The Soviet blockbuster «White Sun of the Desert» could well be filmed on the Ukrainian coast of the Sea of Azov. At least, an exact copy of the mansion of customs officer Vereshchagin, who did not give the Basmachi «good», can be found on the Belosarayskaya Spit.
The manor may not be exactly a manor, but the oldest lighthouse on the Sea of Azov with its adjacent infrastructure and a wonderful (I would like to say «relic») garden is a really unique place. But the main thing is that both the appearance of the whole complex and the living conditions of the three families serving the lighthouse are very similar to the movie version, except that they do without fights with bloodthirsty bandits. But there is another problem: sometimes drunken vacationers from nearby resorts wander in, gyulchatai sing songs at night, and new Ukrainians pester with requests to give them «spit from the lighthouse».
The Azov Sea is constantly stepping on this fifteen-kilometer sandy spit, locals say that only for the last six years it has taken away from them more than thirty meters. From time to time it also approaches the lighthouse — last fall a storm washed away the metal fence. However, no matter what they say today, our ancestors were really wise people who knew where and how to build in order to minimize possible damage from the raging elements.
In this strategically important place for navigation for orientation on the Azov Sea fires were lit for centuries. And periodically wooden lighthouses were erected. The most famous of them was built in 1811, ten kilometers northeast of the modern site. On an elevation of 35.4 meters on the money of Taganrog merchants erected a wooden lighthouse 18.5 meters high, which due to the significant height of the fire above sea level (almost fifty-four meters!) was visible at a distance of up to 20 miles. At first it was under the jurisdiction of Taganrog town administration and was maintained at the expense of local merchants, but in 1829 it was transferred to the subordination of the Directorate of Black Sea lighthouses.
But the Cossacks laid a really capital lighthouse only in 1835 and even for its protection they stationed their watch here. The lighthouse consisted of an octagonal tower and attached to it living quarters, which housed the keeper and sailors who served and guarded the lighthouse. The yard of the lighthouse was enclosed by a solid high stone fence. In the yard on both sides of the gate there was a kitchen, where the lighthouse staff was fed, and a store (warehouse). There was a well with fresh water at the lighthouse. The «night eye» was built for almost seven months — from April 16 to November 6, and for strength they specially brought Kerch piece stone. The lieutenant Drozzhin was in charge of the whole process. 
The lighthouse itself with its adjoining barracks, two sheds, fence and gates cost 50 thousand rubles. The height from the base of the octagonal tower was 72 feet (22 meters). On April 27, 1836, the lighthouse sent its first beam to the ships, refracted by fifteen reflectors at once and illuminated nine adjacent miles.
In 1890 it was modernized with the addition of a steam-powered Canadian whistle for signaling during heavy fog, which, during fog, emitted during each minute three successive short sounds of three seconds duration, separated by two intervals of silence of five seconds. Each third sound was followed by a period of silence of forty-one seconds. The sound of the whistle was audible in a crosswind at a distance of three and a half miles.
The same signals were made with the whistle in winter, if the sea ice began to break and move away from the shore — to warn fishermen of the threatening danger. A rescue station was set up near the lighthouse, equipped with sled boats and other rescue equipment.
What is curious is that no matter how many technical improvements were made later, the appearance of the facility
has remained unchanged to this day. But even with the installation of modern optical apparatus, the record of the merchant wooden predecessor was not beaten: now it provides the range of visibility of large-zatmevayuschuyu fire at a height of 21 meters above sea level at a distance of 14 miles, and once there were given all twenty! However, our contemporary has a significant advantage: the ability to send a radio signal, which apparently explains its light attenuation. From 1886 to the present time it has been served by four family servants.
Belosarayskiy lighthouse, however, like all others, is maintained at the expense of lighthouse fees. Victor Androsov has been its chief for six years. Actually, Victor Maximovich is a well-known and honored person in the local area: 41 years worked in the Azov Shipping Company, worked his way up from a sailor to the first assistant captain, eleven years led Mariupol seafaring school, but, as the movie Abdula said, «a good wife, a good house, what else does a man need to meet old age?». But only to lie on the sand and admire vacationers the main lighthouse keeper, as well as his assistants: mechanic Anatoly Akalupin, technicians Evgeny Litvinenko and his wife Irina, do not have to. 
Daily shifts, preventive maintenance of mechanisms, maintenance of diesel engine and its immediate start in case of main power supply failure — all this economy requires from them increased attention and constant presence at the site. All service personnel are family people, they have been working together for years and live in a separate residential complex. There are no special amenities here, but they do fine without them, they are used to it. Amazingly clean sea air, cool shade under luxurious mulberries and majestic Crimean (when and who brought them here?) pines, the absence of fuss — it is sometimes similar to paradise in miniature. And boredom will overwhelm you — there is an immense amount of fish here, just don’t be lazy to cast your tackle.
Remember, in the movie the stroppy Vereshchagin complains to his caring wife: «Again you put me this damn caviar. I can’t eat it every day, damn it. I wish you had gotten some bread.» It is aptly said, and, most importantly, accurately about our heroes.