The Sikhote-Alin (pronounced SEE-kə-TAY-ə-LEEN; in Russian, Сихотэ́-Али́нь, pronounced [sʲɪxɐˈtɛ ɐˈlʲinʲ]) is a mountain range in the Primorsky and Khabarovsk Krais of Russia. It stretches about 900 kilometers (560 miles) to the northeast of the Russian Pacific seaport of Vladivostok. The highest peaks include Tordoki Yani at 2,077 meters (6,814 feet) above sea level, Ko Mountain at 2,003 meters (6,572 feet) in Khabarovsk Krai, and Anik Mountain at 1,933 meters (6,342 feet) in Primorsky Krai.
Geography
Sikhote-Alin is a temperate region where animals usually found in northern taiga forests, such as reindeer and the Ussuri brown bear, live alongside the Amur tiger, Amur leopard, and Asiatic black bear. The area has very few wolves because tigers compete with them for food. The oldest tree in the region is a Japanese yew that is over 1,000 years old. This area is the only place where Sikhotealinia, the only living species in the beetle family Jurodidae, can be found. These beetles are called "the most mysterious representatives of beetles" because scientists are unsure of their exact classification within the beetle group.
Many smaller rivers that flow into the Amur River are located in this region, including the Gur River.
The core area of Sikhote-Alin can only be visited with the help of trained rangers.
History
The name may come from the Manchu language, meaning "coastal ridge," or from the Nanai language, meaning "forest-covered mountains."
In the 1910s and 1920s, a Russian geographer and naturalist named Vladimir Arsenyev (1872–1930) thoroughly studied the Sikhote-Alin region. He wrote about his experiences in several books, including Dersu Uzala (1923). This book was made into a film in 1975 by Akira Kurosawa, which won an Academy Award. Because of Arsenyev’s work and efforts, two large protected areas, Sikhote-Alin and Lazo wildlife refuges, were created in 1935 to help protect the region’s unique wildlife.
On February 12, 1947, one of the largest meteorite showers in recent history happened in the mountain range. The Sikhote-Alin meteorite broke apart in the atmosphere as it fell, sending many tons of metal over an area shaped like an ellipse that was about 1.3 kilometers (0.50 miles) wide. The meteorites created craters; the largest was 26 meters (85 feet) in diameter.
In 2001, UNESCO added "Central Sikhote-Alin" to the World Heritage List because of its importance in protecting endangered species, such as the scaly-sided (Chinese) merganser, Blakiston’s fish-owl, and the Amur tiger. The World Heritage Site covered an area of 16,319 square kilometers (4,033,000 acres). The core land area of Sikhote-Alin Zapovednik, a protected nature reserve, was 3,985 square kilometers (985,000 acres). In 2018, the World Heritage Site was expanded by 11,605 square kilometers (2,868,000 acres) by including Bikin National Park under the name "Bikin River Valley."
Notable summits
Tordoki Yani (also called Tardoki Yani in Russian: Тордоки-Яни) is the highest mountain in the Sikhote-Alin range. It is located in the southeast of Khabarovsk Krai, near the border with Primorsky Krai. This flat-topped mountain reaches an elevation of 2,090 meters (2,077 meters according to GSE). The mountain is the source of the Anyuy River.
Ko (in Russian: Ко) is the second-highest mountain in the range. It is found in the southern part of Khabarovsk Krai, close to the border with Primorsky Krai, Russia. Ko stands 2,004 meters above sea level. The name "Ko" comes from the Udege language and means "witch."
Anik Mountain (in Russian: гора Аник) is the third-highest peak in the Sikhote-Alin range. It is also the highest mountain in Primorsky Krai, Russia. Located in the northern part of Primorsky Krai, it borders Khabarovsk Krai.