmost islands of Shumshu and Paramushira in 1711 and 1713 and collected a lot of information about the entire ridge. He called Matua the island of Motogo. With an area of 52 km², Matua offers exciting thrills to the history buffs and fans of war memorabilia and sights, due to the fact that it still has remnants from the Second World War scattered all around.

Not only was the island reliably protected by impregnable rocks and high shores, but a whole network of various military fortifications was also additionally built on it. During the Second World War, the Japanese took the island and transformed it into a large fortress. Both the Japanese themselves and prisoners of war from China had to work hard on their construction. Fearing bombing and shelling from the sea, the Japanese dug deeper and deeper into the ground until there was no free space on Matua from all kinds of defensive fortifications in the form of navy docks, an airfield underground canals and an extensive network of communications. In 1944, US navy aircraft bombed the island facilities, while US warships shelled it. During the attacks, several Japanese cargo ships were sunk near the island or while docked at the harbour. In August 1945, during the Battle of the Kuril Islands, the Japanese garrison (7000-8000 men) on the isle surrendered (without firing a single shot) to the Red Army troops. Soon, the USSR (Soviet Union) established on the island a border patrol outpost. Since 2001, when the military personnel left the station, the isle became uninhabited.

The airfield built in Matua is just a masterpiece of military engineering art, it is not for nothing that the Japanese were so proud of. Two parallel strips, 1,570 meters long and 35 meters wide, were covered with excellent concrete. The quality of concrete can be judged by the fact that it has been preserved in its best form to this day and there are practically no cracks on it. The most striking thing is that the take-off field is heated from the local thermal springs. As a result, the airfield was in full combat readiness all year round, even in the most severe frosts and snowstorms. The Americans have repeatedly tried to destroy the airfield having lost a dozen aircraft and at least two submarines in battles.

There was no comprehensive research work on Matua as access there was almost impossible. But in 2003, an expedition from the Kamchatka Peninsula was organized to the remote island. In the following years were mounted 15 more expeditions. What the Russian expeditions found on the island were numerous trenches and man-made caverns. The rest of the territory was transformed into a stronghold, ringed by pillboxes (concrete dug-in guard posts), some of which are carved into the rock. According to legends, there is an underground city on the island, that during Second World War housed biological warfare and nuclear research laboratories.

Another opportunity finally appeared in 2016 when the Russian Geographical Society (RGO) together with the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, organized an expedition with around 200 Russian technical experts. The expedition is designed to unravel the secrets of this least explored island of the Kuril Ridge for the first time. Its goal was to study the artifacts of the Second World War and create a historical and geographical portrait of Matua. In the summer of 2017, a second joint expedition of the RGO and the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation started. Through the process, it is planned to collect materials for the preparation of an atlas of marine inhabitants of the water area of ​​Matua and neighbouring islands and make a video of the relief of the bottom at dive sites for the analysis of hydrographic characteristics. In addition, the project will continue on the search and exploration of historical military equipment objects and fortifications. Archaeological works will be developed to identify and study historical and cultural monuments of various epochs, including Ainu. During this second expedition, the crew have found some artefacts, including ruins of the residence of a Japanese garrison commander with pillboxes, weapon ports and underground tunnels. Along with it, near the Yurlov Cape, an object in the form of a cigar, resembling a submarine has been found at a depth of 110 meters.

One of the secrets of the island is the disappearance of all military equipment without a trace. And there is not a single burial site on the island. Despite careful searches since 1945, not a single aircraft, tank or gun was found on the island. For 3,811 surrendered Japanese soldiers and officers, only 2,127 rifles were available. At the same time, the pilots, sailors, and artillerymen disappeared somewhere, and only construction battalions and auxiliary personnel were captured. There is an opinion that the Japanese drowned the secret equipment in the sea, or hid it underground, blowing up the paths to the underground warehouses. Until now, on the island, there are disguised units and assemblies of military equipment, strange rods with threads, the purpose of which can only be guessed at.

Apart from its rich history and underground secrets, Matua is a fabulous island with its extreme wilderness. The island is best known for its main peak named after admiral Gavril Sarychev of the Imperial Russian Navy. Found in the Northwest of the island, the Sarychev Peak (1496 m/4910 ft) provides a kaleidoscopic look at nature in all its forms as it is considered as one of the most active volcanoes of the Kuril Islands chain. Adventurers and fans of volcanology should enjoy exploring the great peak that recently erupted in 2009. The peak offers a challenging climb and some of the evidence of a recent eruption would be of interest to curious visitors. Birdwatchers, nature lovers, and wildlife photographers would be overjoyed by a visit to the island due to the fact that the region is a haven for some very huge colonies of oceanic birds. The wide variety of birds prefer this habitat and thrive due to the lack of predators. Another reward is the sightings of rich marine life, which is credited to the meeting of the warm Oyashio and cold Okhotsk currents that encourages breeding and a diverse marine eco-system.

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