Thousands of years ago, people began to build ships and go out to the open sea. It was probably then that the first lighthouses appeared, which were pillars with carefully guarded fire flames. In Russia, active construction of lighthouses began not so long ago, just two centuries ago, when Peter I began to develop the fleet. Nevertheless, at all times, thanks to lighthouses, sailors returned home from dangerous elements to their families, so it is not surprising that even today, lonely buildings on the edge of the water are fanned with romanticism and evoke awe in the soul. Today we have compiled for you a selection of 9 beautiful and unusual lighthouses in Russia that can make your heart skip a beat.
Cape Aniva Lighthouse, Sakhalin Island
Photo: Maxim Pasyukov
Those who like to tickle their nerves will certainly enjoy the abandoned lighthouse on Cape Aniva. The journey is not close – it is a hard-to-reach rocky cape on the island of Sakhalin, but it is worth it – in the noise of crashing waves, shrouded in thick fog, there is a tall, dilapidated gray tower. The lighthouse was designed by Japanese engineer Shinobu Miura: a round column of the main building with a small rectangular extension is inscribed in an oval base. Correct harmonious architecture contrasts with sharp rocks and creates the feeling of a set for a psychological thriller.
Rudny Lighthouse, Briner Cape, Primorsky Territory
Photo: savchenko-alex.livejournal.com
The lighthouse at Cape Briner on the shore of the Sea of Japan can only be called canonical. The snow-white stone tower of octagonal cross-section is crowned by a lantern structure glassed throughout its entire perimeter. During the day, upon closer inspection, of course, it is clear that the protective grilles and handrails of the stairs are very dilapidated and covered with rust, but when the lights come on at night and the shining beacon sends warm yellow rays into the impenetrable darkness, it causes real admiration.
Shoyna Lighthouse, Kanin Peninsula, Nenets Autonomous Okrug
Photo: Sergey Ermokhin
The very nice lighthouse on the Kanin Peninsula owes its existence to the development of the northern regions in the middle of the last century. The minimalist cylindrical reinforced concrete tower, 32.5 meters high, would not be remarkable if not for its bright color: the red and white horizontal stripe makes it look like a New Year’s candy that some giant stuck in the desert. In winter, the surrounding terrain is covered with snow, which, however, only enhances the noted similarity.
Tokarevsky lighthouse, Vladivostok
The stately Tokarevsky lighthouse, one of the oldest in the Far East, was built in 1876. It got its name from the cape on the very edge of which it stands. You can reach the lighthouse along a long sand spit, which was poured to connect the building with the shore. Previously, this task was performed by a wooden bridge, but over the years the sea has left only lonely iron piles protruding from it. The lighthouse’s walls are painted classic white and the roof is bright red; it sends white and red signals out to the sea, blinking beautifully in the night.
Lighthouse Tolbukhin, Gulf of Finland
Photo: © ge_murm/photosight.ru
One of the oldest lighthouses in Russia will turn 300 years old next year. It was built by personal order of Peter I on an artificial embankment in the Gulf of Finland, near the island of Kotlin, on which Kronstadt is located. The massive wide tower is adjacent to residential and technical buildings, reminiscent of a massive protective wall along the perimeter of the island, giving the lighthouse a considerable resemblance to the famous Alcatraz prison. For a long time, Tolbukhin was a temporary wooden building, but for its long service it was awarded a large-scale restoration.
Lighthouse on Lake Baikal, Turka village, Republic of Buryatia
Photo: Vladimir Tyumentsev
In Russia there are lighthouses not only on the seas and bays, but also on the shores of the deepest lake on the planet – Baikal. However, this lighthouse is very young, it was built in 2014, but it is beautiful in a modern way. The gray tower with its brick base and peaked red roof looks a lot like a fairytale castle. There is a picturesque embankment around the lighthouse, and from the observation deck at the top there is a panoramic view of the lake, the valley of the Turka River and the snow-capped peaks of the mountains.
Irbensky Lighthouse, Kaliningrad
Photo: Sergey Lutov
One of the most unusual lighthouses in our country is located in Kaliningrad, now it has been converted into a museum where interactive excursions are held, and almost all the equipment is in perfect working condition. Its peculiarity is that it is a floating lighthouse – the ship “Iberian”, which once worked at the Laivateollisuus shipyard in Finland. The beautiful red ship, 43 meters long, is equipped with a high mast with lantern equipment, and the light of the lighthouse is held in a horizontal plane by a special pendulum. The Iberian turned out to be the last lighthouse ship built in the world.
Church of the Ascension on the top of Sekirnaya Mountain, Solovetsky Archipelago
Photo: Dmitry Porechnyy/Photobank Lori
The highest, 98 meters, lighthouse of the northern White Sea is located on Solovetsky Island at the top of Sekirnaya Mountain. Its unusual feature is that the navigation light is lit by skete monks, because the lighthouse itself is crowned by the dome of a single-domed temple, built in the middle of the 19th century. Under the modern spotlight there is a small bell tower and, in fact, the temple. The lighthouse is not lit all year round, but only from mid-August to mid-November.
Lesnoy Mole Lighthouse Rear, St. Petersburg
Photo: MeShock Team
To see the tallest lighthouse in Russia, you don’t have to go to the uninhabited shores of the ocean. The Lesnoy Mol Svorny Rear Tower, 76 meters high, is located in the Northern capital on the shores of the Gulf of Finland. It was built just 30 years ago on the territory of the shipyard so that ships could safely enter the technical part of the bay. Since the cylindrical structure is relatively narrow, the lighthouse looks like a real giant, especially next to its two smaller neighbors with a height of 16 and 26 meters.
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Text: Irina Krokhaleva
Preview photo: Vyacheslav Ivanov/Photobank Lori
