A fully militarised island for most of the past 150 years, this big island just offshore, which only opened to foreigners in the early 2000s, has been reinvented as a business and academic zone (as home to the sprawling – and off-limits to visitors – Far Eastern Federal University campus). There's great tourism potential here, but at the moment Russky Island is very much a DIY attraction.
Access to the island is by bus over the suspension bridge. Take a northbound bus 29 or bus 15 from Okeansky pr. The more-frequent bus 15 takes you to the DVFU campus, from which you can transfer to a minibus 29, which makes a loop, stopping in Rynda and other spots on the island. Rynda has a couple of resorts and the best beaches (just hop out when you see one you like). There are many forts on the island, including the Voroshilov Battery , where three massive cannons aim roughly at Hokkaido. The battery, now a military museum, was built in 1933–34 and housed 75 soldiers at its peak. Underground you can explore the guts of the battery, while above ground there are great views of the Pacific.
Under construction at research time, the massive Primorsky Aquarium will house an array of sea life exhibits, plus shows of marine mammals.
