Russian Islands
Russian Islands
a group of coral islands of the Tuamotu Archipelago in the Pacific Ocean; a French possession. The first Europeans to discover and describe the islands were the Russian navigators O. E. Kotsebu (1816) and F. F. Bellingshausen and M. P. Lazarev (1820), who named the islands after famous Russians. The islands include Kutuzov Atoll (Makemo), Barclay de Tolly Atoll (Raroia), Kruzenshtern Atoll (Tikehau), Rumiantsev Island (Tikei), and Lazarev Atoll (Mataiva). Bellingshausen introduced the name “Russian Islands.”