Diatom and pollen analyses of paleolake sediments allowed assessment of the natural and anthropogenic factors that affected the local landscape evolution over the last 7500 cal yr on Russky Island in South Far East of Russia. Eight stages in lagoon development mainly controlled by sea level fluctuations were inferred. Lagoon salinity was highest during the maximum of the Holocene transgression. The lagoon developed into a brackish lake at ~5090 cal yr BP and became completely fresh at ~4090 cal yr BP. The sedimentation rate decreased around 3510 cal yr BP, which coincided with a weakening of the summer monsoon. A swamp formed during the last 700 years. The data suggest that natural factors were the main controls on the observed changes in the landscape. Pollen analysis indicates periods of increased proportions of thermophilic species in the broadleaf forests. Pollen data indicate appearance of Korean pine and fir, role oak and birches, and changes of the plant community on the coast. First notable human impact on the vegetation coincided with the Neolithic colonization of the coastal area. Evidence of fires between ~5500 and 4920 cal yr BP was possibly associated with human activities. Human impact on the vegetation increased markedly in the late 19th century.