Big Tyuters Island in the Gulf of Finland: expedition, photo

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

The island of Bolshoi Tyuters in post-war times, especially in the seventies, was called nothing more than the "island of death". He received such a terrible nickname thanks to the active work of the Germans - they totally mined his territory. A lot of time has passed since the end of the war, but peaceful sappers and researchers are dying from the diligent work of the Nazis. The conditions and nature on the island are such that it is time to build sanatoriums and recreation centers, but the war still throws up its terrible "gifts".

Role

Islands all over the world are numerous. Each has its own purpose. Some of them are paradises for relaxation, others are trading harbors or pirate havens. Likewise, the island of Bolshoi Tyuters has its lot. His fate was the defense against enemies from the sea. The war sprinkled the island with blood - fierce battles were fought here. For several centuries, he now and then passed from one hand to another. Most often they were Russians. Everything passes by it - ships, people, it seems that time stopped here 60 years ago. Very few people visited it during this period - they were mostly expeditions.

Characteristics of the island

The island of Bolshoy Tyuters in the Gulf of Finland is a granite rock, the area of which is a little more than 8 square meters. km. It has two capes - Tuomarinem and Teiloniemi, the highest point is 56 meters. The soil on it is diverse, this is due to a variety of geological and morphological conditions. In addition to bare granite rocks, here you can find places with scale lichen. Unique glacial wells were also discovered on the island - they are also called boilers.

The east coast is characterized by dunes, sparse groups of plants. Also here you can find a place where there are about 300 species of flora on just one square meter. The central part was occupied by forests, 10% are swamps. Among them, small hanging swamps are considered to be a very interesting phenomenon; they are most often located in rock crevices. On the island you can see forests, rocks, swamps, coastal shallows, meadows, beaches, dune fauna. Villages that were once inhabited also have individual vegetation.

Inhabitants of the island. Lighthouse

The island of Bolshoy Tyuters in the Gulf of Finland has, in addition to interesting landscapes and vegetation, no less fascinating fauna. A rare species of mollusks - a predatory black slug - found its habitat here. Especially a lot of them can be found at the foot of the rocks. Among the inhabitants of the island there are raccoon dogs, at least their traces have been found many times. In addition, a wildling runs around the islandram, he ran away from the former lighthouse a few years ago.

By the way, about the lighthouse. It is the only habitat on the island. Its height is 21 meters, the focal plane is located at 75 meters. Two people live on the island - the caretaker and his wife.

Big Tyuters in the Gulf of Finland has never had a significant population. For some time there was a village of Finn fishermen on it. However, the war swept her off the face of the island.

Island today

Big Tyuters Island in the Gulf of Finland is one of those places where time has stopped. Buildings and structures are overgrown, even the lighthouse keeper does not risk moving far from his workplace, as the island can present an unpleasant surprise, which the Germans generously endowed him with. Since the latter left it in a hurry, they left behind not only minefields, but also a lot of equipment, ammunition, and heavy weapons. But at the same time, nature here is simply indescribable beauty, which, unfortunately, only a few can see. To neutralize the dangerous island, sapper troops are regularly sent to it. In addition, they are often joint, for example, the work of Russian and Swedish sappers in 2005 made it possible to detect and neutralize more than 30 thousand objects that could explode at any moment. There were seven such landings in the post-war years. However, even half of the island cannot be called safe.

Forgotten Vehicles

Island Big Tyuters in Finnishthe bay, the photo of which can be seen in the review, is a real cemetery of military equipment. Given that its samples are abundant on the island, there are unique ones among them. Such as, say, the Boforos 40 caliber automatic anti-aircraft gun. The amount of equipment that the Germans left behind can be enough for a large museum. Expeditions that explore its territory discover many specimens, some can be restored. To date, about two hundred units of equipment that have been moved to the mainland. There are also 6 deep fortifications on the island.

Expeditions

An expedition is sent to Bolshoy Tyuters Island to explore the "white spots" on the map of Europe. Due to dense mining, military personnel died on it even decades after the end of the war. It is for the neutralization of the territory that such studies are carried out. One of the last was the Gogland expedition, which, in addition to Bolshoi Tyuters, also covered some of the outer islands of the Gulf of Finland. Before the landing of the main landing, engineering reconnaissance was carried out, berths and platforms for helicopters were equipped. Of its achievements, one can note the discovery of about 200 pieces of military equipment and weapons. Most of them are unique. After examining it for the presence of equipment, representatives of the Ministry of Defense and the Russian Geographical Society followed the search engines. At the moment, a search is underway for the remains of soldiers who died during the Great Patriotic War.

Trip to the island

It is very dangerous to go to the island on your own. Of course, this is a historical place, where there are unique samples of equipment and weapons, but there are much more mines on it. Its nature is amazing, it is very quiet and calm here. The only thing that gives the island away is a lighthouse that works to avoid shipwrecks. Vessels have been passing by for over 60 years. This is the peculiarity that the island of Bolshoy Tyuters has. How to get to it is immediately visible on the map. The main routes are by water or by helicopter. If you still have a great desire to touch this part of history, you can go to the neighboring island of Gogland, and from it you can also see Bolshoi Tyuters from afar.

Ghosts of the island

This is the name of the equipment that "rests" on the territory. Bolshoy Tyuters in the Gulf of Finland, if it had not been mined, could be called an open-air museum of military equipment. It seems that anti-aircraft installations have become part of nature, sometimes it is difficult to distinguish them from tree trunks or a branch that has fallen. An anti-aircraft gun can be buried in the dunes and only a third of it can identify itself from under the sands. 37 caliber defensive weapons can be seen in the trees on the coastal slopes. Parts of equipment, including engines, are scattered everywhere. In the forests, you can even find a gas generator station and a cable layer. Fuel barrels are scattered here and there. You can also find personal flasks of the Germans. All the equipment simply united with nature, trees sprouted in the bodies of the machines, some guns were covered withmoss and grass. If it were not for the danger that lurks around every corner, it would be possible to conduct exciting excursions here.

Conclusions

The island has long been considered a prohibited area. There have been successful attempts to mine it, but it is not yet possible to fully ensure safety. In far-reaching plans - to make an open-air museum on the territory of Bolshoy Tyuters. But everything depends on the financial part of the issue. It takes a lot of money to create a minimal infrastructure. In addition, the path to the island is very difficult and expensive. That is why it remains completely unexplored and almost deserted.