Lighthouses of Russia: Lake Ladoga

Note: Lake Ladoga, the largest lake in Europe, occupies a vast oval roughly 200 km (130 mi) by 130 km (80 mi) a short distance northeast of St. Petersburg.

Prior to World War I, the northwestern half of the lake was in the Grand Duchy of Finland, a part of the Russian Empire. In 1917, Finland declared its independence from Russia, and the northwestern half of the lake was then in Finland. As one of the results of World War II, the Soviet Union took control of all of the lake, organizing the Finnish border region as the Karelian Soviet Republic within the USSR. In 1991, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, this formerly Finnish area became the Republic of Karelia, a member state of the Russian Federation. At present the nothern and eastern shores of the lake are in the Karelian Republic, while the southern and western shores are part of Leningrad Oblast (province).

The lake receives water from Lake Onega through the Svir River and drains through the Neva River, which reaches the Gulf of Finland at St. Petersburg. The White Sea-Baltic Sea Canal crosses the southern end of Lake Ladoga and then follows the Neva River to St. Petersburg.

In the Soviet Union, all lighthouses were closed to foreign visitors. Since the breakup of the Soviet empire, conditions have become much more free, and the lighthouses have become much better known. However, better information on accessibility is needed. Photos and visitor reports would be welcome.

Aids to navigation on the lake are presumably maintained by the River Transport division of the Russian Maritime Board. Since aids to navigation on these inland waterways are not listed on international light lists, we have no information on which lighthouses are active or, if they are active, on their light patterns.

The local language in much of this area is Karelian, a language closely related to Finnish. The Finnish and Karelian word for a lighthouse is majakka, similar to the Russian word mayak.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights.

General Sources
Lighthouses on Lake Ladoga
This Russian-language list was posted by Infoflot, a company that runs river tours. The same list is also posted on the amateur radio site Hamradio.ru.
 


Osinovetskiy Light, August 2007
Panoramio Creative Commons photo by Andrew Efimovsky

Leningrad Oblast Lighthouses

West Shore Lighthouses
Shuchiy
Date unknown. Active(?); focal plane 16 m (52 ft). 14 m (46 ft) tower. No photo available, and Google's satellite view is too dark to show the tower. Located on a promontory about 5 km (3 mi) north of Priozersk. Site status unknown.
* Vuohensalo
Date unknown. Active(?); focal plane 16 m (52 ft). 12 m (39 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower, painted white with brown (formerly red?) bands at the top and base. Wikimedia has a good photo, Ivan Bryzhakhin has a photo, and Alex Nosen also has a photo, but Google has only a fuzzy satellite view of the harbor. Located at the end of the main breakwater at Vuohensalo, about 13 km (8 mi) southeast of Priozersk. Probably accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed.
Ostrov Konevets (Kononsaari, Konevitsa)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 15 m (49 ft). Approx. 13 m (43 ft) square skeletal tower with a round gallery, painted white. Three sides of the tower carry a white slatted daymark. A photo is at right, but Google's distant satellite view doesn't show the tower clearly. Konevets is an island, roughly 6.5 km (4 mi) long and 2 km (1.25 mi) wide, located 6.5 km (4 mi) east of Vladimirovkha. The island is the site of a famous Orthodox monastery founded in 1393. Located on a sand spit at the southwestern corner of the island, opposite Vladimirovkha. Accessible only by boat. Site open, and there's no obstacle to climbing the tower.
* Mys Vladimirskiy (Sortanlahti)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 7 m (23 ft). 6 m (20 ft) square skeletal tower with gallery, painted white. Two sides of the lower portion of the lighthouse carry a white daymark panels. Konstantin Antonov has a photo, Alexander Karbainov has a photo, a view from the lake is available, and Google has a distant satellite view. Mys Vladimirskiy is the tip of a narrow peninsula sheltering the harbor of Vladimirovkha, on the northwest shore of the lake. Located at the end of a breakwater extending from the tip of the cape; accessible by walking the breakwater. There's also a good view from ferries to Ostrov Konevets. Site open, and there's no obstacle to climbing the tower.
Saunasaari (Mys Daleniy)
Date unknown (around 1920?). Active; focal plane about 15 m (49 ft). Approx. 14 m (46 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower. The upper 2/3 of the tower is surrounded by a slatted daymark. A photo, a second photo, a closeup, a night photo of the lighthouse in action, and a historic photo are available, and Google has a very distant satellite view of the harbor. Located at the end of the main breakwater at Saunasaari, on the southeast shore of the lake about 30 km (19 mi) southeast of Vernitsa. Accessible by walking the breakwater. Site open, tower closed.
* Osinovetskiy
1905. Active; focal plane 74 m (243 ft). 70 m (230 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Most of the paint had weathered off the lighthouse at the time of one photo, but a 2006 photo shows it repainted. Andrew Efimovsky's photo is at the top of this page, there's an article on longtime keeper Sergei Shulyatiev, and Google has a wintry satellite view. A twin of the Storozhenskiy lighthouse, this soaring tower is only slightly shorter. It is a well known and popular tourist attraction. The light marks the west side of the entrance to the southernmost bay of the lake, leading to the Neva entrance. Located on a headland near the southeastern corner of the lake near Kokorevo, about 50 km (30 mi) northeast of St. Petersburg. Site probably open, tower closed. Site manager: unknown. ARLHS ERU-147.

Ostrov Konevets Light, June 2007
anonymous Creative Commons photo

South Shore Lighthouses
Note: These lighthouses guide vessels navigating the White Sea-Baltic waterway (BBK).
Bugrovskiy (1)
1931. The lighthouse is in ruins, blown up during World War II. A closeup and a second photo (a little less than halfway down the page) are available. After the war the light was moved temporarily to the top of a pole (seen in the photos) that was fastened to the ruins of the tower.
Bugrovskiy (3)
Date unknown (station established 1931). Active; focal plane 37 m (121 ft); white, red or green light depending on direction. 35 m (115 ft) square skeletal tower. The front of the tower carries a long slatted daymark painted with red and white horizontal bands. Several good photos are available, but Google has only a very distant satellite view of the location. This lighthouse carries a directional light guiding vessels approaching the Neva River; it may have been the rear light of a range originally. Located on a headland about 12 km (7.5 mi) east of the Neva entrance. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ERU-145.
Ostrov Karedzhi
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft). 15 m (49 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower, painted black. The top half of the tower is covered by a vertically slatted daymark painted red with a white horizontal band. The daymark is in poor condition in Igor Zaritsky's 2008 photo. A closeup, a portfolio of photos, and view from the lake are available, and the shadow of the tower appears in a Google satellite view. The island of Karedzhi is at the end of a long shoal and sits in the entrance to the southernmost bay of the lake, leading to the Neva entrance. As a result, it is important for vessels following the BBK to navigate around this light. Located at the west end of the island, about 25 km (15 mi) northeast of the Neva entrance. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ERU-186.
* Ligovskiy
Date unknown. Active(?); focal plane 30 m (98 ft). 28 m (92 ft) tower. No photo available, although this lighthouse is located on or near the road along the south shore of the lake about halfway between the villages of Kivgoda and Dubno. The light is not seen in Google's very distant satellite view of the area. Site status unknown. ARLHS ERU-190.
Ostrov Sukho (Suho Island, Dry, Vironsaari) (2)
1891 (station established 1825). Active(?); focal plane 27 m (89 ft). 24 m (29 ft) octagonal stone tower with lantern and gallery, rising from a 1-story keeper's house. Tower painted with red and white horizontal bands. The keeper's house is in ruins. In Igor Zaritsky's 2008 photo the lighthouse appears in poor condition, but a 2005 photo shows the lighthouse in action. Zaritsky also has a view from the lake, The light was built on an artificial island to mark a dangerous shoal in the southeastern corner of the lake. According to one source, the first lighthouse was ordered by Tsar Peter I after his ship ran aground on the shoal. The lighthouse was heavily damaged in an unsuccessful attack by German and Finnish marines on 21 October 1942. Located about 35 km (22 mi) north northwest of Novaya Ladoga. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Site manager: unknown. ARLHS ERU-169.
** Storozhenskiy (Storozhno)
1907. Active; focal plane 76 m (249 ft). 71 m (233 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands. Fresnel lens in use. Eugene Adaev's photo is at right, and a 2011 photo is available, but the tower is not seen in Google's fuzzy satellite view. A 2003 photo (second photo on the page), posted by amateur radio operator RX3AJL, shows the lighthouse much in need of repainting. Apparently there was a restoration in 2007. For a time in that year the lighthouse was entirely white, as seen in an August photo; perhaps this was a primer coat applied before the red and white daymark was restored. A view from the gallery and a portfolio of photos are also available. This remarkable tower is the fourth tallest stone lighthouse in the world and by far the tallest traditional lighthouse in Russia. (The Lesnoy Mole Range Rear Light in St. Petersburg, a modern concrete tower, is 2 meters taller.) Located on a headland on the eastern side of the lake at the village of Storozhno. Site open, tower open by arrangement with the keeper. ARLHS ERU-175.

Storozhenskiy Light, June 2008
Wikimedia public domain photo
by Eugene Adaev
Svirskiy
1908. Active; focal plane 38 m (125 ft). 35 m (115 ft) round brick tower with lantern and gallery. The lighthouse is red brick painted with white horizontal bands. 1-story brick keeper's house. Several photos are available (near the bottom of the page), and Anatoly Bukovsky has a view from the lake, but the tower is barely dsicernible in Google's satellite view. Located on the south shore of the lake about 5 km (3 mi) west of the Svir entrance. There does not appear to be a good road access to this location. Site open, tower open by arrangement with the keeper. ARLHS ERU-176.
Svir Entrance
Date unknown. Active; no light data available. Approx. 12 m (39 ft) round cylindrical tower, painted with black and white horizontal bands. Franz Schiffers has a photo, a closer view is available, and Google has a distant satellite view of the area. Located on an island off the entrance to the Svir River (and the White Sea-Baltic Sea Canal) from Lake Ladoga. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown.

Republic of Karelia Lighthouses

East Shore Lighthouses
* Tabanovasskiy
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 39 m (128 ft). 35 m (115 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower, painted white. The tower also carries a rectangular horizontally slatted daymark painted white. Radio amateur UE3EDA has posted several 2006 photos, and Wikimapia has photos, but Google's satellite view has no detail in this area. Located on the southeast shore of the lake, about 25 km (15 mi) north of the Svir River entrance. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ERU-177.
* Pogrankondushskiy
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 62 m (203 ft). 15 m (49 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower, painted black. The upper half of the tower is covered by a vertically slatted daymark. Radio amateur UE3EDA has posted several 2006 photos, but Google's satellite view has no detail in this area. Located on a hilltop about 16 km (10 mi) northwest of Ust'e Viditsiy on the northeast shore of the lake. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ERU-198.

North Shore Lighthouses
Heinäluoto (Ostrov Kheynyaluoto) (2)
1878 (Axel Hampus Dalström) (station established 1845). Inactive. Approx. 25 m (82 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery, painted with horizontal red and white bands. A visitor in 2008 found the lighthouse abandoned and posted several photos (about halfway down the page) taken inside and outside the tower. A sunset view is available, a Finnish web site has historical notes on the lighthouse, and Google has a good satellite view. The lighthouse was reported active as recently as 1999. Located on a small island off the southern tip of the much larger island of Mantsinsaari, in the northeastern corner of the lake. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower open. ARLHS ERU-035.
Ostrov Vuoratsu
Date unknown. Active. Approx. 5 m (17 ft) square skeletal tower with a round gallery, painted white. Three sides of the tower carry a white slatted daymark. A photo is available. Located on an island at the extreme northern end of the lake. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower open.
* Nikol'skiy (Valamo, Valaam) (2)
Date unknown. Active. Approx. 6 m square pyramidal skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. A photo appears at right, a closeup and an excellent photo are available, as well as a second photo (at the bottom of the page), but Google's satellite view has no detail in the area. Another photo shows what appears to be range daybeacon near the lighthouse. Valaam, an island near the northern end of the lake, is famous for its historic Orthodox monasteries. The light is adjacent to one of them, Nikol'skiy Skete. (A photo of another lighthouse near Valaam is also available.) Located on a small island on the northwest side of Valaam. Site open, tower closed.
Hanhipaasi (Ostrov Khankhipasi)
1879 (Axel Hampus Dalström). Active(?); focal plane 27 m (89 ft). 24 m (79 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery. The lighthouse is painted in a red and white checkered pattern so that one side of the tower appears red above and white below, and on the opposite side the colors are reversed. Lantern and gallery painted red. A good 2007 photo is available, also a distant view and a small photo (about 3/4 the way down the page), but the island is not visible in Google's satellite view. Located on a small island about 12 km (7.5 mi) southwest of Valaam. Accessible only by boat. Site status and site manager unknown. ARLHS ERU-034.

Nikol'skiy Skete, with Nikol'skiy Light at lower left, March 2007
Creative Commons photo by Alexey Shatalin
Ostrov Yukansari (Kelpäniemi)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft). 4 m (13 ft) lantern, painted white, mounted on a concrete pad. Wikimapia has a photo (click on the thumbnail at upper left), and Google has a satellite view. This light marks the entrance to the fjord leading to Lakhdenpokhya, at the northwestern corner of the lake. Located on the southern tip of Yukansari island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ERU-210.
Verkkosaari (Ostrov Verkkosaari)
Date unknown. Active(?); focal plane about 60 m (200 ft). Approx. 12 m (39 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower. Two sides of the tower are covered by a slatted daymark, painted white with a black vertical stripe on each face. No photo available. Verkosaari is an island off the northwest coast of the lake. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown.
Rahmansaari (Ostrov Rakhmansaari)
Date unknown (station established 1889). Inactive. Approx. 8 m (26 ft) skeletal tower with lantern and gallery. A photo and a second photo are available. The lighthouse is clearly abandoned. Located on the southern tip of an island off the northwestern shore of the lake about 20 km (13 mi) northeast of the Kurkiniemi lighthouse. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed.
Mys Kurkiniemi
1912(?) (station established 1889). Inactive. Approx. 7 m (23 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower with octagonal lantern and round gallery. Lighthouse painted white, although most of the paint seems to worn off. A closeup photo is available, also a second closeup, Vladimir Maltsev has a wider view, and Google has a very distant satellite view. Located on a promontory marking the north side of the entrance to a fjord leading to Kurkijoki (Kurkiyeki), a town at the northwestern corner of the lake. Apparently accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: North: Lake Onega | South: St. Petersburg Area | West: Vyborg Area

Return to the Lighthouse Directory index | Ratings key

Posted May 22, 2005. Checked and revised September 18, 2011. Lighthouses: 25. Site copyright 2011 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.