{{short description|Russian island in the Gulf of Finland}} {{Multiple issues| {{more footnotes|date=April 2016}} {{expand Finnish|date=June 2023|topic=geo}} {{expand Russian|date=February 2024|topic=geo}} }} thumb
'''Seskar''' ({{langx|ru|Сескар}}; {{langx|sv|Seitskär}}; {{langx|fi|Seiskari}}), or '''Siskar''', is an island in the Gulf of Finland, part of the Leningrad Oblast of Russia.
==Important Bird Area== The island has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports populations of many species of waterfowl and waders on passage, as well as breeding Arctic herring gulls.<ref name=bli>{{cite web |url= https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/12541 |title=Seskar Island|author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2024|website= BirdLife Data Zone|publisher= BirdLife International|access-date= 2024-09-03}}</ref>
==History== The island was an independent municipality of Finland populated by Finns since at least the 16th century. The Seiskari municipality was formed from the Koivisto municipality in 1903. It was part of the province of Viipuri in the South Karelia region. It was ceded to the Soviet Union following the 1940 Moscow Peace Treaty. Prior to the transfer of sovereignty, it was also known as Siskar.
===Shipwrecks=== The island has been involved in many shipwrecks over the centuries, including some ships sunk, wrecked or otherwise lost: *In 1777, the British ship ''Mercey'' was wrecked near the island. She was on a voyage from Saint Petersburg to London.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Lloyd's list. |journal=New Lloyd's List |date=5 December 1777 |volume=908 |url=http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044010099059;view=1up;seq=474}}</ref> *In 1802, the Russian ship ''Roman Vasselevitch'' was wrecked near the island. She was on a voyage from Saint Petersburg to London.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Lloyd's List |journal=The Marine List |date=21 December 1802 |volume=4309 |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015005721512&view=1up&seq=417}}</ref> *In 1807, the British ship ''Nelly'' was driven ashore on Seskar island. She was on a voyage from London to Saint Petersburg. ''Nelly'' was later refloated.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Lloyd's List |journal=The Marine List |date=30 June 1807 |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015005721488&view=1up&seq=111}}</ref> *In 1815, the British ship ''Graces'' was wrecked by Seskar. The crew was rescued.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Caledonian Mercury |journal=Lloyd's Marine List |date=4 December 1816}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==References== * Risto Hamari, Martti Korhonen, Timo Miettinen, Ilmar Talve: ''Suomenlahden ulkosaaret; Lavansaari, Seiskari, Suursaari, Tytärsaari'', Jyväskylä 1996; {{ISBN|951-717-879-4}} {{in lang|fi}}
{{coord|60|02|N|28|22|E|region:FI_type:city(4251)_scale:50000|display=title}}
Category:Russian islands in the Baltic Category:Important Bird Areas of Baltic islands Category:Important Bird Areas of Russia Category:Islands of Leningrad Oblast Gulf of Finland