Gulf of Finland in St. Petersburg, despite the outward restraint and even "cold" has a lot of amazing places, filled with natural beauty and dramatic history.One of the gems - Hogland - largest island in the Leningrad region.Everyone who visited the Hogland, speak of it as a land of majestic and unique.
Etymology
Swedish island of Hogland name means "high ground."Indeed, there is a relatively high mountains covered with forests, rocky shores, leaving almost vertically into the water.In general, the landscape characteristic of Eastern Fennoscandia.The Finns also called from time immemorial the island of Suur-Saari, in translation - the "Great Land."
Dimensions
Hogland Island - the largest in the Russian Gulf of Finland.It is located 10 km to the east of the sea border between Russia and Finland.From north to south it stretches for about 11 km and its width ranges from 1.5 to 3 km.The whole island area - 20,65 km2.
Location
seemingly uninhabited piece of land in a convenient and therefore an important strategic position.On the right, is located 180 kilometers of St. Petersburg, the Gulf of Finland from the fortress of Kronstadt, the major Russian ports (Primorsk, Vysotsk, Vyborg, Ust-Luga).Left - Finland and Estonia.
Island separates the western, more deep and salty Gulf of Finland, from the eastern parts - more shallow and fresh.The geographical coordinates of the island:
- 60ᵒ01 '- 60ᵒ06' s.N .;
- 26ᵒ56 '- 27ᵒ00' in.d.
nearest Finnish town of Kotka is located 43 km to the northeast.In the south of the Estonian coast of the Gulf is about 55 km away, and the Big Island Tyuters - south-east, a distance of 18.5 km from the southern Cape.The distance in a straight line to the Ust-Luga - 85 km.
Gulf Islands: Hogland
strongly dissected relief of the island, absolute elevations ranging from 108 m in the northern part (Upland Poheyskorkia) to 175.7 m in the south (Upland Lounatkorkia).Often there are rocky cliffs up to 10 meters or more, the maximum height (50-70 m) they arrive on the western slopes of hills and Myakiinpyayallyus Haukkavuori.
along the east and west coasts are small coves and several small islands.The banks are mainly rocky coves in - shingle with boulders, and only in the Bay Suurkyulyanlahti - clean sandy beach.This closed and convenient for ships in the Gulf is located northeast of the island.It is protected by a breakwater and a deep channel at the entrance of 4.2 m, while the width of the entrance to the 90 m. To the south of the bay Suurkyulyanlahti is an old Finnish cemetery.
Lighthouses
On the island there are two lighthouse.North Goglandsky Lighthouse, located on a hill Poheyskorkia built under Peter the Great in 1723.South Goglandsky was founded in 1905 by order of Nicholas II.Since 2006 works station remote monitoring ships, built near the South Lighthouse.The only dirt road runs across the island, connecting the two buildings.
Scientific activity
Gulf for scientists is a unique natural laboratory where, in spite of active human activity, the ecosystem is preserved in its original form.Complex environmental expedition Biological Research Institute of St. Petersburg University to study the islands of the Russian part of the Gulf of Finland, including the island of Hogland, held annually from 1991 to 1995 on the initiative and with direct participation of the Director DV Osipov.
They then continued in 2003-2004 within the framework of joint projects BiNII and the Finnish Environment Institute (TSOSF).In 2004, the study received financial support from the Environmental Fund of the Leningrad region.Geological study of the island began in 2001 and continued in 2003-2004.Collection of materials to describe the vegetation held the Botanical Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences in 1994-1998 and in 2004-2006.The accumulated material is allowed to make a botanical, zoological and geological map of the region, and to track changes in the nature on the basis of previous findings.
Under the banner of UNESCO
Hogland Island is not only a natural attraction.In 1826, on the island of German-Russian astronomer, director of the Pulkovo Observatory Struve founded a unique item that is part of an ambitious project, designed to calculate the size and shape of the planet Earth.The so-called "Struve Arc", stretching from the Arctic Ocean to the shores of the Danube, is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
According to the register, the two objects - "Point Z» and «item Myakipyallyus" (named after the eponymous rock) - located on the shores of this remote stretch of land.Here Victor Ya watching angles and azimuths, provided valuable astronomical data.This proves how important the Gulf of Finland.
in St. Petersburg hosts conference on items "Struve Arc".On the island it was sent a special expedition, which is to assess the actual state of the object UNESCO.In memory of the historic event, here are two astronomical sign.The first - on a hill Myakiinpyayallyus.It is a memorial plaque with the inscription "geodetic points Myakiinpyayallyus founded in 1826, VY Struve.Before Ismail 841,657 toise to Gammerfasta 660,130 toise.The first measurement of the meridian arc in Russia from 1816 to 1855... "
Suurkyulyanlahti near the bay, in the woods, at the fork in the road leading to the North lighthouse, erected another monument, is also dedicated to the measurement of the meridian Struve.This astronomical sign "Hogland Z» was established by employees of the Pulkovo Observatory.
Historical Review
Gulf Islands populated by people from time immemorial.First they have mastered the Sami.This is evidenced by found on the tops of hills sacred objects - stones, hats, Sadie "altars", resembling the iconic buildings of the Saami of the Kola Peninsula.
during historically Hogland was part of Sweden.Legends say that the distant ancestors of the islanders were pirates and smugglers.These legends are plausible, since the island is located near an important trade route and a rocky landscape is a wonderful haven for buccaneers plundering ships that came from the west into the Neva River and Novgorod.
To Russian island withdrew in 1743 after signing a peace treaty with Sweden.In July 1788 at Hogland was a naval battle between the Russian and Swedish fleets, known as the Battle of Hogland.It ended with the victory of the Russian fleet, which resulted in Russia consolidated its ownership of the island.
Cemetery ships
Hogland Island is located across the Gulf of Finland, in his heart, so close to the sea since ancient times held a lively way.A large number of submarines and surface rocks were the cause of frequent shipwrecks off the coast of Hogland.In memory of his contemporaries preserve the history of the death of Russian three-masted sailing ship "America", which took place October night in 1856.The vessel came with a load of logs and iron in Tallinn, but, once in a storm off the northeast coast, hit a rock and sank near the North Lighthouse.At the cemetery near the village Suurkyulya can see two graves in which were buried 2 officers and 34 sailors from the wrecked ship "America".In 1999, the remains of another sunken sailboat were found by members of the Estonian club "Ichthyander" Maahelli in the bay at the western coast of the island.
Birth radio
truly universal popularity island brought scientific experiments Popov, when the end of January 1900 was first established communication between the wireless telegraph and the Finnish island of Hogland Kutsalo near Kotka.It is significant that the reason for the testing of radio communication was also wrecked ship.The battleship "General-Admiral Apraksin", en route for the winter from Kronstadt to the port of Liepaja, November 13, 1899 hit a submerged rock off the south-east coast.
remove him from a cliff into the onset of winter weather conditions and the rapid formation of ice off the coast of the island was not possible.For the organization of rescue work had to establish smooth communication with the nearest settlement, which was the city of Kotka, and through it - to St. Petersburg.After several fruitless attempts to establish the first line radiotelephone January 24 Lounatkorkia hill (now called Sopka Popov) has finally been successfully transmitted the first radio message.In memory of this event on the site of the first transmitter installed Stella monument Popov.
Century XX
Since 1917, when the Republic of Finland gained independence, the island of Hogland went to Finland.There were two Finnish villages - Suurkyulya (translated as Great Village) and Kiiskinkyulya (Ershov village), with a population of about a thousand people, mainly engaged in fishing and seal hunting.Thus, according to the census of 1929, the island lived 896 people.Mighty foundations of houses, stone walls, cleared the field - all these testimonies of former peace islanders remained at the site of the former village.After completion of the Soviet-Finnish war under the terms of the peace treaty (1940) Hogland was transferred to the Soviet Union.
dramatic events took place near the island during the Second World War.In August 1941 the ships carrying the refugees - children, women, tried to break out of the besieged Tallinn to Kronstadt, but were destroyed by German aircraft.Sailors squadron under the command of Admiral IG Svetova saved more than 12 thousand people were in the water.Under the will of Admiral, he was buried in 1983 on the shore of the bay Suurkyulyanlahti next to the grave of fallen soldiers.At this point, the obelisk was erected.
During the Great Patriotic Gulf of Finland has become the scene of the Soviet-German confrontation.Fierce battles were fought between Soviet, Finnish and German troops on Hogland.Monument to fallen soldiers is an old wooden cross, placed on the shores of Lake Liivalahdenyarvi.
Current state
In the postwar years on the island were created fortifications, deployed a powerful radar defense recently dismantled.Now here there is only a small border post and live navigation service employees serving lighthouses, as well as employees of the meteorological station, operating on the island since the mid XIX century.
Administrative Hogland is a part of the Kingisepp District, (the Gulf of Finland, Leningrad region).At Bay Suurkyulyanlahti developing tourist center.Built two-story hotel euroclass already receiving tourists.Thus, the island-an outpost on the border of the Russian territorial waters of Hogland is gradually turning into a tourist Mecca of Eastern Baltic.
