Lighthouses of Russia: Kamchatka and Magadan

This page covers lighthouses of Russia's far northeast: the regions of Kamchatka and Magadan. Kamchatka Krai (territory) is a volcanic peninsula separating the Sea of Okhotsk from the Pacific, and Magadan Oblast (province) is on the north shore of the Sea of Okhotsk. Russian occupation of this area began with the explorations of Vitus Bering and Alexsei Chirikov between 1728 and 1741, and the town of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky was founded in 1740. However, there was limited development or commerce before the Soviet era. Magadan city was founded in 1929 to provide a port for the Kolyma gold-mining district to the north; it now has nearly 100,000 inhabitants. Petropavlovsk was expanded greatly to serve as a naval base for the Soviet Pacific Fleet; it has shrunk in recent years as many military installations were closed, but it still has nearly 200,000 inhabitants. During the Soviet period, few foreigners were able to visit Russia's Pacific ports, and even today tourism in the Russian far east is slight. As a result, no photos are available for many of the lighthouses. If you have or can locate additional photos, 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 is a cape, ostrov is an island, and buhkta or zaliv is a bay. ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from volume M of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 112. General Sources Russian Lighthouses Blog This blog has articles on several of the lighthouses in this area. Lightphotos.net - Russia Far East Contributed photos. Russische Leuchttürme auf historischen Postkarten Postcard views of historic Russian lighthouses posted by Klaus Huelse.

Bukhta Nagayeva Range Front Light, Magadan photo from the archives of the Leningrad Mining Institute

Lighthouses of Kamchatka Krai

Koryakia (Northeastern Kamchatka) Lighthouses

Note: Koryakia, the former Koryak Autonomous Okrug, was merged into Kamchatka Krai in 2007. This very remote district has a population of only about 25,000. Govena (Mys Govena) Date unknown. Active; focal plane 84 m (276 ft); white light, 2 s on, 4 s off. 12 m (39 ft) square concrete tower, painted white with a black horizontal band. No photo available, and Google has only a distant satellite view of the cape. Located at the end of the Govena Peninsula, marking the eastern entrance to the Bay of Korfa. Site status unknown. ARLHS ASR-146; Admiralty M8130; NGA 15412. Skrtyy Date unknown. Active; focal plane 62 m (203 ft); white light, 1.5 s on, 1.5 s off. 8 m (26 ft) octagonal cylindrical white concrete tower with a black vertical stripe. The tower can be seen in a distant view, and Google has a good satellite view. Perched on a hill at the head of the Bay of Korfa, just east of the base of the Kamchatka Peninsula. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty M8128; NGA 15408. Ostrov Verkhoturova Date unknown. Inactive. Approx. 10 m (33 ft) square masonry tower, formerly covered by a white concrete. Caroline Durre has a 2010 closeup; she found the lighthouse to be abandoned, although it is still listed as active (white flash every 4 s). Roman Bruehwiler has a 2011 photo, and Andy Wolff has a distant view, but Google has only a very fuzzy satellite view of the island. Located on an island about 25 km (15 mi) southwest of Mys Oria, the western entrance to the Bay of Korfa. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty M8125; NGA 15420. Ozernoy (Mys Ozernoy) Date unknown. Active; focal plane 59 m (194 ft); white flash every 8 s. 25 m (82 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted with black and white vertical stripes. Victor Morozov has the closeup at right and a photo of the station, and another photo is available, but Google has only a very distant satellite view of the cape. This lighthouse marks a cape at the northeastern corner of the Kamchatka Peninsula, far from any settlements. Site status unknown. ARLHS ASR-052; Admiralty M8120; NGA 15424.

Mys Ozernoy Light, Koryakia, summer 2003 Panoramio photo copyright Victor Morozov; used by permission

Ust-Kamchatsky District (Eastern Kamchatka) Lighthouses

Afrika (Mys Afrika) Date unknown. Active; focal plane 38 m (125 ft); white light, 1.5 s on, 4.5 s off. 29 m (95 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted with black and white horizontal bands; lantern dome painted red. Victor Morozov's aerial photo is at right, and another photo is available, but Google has only a distant satellite view of the cape. The cape was named for the late 19th century Russian Navy cruiser Afrika. Located on the eastern cape of a very prominent peninsula about 100 km (60 mi) east of Ust-Kamchatsk. Site status unknown. ARLHS ASR-009; Admiralty M8108; NGA 15428. Osypnoy (Mys Osypnoy, Mys Kruger) Date unknown. Active (?); focal plane 97 m (318 ft); white flash every 4 s. 10 m (33 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower carrying two yellow trapezoidal daymarks on two opposite sides. A photo is available, but the tower is not seen in Google's shadowed satellite view. Located atop a looming headland about 160 km (100 mi) west of Mys Afrika. Site status unknown. Admiralty M8104. Yelizovsky District (Southeastern Kamchatka) Lighthouses Kronotskyy (Mys Kronotskyy) (2) 1962 (station established 1944). Active; focal plane 53 m (174 ft); three white flashes every 10 s. 13 m (43 ft) octagonal concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted with black and white vertical stripes. Lightphotos.net has a closeup photo by Sergey A. Krasnoshchekov, another photo (fourth thumbnail) and a 1984 postage stamp image are available, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a distant satellite view of the cape. The station was established with a temporary wood tower to guide Soviet warships during World War II. Located on the southeastern tip of the Kronotsky Peninsula, a large protuberance on the east coast of Kamchatka that includes the Otdelnaya volcano. Site status unknown. ARLHS ASR-037; Admiralty M8102; NGA 15432.

Mys Afrika Light, Ust-Kamchatsky, 2004 Panoramio photo copyright Victor Morozov; used by permission

Shipunskyy (Mys Shipunskyy)

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 249 m (817 ft); white flash every 6 s. 12 m (39 ft) square masonry tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Rustem Zagretdinov has a photo of the cape, and the lighthouse is barely visible atop the cliff at the left edge of the photo (click on it for a better view). Google has a distant satellite view of the cape. Located on a very prominent cape about 80 km (50 mi) east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Site status unknown. ARLHS ASR-061; Admiralty M8096; NGA 15440.

Petropavlovsk (Mys Mayachnyy) (3) 1897 (station established 1850). Active; focal plane 93 m (305 ft); white light, 5 s on, 2 s off. 14 m (46 ft) round cast iron tower with lantern and galley, painted with black and white horizontal bands. Alexey Antipov's 2003 photo appears at right, and Google has a satellite view. Founded by Vitus Bering in 1740 and named for his two ships Sv. Piotr (St. Peter) and Sv. Pavel (St. Paul), Petropavlovsk has a population of about 200,000 and is Russia's easternmost city. The light station is the oldest on Russia's Pacific coast. This historic lighthouse replaced wood towers built in 1850 and 1886. Located on a promontory at the entrance to Avacha Bay, the city's spectacular harbor. Site status unknown. ARLHS ASR-055; Admiralty M8069; NGA 15441. Mys Opasnyy Date unknown. Active; focal plane 171 m (561 ft); white flash every 6 s. 10 m (33 ft) square skeletal tower carrying a daymark painted with red and white horizontal bands. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on a very steep cape about 25 km (15 mi) south of Petropavlovsk. Site status unknown. Admiralty M8067; NGA 15442. Mys Russkiy Date unknown. Active; focal plane 61 m (200 ft); white flash every 4.5 s. 8 m (26 ft) octagonal concrete tower, painted with black and white horizontal bands. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on a promontory about 25 km (15 mi) south of Petropavlovsk. Site status unknown. Admiralty M8066; NGA 15442.5. Mys Kruglyy Date unknown. Active; focal plane 143 m (469 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 16 m (52 ft) octagonal tower, painted with black and white horizontal bands. A recent photo shows a dilapidated lighthouse. Google has only a distant satellite view of the cape. Located on a promontory in a remote area of Kamchatka's southeast coast, about 100 km (60 mi) south of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Site status unknown. ARLHS ASR-038; Admiralty M8064; NGA 15516. Lopatka Date unknown. Active; focal plane unlisted, probably about 14 m (56 ft); white flash every 5 s. Approx. 22 m (72 ft) round cylindrical concrete block tower with gallery and a small lantern. 1-story keeper's house. Tower painted with red and white horizontal bands. A 1999 photo and a 2007 photo both show a dilapidated and weatherbeaten station. A distant view is also available, but Google has only a distant satellite view of the area. Located about 8 km (5 mi) northeast of the extreme southern tip of the Kamchatka Peninsula, which is considered to be one of the windiest places in the world. Accessible only by boat or float plane. Site status unknown. ARLHS ASR-043; Admiralty M8062; NGA 15520.

Mys Mayachnyy Light, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, June 2003 Panoramio photo copyright Alexey Antipov; used by permission

Mys Lopatka (Poluostrov Vladimira)

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); white flash every 3 s. 8 m (26 ft) octagonal stone tower, painted with black and white horizontal bands. A small photo is available (almost halfway down the page), but Google has only a fuzzy satellite view of the location. Located on the extreme southern tip of the Kamchatka Peninsula. Site status unknown. Admiralty M8061.5; NGA 15522.

Ust-Bolsheretsky District (Southwestern Kamchatka) Lighthouses

Ozernovskiy (Ozernoy) Date unknown. Active; focal plane 72 m (236 ft); one long (1.5 s) red flash every 6 s. 20 m (66 ft) skeletal tower. The tower carries a rectangular daymark painted red with a white vertical stripe. No photo available, and Google has only a very fuzzy satellite view of the area. Located at the village of Ozernovskiy on the southwestern coast of Kamchatka. Site status unknown. ARLHS ASR-052; Admiralty M8038; NGA 15528. Oktyabrskyy Date unknown. Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); white light, 1.5 s on, 4.5 s off. 25 m (82 ft) iron (?) tower, painted with black and white horizontal bands. A portion of Alexey Antipov's distant view is at right, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse is actually located at Zuykovo, about 16 km (10 mi) south of the Oktyabrskyy settlement on the west side of the Kamchatka Peninsula about 150 km (95 mi) north of Cape Lopatka. Site status unknown. ARLHS ASR-154; Admiralty M8036; NGA 15532. Sobolevsky District (Western Kamchatka) Lighthouses Krutogorava Date unknown. Active; focal plane 80 m (262 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 34 m (112 ft) tower painted white with a black "top" (lantern?). No photo available, and Google has only a very distant satellite view of the area. This lighthouse marks the westernmost bulge of the Kamchatka Peninsula. Located in a very remote area on the west side of the peninsula, near the mouth of Krutogorava River. Site status unknown. ARLHS ASR-039; Admiralty M8030; NGA 15552.

Oktyabrskyy Light, Ust-Bolsheretsky, June 2004 Panoramio photo copyright Alexey Antipov; used by permission

Lighthouses of Magadan Oblast

Eastern Olsky District Lighthouses

Alevina (Mys Alevina) Date unknown. Active; focal plane 58 m (190 ft); white light, 3 s on, 4.5 s off. 19 m (62 ft) octagonal cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted with black and white horizontal bands. Several 1-story station buildings. A 2008 view from the sea is available, but Google has only a distant satellite view of the cape. Located on a promontory at the southwestern tip of the Koni Peninsula, marking the eastern entrance to the Tauyskaya Gulf, which leads to Magadan. ARLHS ASR-011; Admiralty M8021; NGA 15560. Mys Taran Date unknown. Active; focal plane approx. 40 m (131 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. Approx. 15 m (49 ft) octagonal cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Several 1-story station buildings. Lightphotos.net has a photo and a closeup by Sergey Karpukhin, a 2009 view from the sea (1/3 the way down the page) and a second distant view from the sea are available, but Google has only a very distant satellite view of the cape. Note: There is another Mys Taran lighthouse in Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea. Located on a very sharp cape at the northwestern tip of the Koni Peninsula. Admiralty M8015; NGA 15561. Chirikova (Mys Chirikova) Date unknown. Active; focal plane 74 m (243 ft); white flash every 7.5 s. 14 m (46 ft) octagonal cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery. Entire lighthouse painted white. A photo is at right, a 2012 closeup photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse stands at the end of the Staritskiy Peninsula marking the south side of the entrance to the Bukhta Nagayeva and Magadan; another photo showing this beautiful site is available. Located about 30 km (19 mi) west southwest of Magadan. Site status unknown; there appears to be road access to the station. ARLHS ARS-142; Admiralty M8011; NGA 15562. Magadan City Lighthouses * Bukhta Nagayeva Range Front Date unknown. Active; focal plane unknown; continuous red light. Approx. 18 m (59 ft) octagonal masonry tower with gallery, painted white. No lantern. A closeup and a wider view are available, and Google has a satellite view. Founded in 1929 and built initially by convict labor, Magadan is the only town of any size in the province and one of the most isolated cities of the world. The city is located at the head of the Bukhta Nagayeva, a fjord-like bay, and this light is the front light of the range that guides ships up the bay to the harbor. Located on the shore of the bay just to the west of the city. Site appears open, tower closed. ARLHS ARS-141; NGA 15562.2.

Mys Chirikova Light, September 2005 City of Magadan photo by Voldemar

* Bukhta Nagayeva Range Rear

Date unknown. Active; focal plane unknown; continuous red light. Approx. 15 m (49 ft) square concrete tower with gallery. Google has a good satellite view. Located 400 m (1/4 mi) east northeast of the front light, in an area of tall apartment towers. Site presumably open, tower closed. NGA 15562.21.

Western Olsky District Lighthouses

Ostrov Spafaryeva

Date unknown. Active; focal plane 87 m (285 ft); white light, 3 s on, 9 s off. 20 m (66 ft) tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. A distant view is available, but the island is barely a blur in Google's satellite view. Located on the island of Spafaryeva marking the western entrance to the Tauyskaya Gulf, which leads to Magadan. ARLHS ARS-155; Admiralty M8009; NGA 15564.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: North: Eastern Chukotka | South: Kuril Islands | Southwest: Khabarovsk Region

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Posted May 19, 2006. Checked and revised November 30, 2012. Lighthouses: 23. Site copyright 2012 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.