city and administrative centre of Sakhalin oblast (province), far eastern Russia. It lies in the south of Sakhalin Island on the Susuya River, 26 miles (42 km) north of the port of Korsakov. Originally the Japanese settlement of Toyohara, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk passed to the Soviet Union in 1945 and was given its present name in 1946. It is a communications hub, with railways that extend to Korsakov, to Kholmsk on the west coast, and north to Nysh. There are locomotive and rolling-stock repair shops located in the city. Other industries include the manufacture of furniture and footwear, brewing, and distilling. Pop. (1993 est.) 165,000.