Karafuto’s period monuments on Sakhalin island: Shiritori (Makarov), for memory of children died in fire

The first scientist put attention for Karafuto was Igor Samarin. He is still one of main experts on Karafuto’s monument’s and temples’s remains. As a result of his researches we have the book issued in 2015 and named “Historical and cultural monuments of Karafuto”.

Karafuto – government of Japan (located at South Sakhalin), 1905-1945

Book has description of 117 buildings, constructions, temples.

It is not full list of cource. For example, no information concerned bridges (remained from Karafuto).

As well as “cultural” means monuments itself but not enough information concerned them.

Sakhalin local historian Sergey Fedorchuk has counted only in Yuzhno (Toyohara) approximately 20 monuments (ref. his “Toyohara’s monuments. Foreign memory”). They were not included in Igor Samarin’s book.

Anyway, having these and some another publications we can conclude that only Karafuto’s buildings still remain “alive” not smth else.

And used.

Famous examples are Sakhalin Local History Museum, Sakhalin Art Museum, Headquarters of Security troops (at the moment transferred from military to municipulty, and now thу municipal tourist dept is located there), etc.

But monuments were totally destroyed at USSR time.

We tried to find as much as possible monuments (remains of them).

Criteria were:

• it is still in good condition (not destroyed even partially)
• it is still devoted for subject

Results are following. We can say that in some places we can find so-called military monuments in  good conditions met criteria (usually monuments in bullet form). There two or three of them, meanwhile they continue to be destroyed as no one takes care about it.

NB Definitely no one will not take care on monument devoted Japan warriors and their wins in war fights with Russian.

And the only monument which came from Karafuto and meets criteria is monument for memory of pupils died in fire in 1943 in Shiritori (now Makarov – named for memory of famous Russian admiral, oceanographer; was died in sea battle of Russian-Japan War at 1904 near Port-Arthur).

There was a big tragedy. 23 school children died, Japan and Korean. Residents of city erected a monument.

Yes, it is a fact that long time after 1945’s liberation of South Sakhakin the only basement was remaining.

And only in 1992 the caring residents (Korean as well) restored the monument.

And in 2009 the monument was again restored due to its conditions.

So at the moment this monument has original pedestal, is devoted to that tragedy (whch was initially devoted) and is being cared by municipality.

NB Actually it is normal that during time monuments can be changed / restored remaining devoted to initial event / reason for erecting.

Local history scientist Nikolay Vishnevsky in his book “Makarov’s terra” (part 2, devoted Karafuto mostly) gave very detailed story of that tragedy and monument.