Okhotsk Coast

The Okhotsk Coast is an informal name for the northwest coast of the Sea of Okhotsk. Although it was never an administrative unit there is some reason to treat it as a distinct region. Here in 1639 the Russians first reached the Pacific Ocean. From here, beginning in 1716, Russian ships sailed east to the Kamchatka Peninsula, the Aleutian Islands and Alaska.

The western section is historically the most important. It runs northeast about 700 km (430 mi) from Uda Gulf to the town of Okhotsk. At the westernmost point of the Sea of Okhotsk is the Uda River which was the Russo-Chinese border from the Treaty of Nerchinsk (1689) to the Treaty of Aigun (1859). To the east is Uda Gulf and the Shantar Islands. About 260 km (160 mi) up the coast is Ayan with its good harbor but poor communications inland. 350 km (220 mi) northeast is the mouth of the Ulya River where the Russians first saw the Pacific. 70 km (43 mi) northeast is the mouth of the southeast-flowing Urak River (an important route to the coast) and 25 km (16 mi) further is the town of Okhotsk where the south-flowing the Okhota River and Kukhtui River join to make a poor but usable harbor.

East-West section: The east-west section runs about 680 km (420 mi) from Okhotsk to the P'yagin Peninsula. About 100 km (62 mi) east of Okhotsk is one of the Inya Rivers. The coast soon becomes rocky. About 320 km (200 mi) east of Okhotsk is the rectangular Taui Bay. At the northwest corner of the Bay are the mouths of the Taui River and a Yana River (not the Arctic one). Near the northeast corner is the good harbor of Nagayev Bay where, in 1929, the Nagayevo settlement was built which grew into a GULAG city of Magadan with its road north to the Kolyma gold fields. 240 km (150 mi) east of Magadan the east-west section ends at the P'yagin Peninsula and the Yamsky Islands.

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