The history of the regional center is less than 150 years old, but this period was very turbulent and eventful. The settlement of Vladimirovka (the first name of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk) was founded by convicts and exiled settlers in 1882. For more than 40 years, until the end of World War II, the southern part of the island was under Japanese rule, and the city was called Tayohara. The unique combination of European and Asian culture is felt here today, making Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk an interesting place for an inquisitive traveler.
The Central Museum of the Sakhalin Region is located in one of the surviving Japanese buildings, erected in 1937 according to the design of the architect Yoshiro Kaizuki. The only building in the national Japanese style teikan in Russia is a recognizable symbol of the island.
The exhibition introduces the history of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands, the events of the Russo-Japanese War, the flora and fauna of the region, the life and traditions of the indigenous peoples. In the park next to the museum there is another interesting object from the times of Japanese rule - the pavilion "gosineihoanden", associated with the cult of the emperor.
Art Museum
The building was built in 1930 in the late Art Nouveau style and belonged to the Japanese colonial bank Hokkaido Takushoku. In 1989, the only art museum in the region was located here.
The museum's collection contains the best examples of Russian and foreign painting. Permanent exhibitions dedicated to Russian and Soviet art of the 19th – 20th centuries, contemporary artists of the Russian Far East and neighboring countries (China, Korea, Japan), folk crafts of the indigenous population of the region, number more than 16 thousand exhibits.
Museum of the History of the Sakhalin Railway
This place is rightfully considered the most unusual railway museum in the country. The Sakhalin "railway" was built by the Japanese, there was a different gauge and other trains.
Unique items are exhibited in the open-air area: narrow-gauge carriages and locomotives, a giant mining shield, track machines, and overhead cranes. In two small museum halls you can see maps, photographs and other interesting exhibits telling about the development of railway communication in the region.
Sakhalin Zoobotanical Park
One of the largest zoos in the Far East and the only one in Russia located on an island territory with unfavorable climatic conditions. Combining the capabilities of a botanical garden and a zoo allows for the effective preservation and enhancement of the region's natural resources.
The zoobotanical park is home to 108 plant species and 273 animal species. Visitors can see rare beauties - the fish owl, the Amur tiger and the Steller's sea eagle, and in the spring admire the blossoming of the Sakhalin Sargent cherry.