Uruppu

Uruppu, also known as Urup, is one of the larger islands of the Kuril chain between the northern Pacific and the Sea of Okhotsk. Volcanic terrain, cold seas, and exposed weather shape its environment. Fishing and marine mammals provide resources, while forests and coastal land offer materials and limited shelter. Voyages between islands require knowledge of currents and safe landing places, since rough water can make short distances difficult.

Ainu communities inhabited the Kurils before Russian and Japanese expansion. In 1768 the Russian fur trader Ivan Chernyi established a small presence on Urup; it became a base for attempts to trade with Japan before a tsunami destroyed it in 1780. Russians and Ainu clashed in 1772, and Japanese interests extended north from Ezo. During the decade after 1795 another Russian party established a settlement on the island, reflecting the growing competition of outside powers in the Kurils.