Lighthouses of Russia: Murmansk Area

The northwestern corner of Russia lies on the Barents Sea, an arm of the Arctic Ocean. In Murmansk Oblast (province), the broad, eastward-pointing Kola Peninsula (Kolskiy Poluostrov) separates the Barents Sea from the nearly-enclosed White Sea, which extends southward more than 500 km (300 mi). At the base of the peninsula, the fjord of Kola Bay cuts 57 km (35 mi) south from the ocean. During World War I, when Germany blocked the Baltic approaches to Russia, the Tsarist government built a railroad to the far northwestern corner of the country and founded the port of Murmansk on Kola Bay. Under the Soviet government, the Murmansk area became a major naval base and port of entry.

It may come as a surprise to lighthouse fans to learn that there are many lighthouses along these Arctic waterways, including more than a few nineteenth century towers built under the tsars. These lighthouses are surely among the most poorly known in the world. Under the Soviets, almost none of them were accessible to Westerners, and even today many areas in the Russian North are restricted. But cruise ships are beginning to visit these waters, so conditions for visiting the lighthouses may be improving.

This page lists the lighthouses of the Pechenga and Murmansk areas; there is a separate page for lighthouses of the Kola Peninsula. Special thanks to Michel Forand for his extensive research on the lighthouses of this area. However, we still need photos of many sites. If you have any photos of lighthouses in this area, or spot any such photos on the Internet, please let me know.

Russian lighthouses are owned and operated by the Russian Navy, although some of them have civilian keepers. The Russian word for a lighthouse is mayak (маяк); mys (мыс) is a cape and ostrov (остров) is an island.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from volume L of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. Russian light list (RU) numbers are from Russian Navy Publication 2103, as reported by the Admiralty. U.S. NGA numbers are from Publication 115.

General Sources
Lighthouse photos
This Ukrainian site is a rich source of photos for Russian and Ukrainian lighthouses.
Reconstruction of Beacons in Russia
This page of before-and-after photos was posted by EDM, a Russian engineering company that has completed reconstruction and restoration of many historic lighthouses in the Russian North.
Lighthouses in Murmansk Oblast
Photos available from Wikimedia.
Russische Leuchttürme auf historischen Postkarten
Historic postcard images posted by Klaus Huelse.

Tsyp-Navolokskiy Light, Rybachiy Peninsula, 2008
Panoramio Creative Commons photo by Sergey Gruzdev

Pechengskiy District Lighthouses

Note: The Pechengskiy District, adjoining the Norwegian and Finnish borders, is named for the seaport of Pechenga, also called by its Finnish name Petsamo. After the collapse of the Russian Empire, the Petsamo area was assigned to newly-independent Finland in 1920. Occupied by Soviet troops in 1944, it was ceded to the Soviet Union under the 1946 Soviet-Finnish peace treaty. Former Finnish names are shown in brackets {}.
Pechenga Bay and Varanger Fjord Lighthouses
Mys Paltusovo Pero
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); white flash every 5 s. 6 m (20 ft) tripod mounted atop a square 1-story concrete equipment shelter. Tripod painted yellow, equipment shelter white. A photo is available, but the small light is not seen in Google's satellite view of the area. Located on the west side of the entrance to Pechenga Bay, the estuary of the Pechenga River, from the Varanger Fjord. Site status unknown. Admiralty L6006; RU-0018.
Pechengskiye Mys Krestovyy
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 8 m (26 ft); white flash every 3 s. 6 m (20 ft) lantern mounted on a square concrete base. Entire lighthouse is white. A view from across the bay is available, and Google has a satellite view. Typically Scandinavian in design, this light was probably installed under the Finnish administration. There is another Mys Krestovyy (Cape Cross) Light on the Kola Peninsula. Located on a headland at a sharp bend of Pechenga Bay about 10 km (6 mi) south of the entrance. Site status unknown. Admiralty L6014; RU-0030.
Pechenga {Petsamo} Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); continuous red light. 13 m (43 ft) square skeletal tower. No photo available, but the shadow of the tower is clear in a Google satellite view. This is the entrance range for Pechenga Bay. Located on the east side of the bay about 8 km (5 mi) south of the entrance. Site status unknown. Admiralty L6011; RU-0025; NGA 14856.
Pechenga {Petsamo} Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 33 m (108 ft); continuous red light. 14 m (46 ft) square skeletal tower. No photo available, but the shadow of the tower is clear in a Google satellite view. Located on the east side of the bay about 800 m (1/2 mi) south of the front light. Site status unknown. Admiralty L6011.1; RU-0026; NGA 14860.
Pechengskiye (Mys Romanov) {Numeroniemi} (2)
Date unknown (station established 1912). Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); two long flashes every 15 s, white or red depending on direction. 4 m (13 ft) octagonal lantern with a large flat roof. Lantern painted red. A photo is at right, another photo is available, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a cape, the end of the Liinakhamari Peninsula, on the east side of the entrance to Pechenga Bay. Site status unknown. ARLHS ERU-111; Admiralty L6010; RU-0020; NGA 14852.
Ostrov Bol'shoy Aynov {Iso Heinäsaari} (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 29 m (95 ft); white flash every 4.5 s. 9 m (30 ft) square masonry or concrete tower, unpainted. A small red lantern is mounted on the roof of the building. A closeup and a distant photo are available, but the light cannot be seen in Google's distant satellite view. Located near the southwestern point of an island in the Varangerfjord about 6 km (3.5 mi) off the Russian shore. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty L6028; RU-0055; NGA 14876.
Pechengskiye Light
Pechengskiye (Mys Romanov) Light, Pechenga Bay, July 2008
Panoramio photo copyright Denn68; used by permission
Ostrov Malyy Aynov {Pieni Heinäsaari}
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); green flash every 5 s. 6 m (20 ft) square pyramidal tower, lower portion enclosed and upper portion partially enclosed by a slatted daymark. Entire lighthouse painted yellow. A closeup photo is available, but Google does not even show the island in its satellite view. Located on the south point of the island, about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) southeast of Bol'shoy Aynov. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty L6029; RU-0050; NGA 14872.

Rybachiy Peninsula Lighthouses
Note: The Rybachiy Peninsula is really a large island, roughly 65 km (40 mi) by 25 km (15 mi) connected to the mainland by a narrow (2 km wide) isthmus. The eastern 2/3 of the island is separated from the mainland by Motovskiy Bay.
Mys Kiyskiy
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); white flash every 3 s. 12 m (39 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower, partially enclosed with a slatted daymark painted with black and white horizontal bands. A photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a promontory on the west side of the Rybachiy Peninsula, about 13 km (8 mi) southwest of Vaidaguba. Site status unknown. ARLHS ERU-099; Admiralty L6044; RU-0070.
Vaidagubskiy (Mys Nemetskiy) {Majakkaniemi, Vaitolahti} (3?)
Date unknown (1950s?). Inactive. Approx. 8 m (26 ft) hexagonal turret mounted on a 2-story red brick building, now falling into ruins. Eugene Savenko has a closeup photo, a second photo and a third photo are available, the old lighthouse is toward the upper left in an aerial photo., and Google has a satellite view. This light station marks the beginning of the approach to Pechenga (Petsamo); it also stands at the eastern entrance to Norway's Varangerfjord. The original lighthouse was a small keeper's cottage with a lantern at one end. Probably destroyed during World War II, it was replaced with a 7.5 m (25 ft) "white pyramidal structure with red band," according to a 1950 light list. Located at the western end of the Rybachiy Peninsula. Site status unknown.
Vaidagubskiy (Mys Nemetskiy) {Majakkaniemi, Vaitolahti} (4?)
1966 (?) (station established 1896). Active; focal plane 62 m (203 ft); three green flashes every 11 s. 29 m (95 ft) round tower with lantern and gallery, painted bright red. Fog horn (Morse code "U": two shorts and one long, every 30 s). Sergey Gruzdev's photo is at right, Wikimedia has a second photo by Gruzdev, another photo and an aerial photo are available, and Google has a satellite view. ARLHS ERU-071; RU-0080; Admiralty L6046; NGA 14892.
Mys Lazar' (2?)
Date unknown. Inactive. 19 m (62 ft) square skeletal tower. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on a sharp promontory on the north side of the Rybachiy Peninsula, about 16 km (10 mi) west of Tsypnavolok. Site status unknown.
Mys Lausch
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); flash every 3 s, white, red or green depending on direction (?). 7 m (23 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower enclosed by a slatted daymark painted with red and white horizontal bands. A closeup photo is available, and there's also a second photo (near the bottom of the page), but Google's satellite view has no detail in the area. Located on a promontory about 3 km (2 mi) northwest of Tsypnavolok. Site status unknown. Admiralty L6081; RU-0095.
Tsyp-Navolokskiy (Tsypnavolok, Mys Voronkovskiy) (5?)
1979 (?) (station established 1899). Active; focal plane 54 m (177 ft); two white flashes followed by two red flashes, every 16 s. 32 m (105 ft) round tower with lantern and gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands; lantern is red. Fog horn (five blasts every 60 s). Sergey Gruzdev's 2008 photo is at the top of this page, Wikipedia's page has a photo taken from the lighthouse, and another photo, an older photo and a panoramic view are also available, but Google' distant satellite view has no detail in this area. This lighthouse marks the beginning of the approach to Murmansk. Older light lists describe a series of three or four skeletal towers preceding the modern lighthouse. Located at the eastern end of the Rybachiy Peninsula. Site status unknown. ARLHS ERU-025; Admiralty L6082; RU-0100; NGA 14904.

Vaidagubskiy Light, Rybachiy Peninsula, 2008
Panoramio Creative Commons photo by Sergey Gruzdev
Mys Malyy Korabel'nyy (Ribachiy Mys Gorodetskiy, Gorodetzki Point)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 40 m (131 ft); white flash every 4 s. 12 m (39 ft) square pyramidal tower, painted black with a white vertical stripe. No photo available, and Google's wintry satellite view does not reveal the tower. Located at the southeastern tip of the Rybachiy Peninsula. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty L6094; RU-0120; NGA 14916.
Mys Eyna
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); green flash every 2.5 s. 6 m (20 ft) square pyramidal tower, painted black with a white horizontal band. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. NGA misspells the name as Zyna. Located on a promontory on the south side of the Rybachiy Peninsula. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty L6093; RU-0125; NGA 14920.

Zaozyorsk and Ura Bay Lighthouses

Note: These lights are on the south side of Motovskiy Bay, which is sheltered by the Rybachiy Peninsula. This area has long been the location of several important military and naval bases. In particular, both Zaozyorsk and Vidyayevo on Ura Bay are bases for Russian submarines.
Zaozyorsk Area Lighthouses
Mys Pikshuyev
Date unknown (station established 1931). Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 6 m (20 ft) square equipment building with the light mounted on a short post on the roof. This light is part of a historic meteorological station. Listed as red, but a 2009 photo shows that the building has been covered with tan siding. The light can be seen in a view of the station, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a prominent cape about 5 km (3 mi) north of Zaozyorsk. Site status unknown. ARLHS ERU-112; Admiralty L6130; RU-0185; NGA 14948.
Motovskiy Ostrov Kuvshin
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 38 m (125 ft); green flash every 5 s. 7 m (23 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower, enclosed by a slatted daymark painted black with a white horizontal band. A distant view is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located on an island in the entrance to the bay of Zaozyorsk. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS ERU-101; Admiralty L6136; RU-0190.

Ura Bay Area Lighthouses
Ostrov Bol'shoy Arskiy
Date unknown. Inactive. 7 m (23 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower, partially enclosed with a slatted daymark painted black with a white diagonal stripe. No photo available, but Google has an indistinct satellite view. The light was active in the 1950s but it has been inactive at least since 2000. Located at the northeast end of the island of Bol'shoy Arskiy, about 8 km (13 mi) west of the Ura Bay entrance. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown.
Mys Vyev-Navolok (Vyevnavolok) (2?)
Date unknown (station established by 1950). Active; focal plane 44 m (144 ft); flash every 6 s, white or red depending on direction. 15 m (49 ft) octagonal pyramidal wood tower with lantern and gallery. The lighthouse is painted with horizontal yellow-orange bands. A photo is at right, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. The lighthouse stands at the west side of the entrance to Ura Bay and Port Vladimir. Site status unknown. ARLHS ERU-026; Admiralty L6172; RU-0210; NGA 14968.
Ostrov Yeretik (Eretik) Vostochnyy
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 34 m (112 ft); green flash every 3 s. 6 m (20 ft) octagonal cylindrical concrete tower, painted red. A photo is available, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. This light and the next one frame the narrow eastern entrance to Port Vladimir. Located at the eastern point of an island about 4 km (2.5 mi) east of Port Vladimir. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty L6175; RU-0225.
Ostrova Shurinovy (Shurinovskiy)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 26 m (85 ft); flash every 5 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 7 m (23 ft) octagonal cylindrical concrete tower, painted with black and white horizontal bands. No photo available, and Google has only a very indistinct satellite view. Located on a small island about 500 m (0.4 mi) east of the previous light. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS ERU-122; Admiralty L6208; RU-0235.
Vyevnavolok Light
Vyevnavolok Light, Port Vladimir
unattributed photo from lighthouse21v.narod.ru

Kola Bay (Murmansk Fjord) Lighthouses

Note: Kola Bay is a fjord, often called the Murmansk Fjord leading south from the Barents Sea to the port of Murmansk. The fjord is 57 km (35 mi) long and up to 7 km (4.3 mi) wide. Although its quite deep, the fjord is known for its strong tidal currents and is not easy to navigate.
Aleksandrovsk District Lighthouses
Note: Formed in 2008, the Aleksandrovsk District is a merger of the closed towns of Gadzhiyevo, Polyarnyy, and Snezhnogorsk on the lower west side of Kola Bay. The area includes shipyards servicing the Russian nuclear submarine fleet.
Mys Set'-Navolok (Set'navolok)
Date unknown (station established 1900). Active; focal plane 73 m (240 ft); three quick red flashes followed by three quick green flashes every 10 s. 12 m (39 ft) square cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, rising from the front of a 1-story keeper's house. The building is covered by metal siding painted bright yellow; the lantern is painted red. Fog horn (five blasts: short, three longs, and a short, every 60 s). A closeup photo is at right, a distant view and a second distant view are available, but Google's distant satellite view has no detail for this cape. This is clearly a staffed station. The metal siding probably covers deteriorated masonry. The lighthouse stands at the west side of the entrance to Kola Bay, which leads to Murmansk. Site status unknown. ARLHS ERU-061; Admiralty L6218; RU-0275; NGA 14996.
Mys Lodeynyy (Lodeynoye)
Date unknown (station established by 1950). Active; focal plane 49 m (161 ft); green flash every 4 s. 6 m (20 ft) octagonal cylindrical stone tower with gallery, painted with black and white horizontal bands. EDM restored the light in 2005 and has a closeup photo, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a promontory on the west side of Kola Bay about 5 km (3 mi) south of the Set-Navolok lighthouse. Site status unknown. ARLHS ERU-104(?); Admiralty L6224; RU-0285; NGA 15000.
Ostrov Toros Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane unknown; continuous white light. Approx. 15 m (49 ft) square skeletal tower; the front of the tower carries a slatted daymark painted white with a red vertical stripe. Before and after photos show these range lights under restoration, and Google has a satellite view. This northbound range guides vessels leaving Polyarnyy. Located at the south end of an island on the west side of Kola Bay south of Mys Lodeynyy. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty L6227.51; RU-0306.
Setnavolok Light
Setnavolok Light, Gadzhiyevo
unattributed photo from lighthouse21v.narod.ru
Ostrov Zelenyy
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 46 m (151 ft); flash every 3.5 s, white or red depending on direction. 6 m (20 ft) building with the light mounted on the roof. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view of the station. This is an important leading light for ships entering Sayda Bay, a naval base on the west side of Kola Bay. Located on an island about 2 km (1.25 mi) southwest of Ostrov Toros. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty L6229.5; RU-0333; NGA 15043.
Sayda Severnyy
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); white flash every 4 s. 5 m (17 ft) square pyramidal concrete tower, painted black with broad white vertical stripes. EDM restored the beacon and has before and after photos, Vyacheslav Lobanov has a very distant view from Kola Bay, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the north side of the entrance to Sayda Bay. Site status unknown. Admiralty L6229.7; RU-0347; NGA 15028.
Saydagubskiy Vkhodnoy (Sayda Bay Entrance) Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane unknown; white flash every 3 s. Square skeletal tower; the front of the tower carries a slatted daymark painted white with a red or black vertical stripe. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view showing both range lights (the rear light is on the left). Located on the north side of the bay at a right-angle turn in the waterway. Site status unknown. Admiralty L6230.1; RU-0353.
Saydagubskiy (Sayda Bay)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 12 m (39 ft); yellow flash every 5 s. Approx. 6 m (20 ft) cylindrical tower, painted with black and white horizontal bands. A view from the sea is available, and Google has a satellite view of the station. Located on a promontory on the south side of Sayda Bay about 1.6 km (1 mi) north of Gadzhiyevo. Site status unknown. Admiralty L6229.8; RU-0355.
Bol'shaya Voronukha
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); flash every 4 s, white or red depending on direction. 10 m (33 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower. The lighthouse is entirely covered by a round vertically slatted daymark, painted red with a white horizontal band. EDM restored the light in 2004 and has a closeup photo, Roman Dashkevitch has a view from the bay, and Google has a good satellite view. Located on a small island on the west side of Kola Bay about 5 km (3 mi) north of Polyarnyy. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS ERU-014; Admiralty L6229; RU-0309.5; NGA 15042.
Ostrov Sedlovatyy (2?)
2006 (?) (station established 1903). Active; focal plane 27 m (89 ft); green flash every 7 s. 12 m (39 ft) square cylindrical wood tower attached to a 1-story wood equipment shelter. The building is covered with pale yellow siding. EDM restored this light station in 2006 and has the closeup photo also seen at right, Roman Dashkevitch has a more distant view, and Google has a satellite view of the station. The original lighthouse, with a lantern at one end of a small keeper's cottage, was about to collapse, as seen in EDM's "before" photo. In this case, restoration must have been a complete reconstruction. Located on an island on the west side of the channel through Kola Bay about 3 km (2 mi) north of Polyarnyy. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS ERU-118; Admiralty L6248; RU-0312; NGA 15044.
#Palagubskiy (Aleksandrovsk)
Date unknown (listed as early as 1932). Inactive at least since 2003. This was formerly a 1-story wood keeper's house with a lantern at one end. A historic photo is available. According to an Admiralty notice in 2003, the lighthouse was demolished; Google has a satellite view of the site. Located on a promontory at the west side of the entrance to Pala Bay and Polyarnyy (formerly called Aleksandrovsk). Site status unknown. ex-Admiralty L6253.
Ostrov Sedlovatyy Light
Ostrov Sedlovatyy Light, Polyarnyy, 2006
photo copyright EDM Manufacturing Company, Severomorsk
Aragubskiy (Palagubskiy) Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane unknown; red flash every 3 s. 8 m (26 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with gallery. Lighthouse painted white; the entire front of the lighthouse carries a yellow daymark with a white vertical stripe. EDM restored the light in 2007 and has a closeup photo; Google has a satellite view. This range guides vessels through a narrow passage into Ara Bay, the harbor of Polyarnyy, one of Russia's nuclear submarine ports. Located at the south end of Ara Bay. Site and tower closed. Admiralty L6254.1; RU-0417; NGA 15068.
Ostrov Brandvakhta
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); flash every 5 s, green or white depending on direction. 5 m (17 ft) square pyramidal concrete tower, painted white. That's the official description, but a distant view shows a square equipment room. Google has a satellite view. Located on an island on the west side of Kola Bay about 2 km (1.2 mi) south of the Sayda Bay entrance. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS ERU-085; Admiralty L6286; RU-0430; NGA 15108.
Shurina (Ostrov Shurinov)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); red light occulting once every 3 s. 6 m (20 ft) octagonal cylindrical brick tower, now covered with cement. Tower painted with yellow and white vertical stripes. EDM restored the lighthouse in 2005; the company has a photo showing the deteriorated brick before restoration and another photo (seen at right) showing the present appearance. Google has a satellite view. Located on an island on the west side of Kola Bay off Goryachiye Ruch'i. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty L6303; RU-0447; NGA 15128.
Mys Retinskiy
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); white flash every 4 s. 5 m (17 ft) square pyramidal concrete (?) tower, painted with red and white diagonal bands. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on a promontory of the west side of Kola Bay near Retinskoye. Site status unknown. ARLHS ERU-114; Admiralty L6314; RU-0507; NGA 15156.
Mys Filinskiy Ranges Common Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); continuous white light. 20 m (66 ft) square skeletal tower. Probably at least two sides of the tower are covered with slatted daymarks. No photo available, but Google has an indistinct satellite view. This lighthouse is the rear light for both northbound and southbound ranges in the Severomorsk area. Located on heights about 5 km (3 mi) southwest of Retinskoye. Site status unknown. ARLHS ERU-092(?); Admiralty L6319.4; NGA 15196.
Belokamenka (Mys Belokamennyy)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); white flash every 3 s. 8 m (26 ft) square skeletal tower. The upper half of the tower is surrounded by a round daymark colored red with a white horizontal band. EDM restored the light in 2004 and has a closeup photo. Google has a satellite view. Located on a prominent cape near the village of Belokamenka. Site probably open, tower closed. ARLHS ERU-082(?); Admiralty L6332; RU-0607; NGA 15212.
Shurina Light
Ostrov Sedlovatyy Light, Polyarnyy, 2005
photo copyright EDM Manufacturing Company, Severomorsk

Murmansk Lighthouses
Note: Founded during World War I, Murmansk grew quickly to become the largest city north of the Arctic Circle. It retains this distinction, even though its current population of about 300,000 is a third less than its maximum size during the Cold War. Its name comes from a Sami name Murman for the Barents Sea coast.
Kiyevarakskiy Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); continuous red light. 17 m (56 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower. The tower is probably covered with a slatted daymark. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. The range guides vessels on a long south-to-north reach passing Mishukovo. Located close to the highway along the fjord about 5 km (3 mi) northeast of Mishukovo. Site status unknown. Admiralty L6342; RU-0612; NGA 15224.
Kiyevarakskiy Range Middle
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 98 m (322 ft); continuous red light. 16 m (52 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower. The tower is probably covered with a slatted daymark. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located in a forest 220 m (725 ft) north of the front light. Site status unknown. Admiralty L6342.01; RU-0613; NGA 15226.
Kiyevarakskiy Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); continuous red light. 17 m (56 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower. The tower is probably covered with a slatted daymark. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located in a forest 500 m (0.3 mi) north of the front light. Site status unknown. Admiralty L6342.1; RU-0614; NGA 15228.
* Mys Mishukov (Misukovo)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); flash every 5 s, red or green depending on direction. 18 m (59 ft) octagonal cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, rising from the elbow of a V-shaped 2-story building. The lighthouse is covered with siding, yellow on the building and white on the tower; lantern painted red and the roof is also red. Fog horn (four blasts every 34 s). Konstantine Sushko's photo is at right, Dmitry Pankin has a photo, Oleg Shmelev has a photo, another photo and an older photo are available, and Google has a good satellite view. Located on a sharp cape projecting into the west side of Kola Bay at Mishukovo, about 3 km (2 mi) north of Murmansk. This lighthouse is accessible by city streets in an urban area, but we do not know if visits to the area are restricted. Site apparently open, tower closed. ARLHS ERU-118; Admiralty L6346; RU-0625; NGA 15232.
[Anna Korga]
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); red flash every 3 s. 10 m (33 ft) round concrete tower topped by a mast, mounted on a wood (?) pier. Denis Lazarev has a photo, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a shoal on the west side of the estuary north of the Murmansk waterfront. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ERU-011; Admiralty L6349; RU-0640; NGA 15238.
Lagernyy Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 46 m (151 ft); continuous red light. 12 m (39 ft) octagonal concrete tower, painted yellow with a black vertical stripe facing the range line. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. This is a southbound range guiding vessels into Murmansk. Located on the west side of the estuary just north of Drovyanoy, south of the Murmansk waterfront. Site status unknown. Admiralty L6372; RU-0720; NGA 15264.
Lagernyy Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 91 m (299 ft); continuous red light. 12 m (39 ft) octagonal concrete tower, painted yellow with a black vertical stripe facing the range line. Denis Lazarev has a closeup photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the west side of the estuary just north of Drovyanoy, south of the Murmansk waterfront. Site status unknown. Admiralty L6372.1; RU-0721; NGA 15268.
Mys Mishukov Light
Mys Mishukov Light, Murmansk, May 2012
Panoramio photo copyright Konstantine Sushko; used by permission

Severomorsk Area Lighthouses
Note: Severomorsk is the headquarters of Russia's Northern Fleet and has the largest naval base in the Russian Arctic. The town is on the east side of Kola Bay about 25 km (15 mi) north of Murmansk.
Mokhnatkin (Mohnatkin)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); green light, 1.5 s on, 3 s off. 4 m (13 ft) 1-story octagonal stone tower, painted red with a white horizontal band. EDM restored this light and has a closeup photo; Google has a satellite view. Located on a promontory on the east side of Kola Bay about 10 km (6 mi) northeast of Murmansk. Site status unknown. ARLHS ERU-107; Admiralty L6336; RU-0610; NGA 15216.
Okol'nyy Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 32 m (105 ft); continuous red light. 14 m (46 ft) square skeletal tower. The front of the tower is covered by a slatted daymark painted white with a red vertical stripe. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. This range guides northbound vessels on a long reach past Severomorsk. Located on a hillside facing west southwest, about 3 km (2 mi) northeast of the Severomorsk waterfront. Site status unknown. Admiralty L6316; RU-0517; NGA 15172.
Okol'nyy Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 67 m (220 ft); continuous red light. 12 m (39 ft) square skeletal tower. The front of the tower is covered by a slatted daymark painted white with a red vertical stripe. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located near what seems to be an abandoned military installation, about 1 km (0.6 mi) east northeast of the front light. Site status unknown. Admiralty L6316.1; RU-0518; NGA 15176.
Mys Sal'nyy (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); red flash every 6 s. 10 m (33 ft) square pyramidal skeletal (?) tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. No photo available, but Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a promontory of the east coast of Kola Bay southeast of Ostrov Sal'nyy. Site status unknown. Admiralty L6308; RU-0505; NGA 15152.
Ostrov Sal'nyy
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 36 m (118 ft); two flashes every 13.5 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 6 m (20 ft) vase-shaped octagonal metal tower mounted on a square platform. EDM restored this unusual light in 2007 and has the closeup photo also seen at right, Evgeny Grigor'ian has a distant view, and Google has a satellite view. Salnyy is a peanut-shaped island off the east coast of Kola Bay north of Severomorsk. Located on heights at the southwestern end of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ERU-080(?); Admiralty L6306; RU-0500; NGA 15148.
Ostrov Sal'nyy Light
Ostrov Sal'nyy Light, Severomorsk, 2007
photo copyright EDM Manufacturing Company, Severomorsk
Kol'skiy Mys Krestovyy (Mys Krestovskiy, Cape Cross)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); white flash every 5 s. 10 m (33 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower. The lighthouse is completely covered with a round, vertically slatted daymark and a conical topmark. the daymark is painted red and the topmark white. EDM restored the light in 2005 and has a closeup photo. Google has a satellite view. Located on a promontory on the east side of Kola Bay about 10 km (6 mi) northeast of Severomorsk. Site status unknown. ARLHS ERU-315; Admiralty L6304; RU-0495; NGA 15144.

Tyuva Guba Area (Lower Kola Bay East Coast) Lighthouses
Mys Chirkovyy (Kol'skiy Vedushchiy, Kol'skiy Zaliv, Kola Bay) Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 57 m (187 ft); continuous red light. 18 m (59 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower. The front of the tower is covered by a slatted daymark painted red with a black vertical stripe, and at the top is a triangular slatted topmark, pointing up and painted black. No photo available, but the tower casts a long shadow in Google's satellite view. These range lights guide arriving vessels through the first long reach southward in Kola Bay. Located on a hilly peninsula about 13 km (8 mi) northeast of Severomorsk. Site status unknown. Admiralty L6230; RU-0300; NGA 15132.
Mys Chirkovyy (Kolskiy Zaliv, Kola Bay) Range Middle
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 102 m (335 ft); continuous red light. 18 m (59 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower. The front of the tower is covered by a slatted daymark painted red with a black vertical stripe, and at the top is a diamond-shaped slatted topmark, painted black. EDM restored these lights in 2005 and has the closeup photo also seen at right; Google has a satellite view. Located 420 m (1/4 mi) south of the front light. Site status unknown. Admiralty L6230.1; RU-0301; NGA 15136.
Mys Chirkovyy (Kolskiy Zaliv, Kola Bay) Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 141 m (463 ft); continuous red light. 18 m (59 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower. The front of the tower is covered by a slatted daymark painted red with a black vertical stripe, and at the top is a triangular slatted topmark, pointing down and painted black. The tower can be seen in the distance in EDM's photo of the middle light, and Google has a satellite view. Located 500 m (0.31 mi) south of the middle light. Site status unknown. Admiralty L6230.2; RU-0302; NGA 15140.
Tyuva Guba (Tyuva Bay)
Date unknown. Inactive at least since 2009. 6 m (20 ft) square concrete tower, painted white with a red vertical stripe. 1-story wood keeper's house. A photo and a view from the bay are available, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located at the tip of the promontory on the south side of the entrance to Tyuva Bay. Site status unknown. ex-Admiralty L6294; ex-NGA 15088.
Tyuvagubskiy Osevay Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 42 m (138 ft); continuous red light. 14 m (46 ft) square skeletal tower. The front of the tower is covered by a slatted daymark painted white with a red vertical stripe. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. This range guides northbound vessels on a long reach south of Polyarnyy. The place name is misspelled Tyuragabskiy by NGA and ARLHS. Located atop a steep bluff on the south side of Tyuva Bay about 250 m (820 ft) east southeast of the Tyuva Guba lighthouse. Site status unknown. ARLHS ERU-127; Admiralty L6297; RU-0480; NGA 15092.
Tyuvagubskiy Osevay Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 66 m (217 ft); continuous red light. 12 m (39 ft) square skeletal tower. The front of the tower is covered by a slatted daymark painted white with a red vertical stripe. A photo shows the light atop the hill at upper right, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. The place name is misspelled Tyuragabskiy by NGA and ARLHS. Located atop a steep bluff on the north side of Tyuva Bay, 740 m (0.46 mi) northeast of the front light. Site status unknown. Admiralty L6297.1; RU-0481; NGA 15096.
Mys Chirkovyy Range Lights
Mys Chirkovyy Range Middle Light, Severomorsk, 2005
photo copyright EDM Manufacturing Company, Severomorsk
Mys Letinskiy (2)
Date unknown (station established by 1950). Active; focal plane 89 m (279 ft); white flash every 6 s. 18 m (59 ft) square skeletal tower. The tower is covered by a slatted daymark painted white with a red vertical stripe on each face. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. The original light was on a 6 m (20 ft) pyramidal tower. Located on a prominent cape on the east side of the entrance to Kola Bay from the Barents Sea. Site status unknown. ARLHS ERU-103; Admiralty L6226; RU-0455; NGA 15004.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

** Murmansk Memorial
Date unknown. Approx. 28 m (92 ft) hexagonal cylindrical tower with lantern and two galleries, painted with red and white horizntal bands. Anastasia Kharkacheva has a fine photo, Austin Charron has also posted a good photo, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse is a memorial to seamen lost at sea in the Arctic. Located high on a hill above the city, it has no navigational value, but it deserves special mention as the only lighthouse in the Murmansk area readily accessible to tourists. Site open, tower status unknown but probably open.
Tyuva Signal Station
Date unknown. This 2-story octagonal tower is located on a promontory on the north side of the entrance to Tyuva Gulf. A photo is available, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. The tower does not carry a navigational light.
Murmansk Light
Murmansk Memorial Light; Novokom photo

Adjoining pages: East: Kola Peninsula | West: Vadsø Area

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Posted December 7, 2005. Checked and revised August 17, 2012. Lighthouses: 56. Site copyright 2012 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.