The Russian Far East, located in the same time zone as New Zealand, nine hours east of Moscow, is not a destination for intrepid backpackers, as costs are stiff and permit regulations remain onerous. An expedition cruise, drawing on local expertise and contacts, offers the best way to sample this largely trackless terrain and may allow a glimpse of the remote and starkly beautiful Commander Islands, at the westernmost end of the Aleutian island chain. In 1741 the great navigator Vitus Bering was shipwrecked here on his return from Alaska.

Often cold and fog-bound, the Kuril Islands stretch between Kamchatka and Sakhalin in the Russian Far East, forming a link in the Pacific 'Ring of Fire'. Fought over by Japan and Russia, the northern and central islands are now largely uninhabited. Lingering traces remain of the vanished Ainu inhabitants, of Japanese garrisons and of Russian fishermen, prisoners, border guards and even submariners.

These images were taken with Nikon D200 (10 mpx) using RAW format, and are available for licensing.

Images from European Russia.