Big Ussuri Island is a hot topic today. He owes such popularity to some circumstances that were made public by the media a year ago. The text of this article will help to reveal the essence of the problem.
Where is the Big Ussuri Island?
The geographical location of the island in question is the largest river in the Far East - the famous Amur. To be more precise, a little below the mouth of the Ussuri River, the northern part of the island is washed by the Amur, the eastern part - the village of Ussuriysky - is now within the Industrial District of the city of Khabarovsk. On the northwestern side, it is adjacent to the Chinese island of Tarabarov. The islands are separated by a channel.
Another channel, the Kazakevicheva, separates Bolshoi Ussuriysky Island from the southwest from the territory of China. The eastern part is washed by the waters of the Amur channel from the Russian Federation. Since the water level in the Amur is not constant, the territory of the island changes from time to time within 327-350 square kilometers (in other sources- about 254 sq. km). Thus, the greatest width is 10 kilometers, and the length from west to east is 38 kilometers.
History of the island in the 20th and 21st centuries
Starting from 1929, two large objects - the island of Tarabarov and Bolshoy Ussuriysky - as well as much smaller islands located nearby, began to belong to the Soviet state. When the USSR collapsed after the well-known events of 1991, these territories became part of the Russian Federation.
During the conflict that arose in 1967 between once friendly states, the Chinese tried to challenge the ownership of the Big Ussuri Island.
The two big powers-neighbors in 2004 had a preliminary agreement, which was ratified the following year. Thanks to this document, the PRC received possession of the western part of Bolshoi Ussuriysky, the entire Tarabarov Island, and a number of small islands. The public did not like this step of the Russian leadership.
The final designation of the Russian-Chinese border line (demarcation) took place on October 14, 2008. So the Bolshoi Ussuriysky Island began to belong to another country. China gladly annexed a large part of it to the province of Heilongjiang. Russia owns 174 sq. km with a population of almost half a thousand people.
Chinese part
The Chinese, with their characteristic pragmatism and diligence, began to explore new territory, gradually turning it into a recreational area to attract tourists. Currentlyhere is a state reserve with a border outpost. The created hotel complex called "Peace Square" includes wooden buildings, a pagoda 81 meters high and other objects. Communication with the mainland is carried out through a bridge.
Many tourists are attracted by Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island. Infrastructure development is ongoing.
Russian side of the Big Ussuri Island
Local Russian authorities, following the example of their Chinese counterparts, intended to create a tourist and recreational zone. Moreover, it was supposed to give it a special visa regime for foreign tourists, the number of which should be about 200 thousand within a month.
Ultimately, Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island should turn into a priority development area (TOP). In particular, the government plans to build an International Expo Center, an International Youth Camp, a Safari Park, a Martial Arts Palace, an International Equestrian Center and other significant facilities.
What is the problem on the island?
The Russian part of the island is characterized by the following acute issues that need to be addressed.
In 2013, the island was hit by severe flooding, which forced the regional authorities to ban construction work on the flood-prone area. The ban is still valid today. The bridge to Bolshoi Ussuriysky Island made it possible to arrange the supply of many products and other materials, but this did not solve the problems of the localpopulation.
At one time, an order was made to demolish all apartment buildings: 4 in the village of Bychikha and 11 in the village of Ussuriysky, which the locals call Chumka. But the fact is that in one of these buildings in the village of Ussuriysky there is the only store selling groceries. The number of apartment buildings includes private houses. They are also subject to the said order of the local authorities. Almost half of them lack documentation. This category of buildings is called "squatter". For various reasons, not all residents agreed to move to the mainland. Some families do not have enough cash to pay utility bills in a new location. Others simply did not want to leave the habitable dwellings to which they had become accustomed.
Dead end disputes
Electricity and water supplies have been unstable for a long period. And the issue of central heating remained unresolved. The fact that the village is remote from the city causes certain inconveniences associated with the organization and maintenance of infrastructure, i.e. educational and medical institutions, a district police post, etc.
The village is an obstacle to the creation of an international tourist zone. Moreover, external investments have already been attracted here. Big Ussuriysky Island can become a developed infrastructure only after all controversial issues are resolved.
