Snake Island Black Sea: Encyclopedia II - Snake Island Black Sea - History

Snake Island Black Sea - History

It was named by the Greeks Leuce Island ("White Island"), known by Romans as Alba, probably because of the white marble formations that can be found on the isle. The uninhabited Isle Achilleis ("of Achilles") was the major sanctuary of the Achaean hero, where seabirds dipped their wings in water to sweep the temples clean (Kyriazis). Several temples of Thracian Apollo can be found here, and there are submerged ruins. According to Greek mythology, the remains of Achilles and Patroclus were brought to this island by Thetis, to be put in a sanctuary. Ruins believed to be of a square temple, 30 meters to a side, dedicated to Achilles were discovered by Captain Kritzikly in 1823. Ovid, who was banished to Tomis, mentions the island, and so does Ptolemy and Strabo (Geography, book II.5.22).

In 1877, following the Russo-Ottoman war, Russia gave Romania control of the island and Dobrogea reagion (with Mangalia district), as a reimbursement for the Russian annexation of Romania's southern Bessarabia region.

The Paris Peace Treaties of 1947 between the protagonists of World War II ceded Northern Bukovina, the Hertza region, Budjak, and Bessarabia to the USSR but made no mention of the mouths of the Danube and Snake Island.

In 1948, the Soviets forced the Romanian side (occupied by Soviet troops) to accept the "transfer" of Snake Islands to the USSR as well as to accept to move the Romanian border in the Danube Delta towards the west, in favour of the USSR (resulting in the annexation of Limba Island by the USSR). Romania has strongly disputed the validity of this "treaty" since it was never ratified by any of the two countries making the Limba and Snake islands de jure Romanian territory.

The same year, in 1948, during the Cold War, a Soviet radar post was built on the isle (for both naval and anti-aircraft purposes).

Between 1967 and 1987, the USSR and Romanian side were negotiating the delimitation of the continental shelf. The Romanian side refused to accept a Russian offer of 4000 km² out of 6000 km² around the island in 1987.

After 1991, Ukraine took control over the isle, although Romania consistently claimed it should be included in its territory (since there was no treaty that said otherwise). According to the Romanian side, in the peace treaties of 1918 and 1920 (after WWI), the isle was considered part of Romania, and it was not mentioned in the 1947 frontiers changing treaty between Romania and the Soviet Union.

In 1997 Romania and Ukraine signed a treaty in which both sides recognized that the island belongs to Ukraine. Romania has agreed to the terms of the treaty, as it opened for the country a door to NATO. However, maritime boundary between the two states has not been set.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "History", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki