Lighthouses of Russia: Eastern Black Sea and Sea of Azov

Through its outlet to the Mediterranean, the Black Sea has long provided a southern maritime connection for Russia. However, the history of Russia's control of the Black Sea coast is complex. Following the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991 and Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 the Russian Black Sea coast is now in two sections separated by the Kerch Strait. This page covers the eastern section, including the Krasnodar and Rostov provinces of the Russian Federation. There is a separate page for Crimea.

Between the two sections, the Kerch Strait connects the Black Sea to the much smaller basin of the Sea of Azov. At the northeastern corner of the Sea of Azov, Taganrog Bay extends eastward to the delta of the Don River. Russian territory includes about 3/4 of the coast of Taganrog Bay, the eastern and southern shores of the Sea of Azov, the east side of the Strait of Kerch, and a section of the northeastern coast of the Black Sea proper about 300 km (190 mi) long, extending from the Kerch Strait to the border with Abkhazia. The principal ports in this region are Taganrog city on Taganrog Bay and Novorossisk on the northeastern Black Sea; a third major port is under development at Taman on the Kerch Strait. In addition, from this coast there is an important connection through the lower Don River and the Volga-Don Canal to Russia's vast inland waterway system.

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 most of the lighthouses in this region are accessible to visitors. Some of the towers may be open, and better information on accessibility is needed. Photos and visitor reports would be welcome.

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. RU numbers, where available, are from the Russian Black Sea light list (publication 2217). Admiralty numbers are from volume N of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals and U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 113.

General Sources
Lighthouses in Krasnodar Krai
Photos by various photographers available from Wikimedia.
World of Lighthouses - Black Sea Coast of Russia
Photos by various photographers available from Lightphotos.net.
Online List of Lights - Black Sea - Russia
Photos by various photographers posted by Alexander Trabas.
Russische Leuchttürme auf historischen Postkarten
Historic postcard images posted by Klaus Huelse.


Anapa Light, Anapa, September 2007
Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Artem Topchiy

Krasnodar Krai Lighthouses

Note: Krasnodar Krai (Krasnodar Territory) is a large member of the Russian Federation including the western end of the Caucasus Mountains. The mountainous region along the Black Sea coast is known historically as Circassia. This area was added to Russia in a long series of conflicts ending in 1864. The city of Sochi is the traditional capital of Circassia.
Sochi City Lighthouses
* Imeretinsky Range Common Rear
2012. Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); yellow light, 1.5 s on, 1.5 s off. 15 m (49 ft) round cylindrical metal tower, painted white with a red vertical stripe. Google has a street view and a satellite view. The two front lights are the lights on the breakwaters of the harbor, seen in another Google street view. Located at the south end of Golubaya Boulevard in front of the Imeretinsky Hotel. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty N5699.51; NGA 19166.1.
Imeretinsky Severnyy
2012. Active; focal plane 25 m (82 ft); green flash every 1.5 s. 30 m (98 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower painted red with a white horizontal band. Google has a street view and a satellite view. The light marks a new port developed in Adler prior to the Sochi Winter Olympics of 2014. Located on the quay, a short distance west of the Olympic Stadium. Site status unknown. Admiralty N5699.5; NGA 19165.
* Adler (Mys Adlerskiy) (4?)
2006 (station established 1898). Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); two yellow flashes every 8 s. 12 m (33 ft) round cylindrical metal tower with gallery, painted white with narrow red horizontal bands. NGA formerly listed a framework tower at this location, and a photo shows a white flash being displayed in 2005 from the earlier, shorter tower. The city has a photo of both towers (just over halfway down the page) with some historical notes in Russian, a 2009 closeup and a 2015 view from the beach are available, and Google has a satellite view. The older lighthouse has been removed. Adler is a resort town at the southeastern tip of the Russian Black Sea coast, less than 5 km (3 mi) from the Abkhazian border. This is sometimes called Russia's southernmost lighthouse, but that honor belongs to the Derbent lighthouse on the Caspian Sea. Located on the waterfront of Adler. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ERU-294; RU-2320; Admiralty N5698; NGA 19164.
* Sochi (Range Front) (2)
1890 (station established 1880). Active; focal plane 37 m (121 ft); green light, 1.5 s on, 1.5 s off. 15 m (49 ft) cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, rising from one corner of a large 1-story keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white. The original 2nd order L. Sautter Fresnel lens remains in use. Vlad Feoktistov has a 2009 photo, Yuliya Bazhenova has a 2016 photo, and the lighthouse appears at the left of a photo of an amusement park (the Mayak Aquapark) on the Sochi waterfront, Huelse has a historic postcard view, Vadim Korchagin has a street view, and Google has another street view and a satellite view. Sochi, near the southeastern end of Russia's Black Sea coast, has the warmest climate in Russia and is a very popular resort; it was also the site of the Winter Olympics in 2014. This historic lighthouse is located just to the east of the port area in Sochi, but it is surrounded by modern development and seems mostly forgotten. Site probably open, tower closed. ARLHS ERU-063; Admiralty N5686; NGA 19132.

Sochi Light, Sochi, October 2014
Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Gray Gray
Sochi Yuzhniy (South Mole)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); green flash every 2 s. 10 m (33 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower with gallery, painted green. A photo is available, Lightphotos.net has a 2000 photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the south (really east) moleof the inner harbor at Sochi. Site status unknown, probably closed. Admiralty N5690; NGA 19148.
Sochi Severniy (North Mole)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); red flash every 2 s. 16 m (52 ft) round masonry tower with lantern and gallery; the light is now displayed from atop the lantern. Lighthouse painted red with one white horizontal band. John Honeywell's photo is at right, Lyubov Glazkova has a photo, Lightphotos.net has a closeup by Oleg Sushkov, and the lighthouse can be seen in a Google satellite view. Located at the end of the so-called north mole, the breakwater on the west side of the inner harbor at Sochi. Site status unknown, probably closed. Admiralty N5689; NGA 19140.
* Sochi Mid-Channel Range Rear
2014 (?). Active; focal plane about 30 m (98 ft); light characteristic unknown. Approx. 26 m (85 ft) round cylindrical metal tower painted red. The tower has "wing" extensions along its sides as a daymark. Google has a street view and a satellite view. The front light is on a similar but much smaller tower on the center of the detached breakwater off the harbor entrance. Located near the base of the new outer breakwater enclosing Sochi harbor. Admiralty N5688.91.
Lazarevskoye
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 96 m (315 ft); white light, 1.5 s on, 4.5 s off. 14 m (46 ft) square skeletal tower with lantern and gallery. The front of the tower is covered with a slatted daymark painted white with a red (NGA says black) vertical stripe. A distant view is available, but the tower has not been found in Google's satellite view. Located on heights above Lazarevskoye, a resort town about 30 km (19 mi) northwest of Sochi. Site status unknown. Admiralty N5684; NGA 19128.

Tuapse District and City Lighthouses
Tuapse East Mole (2)
Date unknown (station established 1901). Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); green flash every 3 s. Approx. 9 m (30 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower, lower third enclosed, mounted on a large 1-story square concrete base. Tower painted green with a white horizontal band. A view from the sea and a second view are available, and Bing has an indistinct satellite view. Located at the end of the east breakwater mole of Tuapse. May be accessible by walking the mole. Site status unknown. RU-2262; Admiralty N5670; NGA 19112.
Sochi Severniy Light
Sochi Severniy Light, Sochi, May 2007
Flickr photo copyright John Honeywell; used by permission
* Tuapse Novyy Port Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 19 m (62 ft); continuous blue and green lights, the blue one above the green one. 17 m (56 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower with lantern and gallery. Tower painted black, lantern white. The front of the tower carries a large trapezoidal slatted daymark, painted white with a black vertical stripe. No photo available, but Google has an indistinct satellite view. The rear light is probably similar, but it is shorter. Located at the water's edge on the Tuapse waterfront. Site open, tower closed. RU-2245; Admiralty F5674; NGA 19120.
Tuapse West Mole (Tuapse Yugozapadnyy Volonolom) (2)
Date unknown (station established 1909). Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); red flash every 3 s. Approx. 10 m (33 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower, lower third enclosed, mounted on a large 1-story square concrete base. Tower painted red with a white horizontal band. A photo is available, and Bing has an indistinct satellite view. Located at the end of the west mole of Tuapse, which is the principal breakwater for the port. Site status unknown. RU-2250; Admiralty N5672; NGA 19116.
Kodosh (Mys Kodosh, Kodoshskiy, Tuapse)
1885. Active; focal plane 62 m (203 ft); two white flashes every 14.2 s. 14 m (46 ft) octagonal cylindrical masonry tower with lantern and gallery, rising from the front of a masonry keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white. Wikimedia's distant view is at right, Lightphotos.net has an excellent closeup photo, Valerii Fabrychnyi also has a good photo, Daimond Day has a closeup, and Google has a satellite view of the station. This appears to be the original lighthouse; if so, it is the oldest lighthouse of southern Russia. Located on a promontory about 3 km (2 mi) west of the waterfront of Tuapse. Site status unknown. ARLHS ERU-043; Admiralty N5668; NGA 19108.
Kodosh Light
Mys Kodosh Light, Tuapse, March 2009
Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Rdfr
Dzhubga (Dzubga) (3)
1954 (station established 1898). Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); one long red flash every 6 s. Approx. 8 m (26 ft) square cylindrical brick tower with lantern and gallery, rising from the front of a 1-story brick keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white, except that the lantern and the front face of the tower are painted red. A good photo is available, Wikimapia has a distant sunset photo, and Google has a satellite view. The original light, a small wood tower, was replaced in 1906 by a small iron tower. The design of the present lighthouse is similar to that of the Gollwitz Nord lighthouse, built about the same time in the former East Germany. Located on a headland on the east side of Dzhubga, about 35 km (22 mi) northwest of Tuapse. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty N5666; NGA 19100.

Gelendzhik City Lighthouses
Arkhipo-Osipovka
2009. Active; focal plane approx. 30 m (98 ft); white flash every 3 s. Approx. 9 m (30 ft) round cylindrical white metal or fiberglass tower. Andrey Khromykh has a closeup photo, a 2008 photo is available, and Google has a closeup street view and an indistinct satellite view. Located on the steep slope of a headland on the west side of Arkhipo-Osipovka, about 20 km (13 mi) west of Dzhubga. Site status unknown. Admiralty N5664.8; NGA 19090.
Gelendzhikskiy Vkhodnoy (Mys Tolstyy, Gelendzik Headland) (2?)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 55 m (180 ft); two white flashes every 15 s. 42 m (138 ft) octagonal concrete tower with lantern and double gallery, painted white with three red horizontal bands. A photo is at right, another photo, a third photo, and a 2010 closeup are available, and the lighthouse can be seen in a Google street view and satellite view. NGA formerly listed a round 12 m (39 ft) tower at this location. Huelse has a postcard view of an earlier lighthouse, a very small tower. The elliptical bay of Gelendzhik is an especially scenic location on Russia's Black Sea coast. Located atop a chalk bluff on the cape at the east side of the entrance to Gelendzhikskiy Bukhta (bay), about 5 km (3 mi) south of Gelendzhik. Site and tower reported closed, but the lighthouse can be seen from nearby. ARLHS ERU-030; Admiralty N5656; NGA 19076.
* Gelendzhik (Range Front)
1897. Active; red or green light, depending on direction; light pattern unknown. Approx. 12 m (39 ft) square cylindrical masonry tower attached to one corner of a 2-story masonry keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white with a red vertical stripe indicating a range line. Anna Kornilova has an excellent photo, a 2007 photo and a 2015 photo are available, Klaus Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse was designed by the French architect François de Tonde. The original range has been discontinued. Located on Lermontovskiy Boulevard near the waterfront in downtown Gelendzhik. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty N5658.
Gelendzhik Light
Gelendzhikskiy Vkhodnoy Light, Gelendzhik, June 2011
Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Alexxx1979

Novorossisk City Lighthouses
Note: Novorossisk is Russia's principal port on the Black Sea and a major naval base. Its magnificent bay was the location of an ancient Greek colony, a Genoese colony during the Middle Ages, and an Ottoman fortress that was ceded to Russia in 1829.
Doobskiy (Mys Doobskiy, Doob Point)
1879. Active; focal plane 100 m (328 ft); three white flashes every 16.5 s. 23 m (75 ft) octagonal masonry tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Nautophone fog signal (3 blasts every 20 s). 1-1/2 story rubblestone keeper's house. A photo and a second photo are available, Wikimedia has a series of views from the sea, and Google has a satellite view. Located on Mys Doobskiy (Cape Doob), marking the east side of the entrance to Novorossiskaya Bukhta (Novorossisk Bay), about 5 km (3 mi) southwest of Kabardinka. Site status unknown. ARLHS ERU-029; Admiralty N5636; NGA 18984.
Mys Penay (Range Front)
Date unknown (station established 1882). Active; focal plane 33 m (108 ft); green light, 1.5 s on, 1.5 s off. 20 m (66 ft) square skeletal tower carrying a daymark painted white with a red vertical stripe. A distant view is available, and Google has a satellite view. This is a historic light station, but no image of the original lighthouse has been found. The present light is the front light of an approach range for vessels arriving in Novorossisk. The rear light is on a shorter skeletal tower. Located on a steep headland on the east side of Novorossisk Bay. Site status unknown. Admiralty N5638; NGA 19000.
Novorossisk (Vostochhniy Mol, East Mole) Range Front (3)
Date unknown (station established 1834). Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); green light, 1.5 s on, 1.5 s off. 21 m (69 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted white with narrow red horizontal bands. Nautophone fog signal (5 blasts every 60 s). Vyacheslav Fomichev's photo is at right, a good photo is available, Aleksey Salionov has a closeup view, Denis Tumashev has a photo, the lighthouse appears on a postage stamp, and it can be seen in a Google satellite view. Huelse has a postcard view of an earlier lighthouse, a cast iron tourelle about 12 m (39 ft) in height. Located at the end of the east breakwater protecting the harbor of Novorossisk. Site and tower closed. ARLHS ERU-052; Admiralty N5642; NGA 19024.
Novorossisk (Vostochhniy Mol, East Mole) Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 76 m (249 ft); green light, 4.5 s on, 1.5 s off. 13 m (43 ft) square stone tower, painted white with a red vertical stripe. Fog horn (5 blasts every 60 s). Google has a street view and a satellite view. Located 2850 m (1.75 mi) north northwest of the front light. Site and tower closed. ARLHS ERU-054; Admiralty N5642.1; NGA 19028.
Novorossisk East Mole Light
Novorossisk Range Front Light, Novorossisk, September 2006
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Vyacheslav Fomichev
* Novorossisk West Mole
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); red flash every 3 s. 8 m (26 ft) concrete tower with gallery. Lighthouse painted red with one white horizontal band. A good closeup is available, a 2014 photo is available, and the light can be seen in a Google satellite view. Located at the end of the west breakwater protecting the harbor of Novorossisk. Accessible by walking the mole, but it's a long walk as the breakwater is about 1.6 km (1 mi) long. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty N5644; NGA 19032.
* Lyubvi (Mys Lyubvi)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); continuous red light. 15 m (49 ft) tower on a "yellow building," according to NGA. Google's street view shows a 5-story light yellow apartment building on the cape, and the light appears mounted on the roof line at the bend in the building. Google also has a satellite view. Located on Mys Lyubvi (Love Point), a point of land on the west side of Novorossiskaya Bukhta (bay), about 1.5 km (1 mi) southeast of the Novorossisk harbor area. Site open, tower closed. RU-2055; Admiralty N5643; NGA 19016.
Sudzhukskaya (Sudzhukskiy, Kosa Sudzhukskaya)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); two red flashes every 10 s. 13 m (43 ft) round concrete tower with gallery, mounted on a square concrete pier. The lighthouse is unpainted white concrete. Alexey Baranov's photo is at right, another closeup is available, a 2012 photo is available, and Google has a distant satellite view. Located on a shoal on the west side of the entrance to Novorossiskaya Bukhta (Novorossisk Bay), about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) southeast of Aleksino. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ERU-148; Admiralty N5639; NGA 18980.
Mys Utrishenok (Range Front)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); one long white flash every 7 s. 12 m (39 ft) steel post mounted on a square 1-story masonry base. The post carries a slatted daymark painted white with a black vertical stripe. A photo is available, Domovenok Kuzja has a distant view, and Google has a satellite view. Kuzja's photo also shows a rear range light, which is not listed currently by the Admiralty. Located on a promontory projecting into the sea in a mountainous area about 30 km (19 mi) west of Novorossiysk. Site status unknown. Admiralty N5632.5; NGA 18972.

Sudzhukskaya Light, Novorossisk, August 2009
Panoramio Creative Commons photo by Alexey Baranov

Anapa District and City Lighthouses
Utrish (Ostrov Utrish) (2)
Date unknown (probably 1920s; station established 1911). Inactive. Approx. 7 m (23 ft) hexagonal cylindrical cast iron tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white; lantern painted blue. A photo is at right, a closeup photo and a second closeup are available, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse appears to be abandoned and deteriorating. Utrish is an island and nature preserve just off a cape about 16 km (10 mi) southeast of Anapa. Located on the western tip of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed.
Utrish (Ostrov Utrish) (3)
Date unknown (station established 1911). Active; focal plane 26 m (85 ft); white light, 1.5 s on, 1.5 s off. 17 m (56 ft) round cylindrical masonry tower with gallery; there is a band of sculptured faces around the tower about 1/4 the way up. A photo is at right, Pavel Gubin has a 2007 photo, Lightphotos.net has a closeup photo, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. The lighthouse is unpainted gray masonry; the small lantern is red. The bas-relief circling the base of the tower is a memorial to fishermen who were killed during World War II. Located close to the original lighthouse on the western tip of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ERU-009; Admiralty N5632; NGA 18964.
** Anapa (Mys Anapskiy) (2)
1955 (station established 1909). Active; focal plane 44 m (144 ft); red light, 3 s on, 3 s off, 3 s on, 6 s off. 20 m (66 ft) octagonal cylindrical masonry tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white with black horizontal bands only on the seaward side. Artem Topchiy's photo is at the top of this page, Pavel Gubin has a photo of the lighthouse in action, a 2013 photo is available, and Google has a satellite view and Georgiy Kuskov's nighttime street view. Huelse has a postcard view of the very elegant original lighthouse, and Lightphotos.net has a second postcard view. The historic lighthouse was destroyed in 1943 during World War II. Anapa is a beach resort town very popular among Russians but seldom visited by tourists from other countries. According to the web site of Sanitorium Mayak (a nearby spa resort), the lighthouse is "serving as a museum," so it is probably open for climbing. Located on a seaside bluff on the south side of Anapa. Site open, tower probably open but details are not available. ARLHS ERU-295; Admiralty N5618; NGA 18944.

Old and new Ostrov Utrish Lights, June 2008
Wikimedia public domain photo by Monfornot

Temryuksky District (Kerch Strait Area) Lighthouses (see also Crimea)
Note: The Kerch Strait is the narrow passage connecting the Sea of Azov to the Black Sea. From 1991 to 2014 the strait formed part of the border between Ukraine and Russia, but since Russia's annexation of Crimea the strait is entirely Russian. The strait is about 65 km (40 mi) long and narrows to about 4500 m (2.8 mi) wide at its narrowest point. Russia is building the Kerch Strait Bridge to connect Crimea to the Russian mainland; the bridge is scheduled for completion by the end of 2018.
Mys Zheleznyy Rog
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 72 m (236 ft); white light, 1.5 s on, 1.5 s off. 16 m (52 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower, painted black, with gallery and a small lantern. The tower also carries a black trapezoidal slatted daymark. Google has a good street view; there's a distant view, a 2013 photo, and another distant view, and Google has a good satellite view. This light marks the entrance to the Kerch Strait for vessels westbound along the Black Sea coast. Located on a promontory near Volna, about 8 km (5 mi) east of the entrance to the Kerch Strait. Site status unknown. ARLHS ERU-310, Admiralty N5616; NGA 18436.
* Sennaya Range Rear
Date unknown. Appears abandoned, but listed with focal plane 15 m (49 ft); continuous red light. 12 m (39 ft) square skeletal tower, painted black. Serzh Muzafarov has a photo, and Google has a street view, but trees hide the light in Google's satellite view. The range guides (or guided) vessels to Sennoi, a town at the east end of Taman Bay; the bay is a shallow inlet on the east side of Kerch Strait extending east about 16 km (10 mi). Located in Mira Street in Sennoi. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty N5377.11.
Chuska (Chushkinskiy) Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); continuous red light, intensified on the range line. 24 m (79 ft) square masonry tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Glad Ilshchikov has a closeup photo, and Google has a satellite view. The range guides southbound vessels leaving the Sea of Azov and entering Kerch Strait. Located on a long sand spit southwest of Chuska and 370 m (1/4 mi) south of the front light. Probably accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. ARLHS ERU-028; Admiralty N5378.1; NGA 18559.
* Chuska (Chushkinskiy) Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); continuous red light, intensified on the range line. 18 m (59 ft) square masonry tower with an octagonal masonry lantern room and gallery. Lighthouse painted white. The light is shown through a window halfway up the tower. A. Glebov's photo is at right, another closeup photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. The range guides southbound vessels leaving the Sea of Azov and entering Kerch Strait. It is located on a long sand spit southwest of Chuska. Site status unknown; there should be a view of this lighthouse from ferries crossing the strait from Port Kavkas to Kerch. ARLHS ERU-027; Admiralty N5378; NGA 18558.
* Tamanskiy Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 22 m (69 ft); white flash every 3 s. 21 m (69 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower, painted black. The tower carries a slatted daymark painted white with a red vertical stripe. Google has a street view and a satellite view. This range guides vessels northbound through the narrow northern section of the strait. Located beside the M25 highway on the long Chuska spit about 8 km (5 mi) north of Chuska. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty N5376; NGA 18552.

Chuska Range Front Light, Port Kavkas, July 2015
Panoramio photo copyright A. Glebov; permission requested
* Tamanskiy Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 60 m (197 ft); continuous white light. 43 m (141 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower. The tower carries a slatted daymark painted black with a red vertical stripe. Google has a street view and a satellite view. Located beside the M25 highway about 4 km (2.5 mi) east of Il'ich and 7 km (4.5 mi) northeast of the front light. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty N5376.1; NGA 18556.
* Akhilleon (Akhileon, Akhileonskiy)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 63 m (207 ft); red light, 3 s on, 3 s off. 20 m (66 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower, painted black, with a small red lantern. Mikhail Logynov has a closeup and a second photo, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. This light marks the northeastern entrance to the strait. Located on a headland about 1.5 km (1 mi) northeast of Il'ich. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ERU-312; Admiralty N5428; NGA 18936.
* Temryuk (Tyemryuk, Tjemruk) (2)
1982 (station established 1916). Active; focal plane 69 m (226 ft); white or red light, depending on direction, 1.5 s on, 6 s off. 14 m (46 ft) octagonal cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Timur Aksyuzova has a photo, a distant view is available, Huelse has a postage stamp image, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. This lighthouse is close to the coastal highway, but it is not easy to spot from a moving vehicle; for this reason photos are scarce. Located atop dunes on the southeast side of the Sea of Azov about 13 km (8 mi) west northwest of Temryuk and 32 km (20 mi) east of the Kerch Strait entrance. Site appears open, tower closed. ARLHS ERU-068; Admiralty N5606; NGA 18928.

Slavyansky District Lighthouse
Achuyev (Achuyevskiy)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); red flash every 3 s. 15 m (49 ft) iron skeletal tower "with hut," according to the NGA listing. Lighthouse painted black. No photo available, but the shadow of the tower is visible in Bing's satellite view. Located on the south side of the entrance to Sladkiy Bay, a lagoon on the southeastern shore of the Sea of Azov, near Sladkovskiy. Site status unknown. ARLHS ERU-321; Admiralty N5594; NGA 18904.

Primorsko-Akhtarsk District Lighthouse
* Akhtarskiy (Primorko-Akhtarsk) (2)
Date unknown (station established 1912). Inactive. 20 m (66 ft) octagonal cylindrical masonry tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white, lantern black. Large keeper's house and other light station buildings. A photo is at right, Alexander Matohnyuk also has a closeup, a 2015 photo is available, and Google has a good satellite view of the station. The lighthouse is in poor condition, and the active light (focal plane 26 m (85 ft); white light, 1.5 s on, 4.5 s off) has been moved to a skeletal mast. The first lighthouse had a focal plane of 17 m (56 ft). Located behind the beach about 6 km (4.5 mi) north of Primorko-Akhtarsk, on the central east coast of the Sea of Azov. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ERU-010; Admiralty N5586; NGA 18896.

Yeysky District Lighthouses
Kamyshevatskaya (Kamyshevatskiy) (?)
2008 (station establishment date unknown). Active; focal plane 29 m (95 ft); white flash every 13 s. 15 m (49 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white, lantern black. No photo available, but Bing has a satellite view. This lighthouse was reported destroyed or demolished in 2007, and no photos of it have been found. Located on a seaside bluff at Kamyshevatskaya on the northeast shore of the Sea of Azov. Site status unknown. ARLHS ERU-322; Admiralty N5578; NGA 18880.
Sazal'Nikskiy
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 70 m (230 ft); light characteristic unknown. Approx. 25 m (82 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower. A very distant view is available, and Bing has a satellite view. Located on steep bluff at Shabelskoye, a village on the south side of the Gulf of Taganrog about 35 km (22 mi) northeast of Yeysk. Site appers open, tower closed. Admiralty N5524.
Akhtarskiy Light
Akhtarskiy Light, Primorsko-Akhtarsk, 2010
Panoramio photo copyright kar2zz; permission requested

Rostov Oblast Lighthouses

Azovsky District (Don River Entrance) Lighthouses
Note: The Don River is an important inland waterway of Russia, and it is connected to the Volga River via the Volga-Don Canal. Lighthouses of the river and canal are described on the Volga and Don Waterways page.
Don River Approach Channel Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 19 m (62 ft); quick-flashing red light. 17 m (56 ft) square cylindrical tower with gallery and a small lantern. Tower painted black, lantern red. The tower also carries a slatted daymark painted black with a white vertical stripe. A photo is available, and Alexsandr Esipenko has a winter photo, but Google has only a distant satellite view of the location. Located on a small island off the southern end of the Don delta, at the east end of the Gulf of Taganrog, about 20 km (13 mi) southeast of Taganrog and a similar distance downstream from the city of Azov. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty N5535.
Don River Approach Channel Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 27 m (89 ft); quick-flashing white light. 22 m (72 ft) square cylindrical tower with gallery and a small lantern. Tower painted black, lantern red. The tower also carries a slatted daymark painted black with a white vertical stripe. A distant view is available, but Google has only a distant satellite view of the location. Located on a small island about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) east northeast of the front light. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty N5535.1.
Don River Entrance Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); quick-flashing red light. 16 m (52 ft) square cylindrical tower with gallery and a small lantern. Tower painted black, lantern red. The tower also carries a slatted daymark painted black with a white vertical stripe. No photo available, but the shadow of the tower is seen in Google's satellite view. Located on the north side of the river about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) from the Gulf of Taganrog. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty N5536.
Don River Entrance Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 31 m (102 ft); quick-flashing white light. 27 m (89 ft) square cylindrical tower with gallery and a small lantern. Tower painted black, lantern red. The tower also carries a slatted daymark painted black with a white vertical stripe. A photo is available, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on the south side of the river about 2 km (1.25 mi) east northeast of the front light. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty N5536.1.

Taganrog City and Neklinovsky District Lighthouses
* Taganrog (2)
Date unknown (station established 1885). Active; focal plane 49 m (161 ft); white light, 1.5 s on,1.5 s off. 20 m (66 ft) round cylindrical tower with gallery. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands. A 2012 closeup is at right, a photo and a view from the harbor area are available, and the tower is visible in a Google street view and the center of a Google satellite view. Huelse has a historic postcard view of the original lighthouse, which probably did not survive World War II. Lightphotos.net has another historic photo. The range is the entrance range for Taganrog's protected harbor. Taganrog is on the north side of Taganrog Bay (Taganrogskiy Zaliv), the lower estuary of the Don River, at the extreme northeastern corner of the Sea of Azov. Located in a park-like area on a bluff behind the port area in Taganrog. Site appears open, tower probably closed. ARLHS ERU-067; Admiralty N5540.
* Beglitskaya Kosa
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); red flash every 6 s. 18 m (56 ft) square cylindrical tower with gallery and a small lantern. Lighthouse painted red, and a red slatted daymark covers the upper 2/3 of two sides of the tower. A photo and a second view are available, and Google has a satellite view. The light station replaced a lightship station established in 1845. Located at the end of a sand spit extending into the Gulf of Taganrog at Beglitsa, about 25 km (15 mi) west of the city of Taganrog. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty N5526.
Taganrog Light
Taganrog Light, Taganrog, January 2012
Panoramio photo copyright alexey65536; used by permission

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: North: Volga and Don | East: Abkhazia | West: Crimea | Northwest: Ukraine Sea of Azov

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Posted February 26, 2007. Checked and revised June 29, 2017. Lighthouses: 45. Site copyright 2017 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.