The Commander (Komandorskiye) Islands are an archipelago of two large and two small islands located in the southwestern Bering Sea of ​​the Pacific Ocean, part of Kamchatka Krai of Russia. The archipelago is named after the navigator Commander Vitus Bering, who discovered these islands in 1741.

Bering Island is the largest island of the Commander Islands. It is about 90 km long and 24 km wide. The grave of Vitus Bering and several of his comrades are located here. There is only one settlement here – the village of Nikolskoye with a population of about 600 people. Bering Island, like all the Commander Islands, is located on an underwater ridge that extends from Alaska. The Aleutian Islands of the US state of Alaska are also located on this ridge. Photos by Andrey Grachev.

one of the most remote places in Russia

Tags: Kamchatka krai · Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky city

In 2024-2025, there is a peak in solar activity, which directly affects the intensity and beauty of such a natural phenomenon as the northern lights. These photos were taken in the Kotlas district in the southeastern part of Arkhangelsk Oblast on the night of August 12-13, 2024. According to the author of the photos, this was the most active and brightest aurora he has ever seen.

Each northern light is unique. Sometimes they look like green stripes that encircle the night sky. Other times, the northern lights appear as a shimmering canopy or resemble a glowing fog. Their primary color is green, often with shades of pink around the edges and purple in the center. Photos by: Evgeny Smolsky.

amazingly strong northern lights

Tags: Arkhangelsk oblast