Matua Island is part of the middle group of the Great Kuril Ridge and belongs to the Sakhalin Region. However, this was not always the case. The Ainu, the most ancient people of the Japanese islands, are considered the original population of Matua. In his language, the island is called "hell's mouth".
For a long time Matua existed on its own, and only in the 17th century the first expeditions went to the Kuriles. It was visited by Japanese, Russian and Dutch, who even declared the land the property of their East India Company.
By 1736, the Ainu adopted Orthodoxy and became Russian subjects, having paid the residents of Kamchatka yasak - a tax in kind in the form of furs, livestock and other items. Russian Cossacks regularly visited the island, and the first scientific expedition arrived at Matua in 1813. The island's population has always been small: in 1831, only 15 inhabitants were counted on Matua, although then the census counted only adult men. In 1855, the Russian Empire officially received the right to the island, but 20 years later Matua came under Japanese rule - such was the price for Sakhalin.
Shortly before World War II, the island became the main stronghold of the Kuril ridge. A fort with anti-tank ditches, underground tunnels and trenches appeared on Matua. An underground residence was created for the officers in the hill. After the outbreak of the war, Nazi Germany supplied Matua with fuel. The island became one of Japan's key naval bases. In August 1945, a garrison of 7.5 thousand people surrendered without a single shot. Matua passed to the Soviet Union.
Until 1991, there was a military unit on the island. During this time, not only historians were interested in Matua, but also politicians. US President Harry Truman, immediately after the end of World War II, proposed to Stalin to cede the island for a US naval base. Then the leader of the USSR, either jokingly or seriously, agreed to exchange Matua for one of the Aleutian Islands. The question was closed.
The Russian border outpost was located at Matua until 2000. Then the entire naval infrastructure of the island was mothballed, and its inhabitants left. Matua is now uninhabited. The small island, 11 kilometers long and just over six kilometers wide, still holds many secrets. Members of the Russian Geographical Society and employees of the Russian Ministry of Defense went to uncover them.
On the island of Matua. Photo: RIA Novosti.
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Secrets of Matua
In September 2016, the commander of the Pacific Fleet, Admiral Sergei Avakyants, told reporters about the results of the first expedition to Matua. It started in April and lasted almost six months. The expedition was attended by the Minister of Defense and President of the Russian Geographical Society Sergei Shoigu.
As the TV channel "360" notes, research on Matua took place for the first time since 1813. According to Avakyants, many underground structures have been found on the island. Some of them definitely belonged to the fort, but the purpose of the rest has not yet been clarified.
Initially, it was assumed that these were storage facilities, but everything was removed from them. If these were warehouses, then any material traces would remain. Moreover, it was discovered that a high-voltage cable was suitable for these premises, and the power supply system allowed to supply up to 3 thousand volts there. Naturally, this is overvoltage for storage facilities. But it is obvious that some work was carried out in these structures.
Among the unusual finds is a high-voltage cable on the slope of Sarychev volcano. Nearby are the remains of an old road that leads to the mouth of the volcano. At the same time, members of the expedition noticed from the helicopter the entrances to the underground structures. What exactly is in the volcano is still unknown.
The experts were also occupied with another question: why the garrison surrendered without a fight in August 1945. This behavior is not typical for Japanese soldiers, which speaks of a well-thought-out plan. “We concluded that the garrison fulfilled its main task - removed all traces and all the facts that could lead to disclosure of the true nature of activities on this island,” the admiral explained.
