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 (Kol'skiy Zaliv) cuts south from the ocean. The fjord is 57 km (35 mi) long and up to 7 km (4.3 mi) wide. Although it is quite deep, the fjord is known for its strong tidal currents and is not easy to navigate. When Germany blocked the Baltic approaches to Russia during World War I 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. 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.
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![]() Mys Mishukov Light, Murmansk, May 2012 ex-Panoramio photo copyright Konstantine Sushko; used by permission |
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![]() Saydagubskiy Light, September 2005 ex-Panoramio Creative Commons photo by fotoput |
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![]() Ostrov Sedlovatyy Light, Polyarnyy, 2006 photo copyright EDM Manufacturing Company, Severomorsk |
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![]() Russian Navy submarine passing Anna Korga Light, Murmansk, May 2010 photo copyright Konstantine Sushko; used by permission |
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![]() Mys Chirkovyy Range Middle Light, Severomorsk, 2005 photo copyright EDM Manufacturing Company, Severomorsk |
Information available on lost lighthouses: Notable faux lighthouses:
Adjoining pages: East: Northern Kola Peninsula | West: Pachenga Area |
![]() Murmansk Memorial Light, Murmansk, February 2008 Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Evgeniy Lazarev |
Posted December 7, 2005. Checked and revised September 16, 2019. Lighthouses: 40. Site copyright 2019 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.