The Kamchatka Peninsula, one of the most easterly parts of Russia and all Asia, is an unforgettable land marked by contrast: ice and fire, geyser-studded deserts and lush vegetation. From a geological standpoint it is a young region. During the Soviet period the region was essentially a military zone, strictly off-limits for foreigners and even for Soviet citizens who did not live there. The military nature of the peninsula, however, dates back to the beginning of Russian dominion. Vladimir Atlassov, a Russian fur merchant who had come to Siberia in search of fortune and was then appointed general of the Cossacks, took possession of the peninsula in the name of Tsar Peter the Great. It was on 13 July 1697, as can be seen by the date engraved on the cross set in front of the first fort that Atlassov built on the banks of the Kamchatka river. The natives took Atlassov to see a Japanese who had ended up there after a shipwreck and who, because of his physical difference and the fact that he knew how to write, was considered a demigod. The Japanese sailor was presented to Peter the Great who, after listening to his accounts, decided to try to reach the fabulous Far East from the Kamchatka Peninsula. He charged Vitus Bering with the task of finding a route from Russia to Japan via the Arctic Sea. One century later Kamchatka was already a militarized zone and its chief town, Petropavlosk-Kamatchatskiy, had become one of the empire's leading naval bases. Only in very recent times have the frontiers that isolated Kamchatka from the rest of the world been removed, so that the mysterious peninsula could welcome its first visitors, revealing its many marvels - the 120 volcanoes, many of which are still active; the 200 geysers constantly spouting their jets of water and steam; the majestic, cone-shaped, snow-clad mountains; the boundless glaciers; the immense forests, craters become enchanting lakes, rivers filled with salmon, and parks with wild animals.   www.sras.org