Lighthouses are the sanctuary of the seas, they belong to
to all and inviolable, like the eminent powers.
of powers. (From the inscription at the entrance to the lighthouse).
In 1833, N.S. Kobozev, the contractor who built the first wharf at the base of the Berdyansk Spit, erected a wooden pole in the form of a lighthouse near the town to guide ships fishing for fish and salt. With the growth of trade, the traffic of ships increased, so it became necessary to build a capital sea lighthouse.
On April 22, 1837 at the southern end of Berdyanskaya Spit began work on the construction of a stone lighthouse — you can see it on the postcard above, the construction of which was financed by the Tavricheskaya Gubernaya Commission. The work was carried out by Kerch merchant Carlo Tomasini, supervised by Lieutenant Laskin. He also reported in his report № 66 on April 22: «the work on the construction of the lighthouse on the Berdyansk Spit began at 2 o’clock in the afternoon».
In the navigation of 1838 the whitened octagonal tower with a red belt in the middle appeared for the first time in working condition before the mariners.
The lighthouse was equipped with eight lamps with reflectors. During the first 30 years (1836-1865), more than 5 thousand foreign and 9.5 thousand coastal ships navigated to the lighthouse.
Ya.M.Ivanov in the reference book «Description of Berdyansk port» gave interesting facts that deserve our attention: «…. Nizhneberdyansky lighthouse is equipped with electric spinning light, with strong glimpses in 5 seconds, illuminating the entire horizon. Electric lighting since 1883. In winter the lighthouse is illuminated by a kerosene lamp. During fogs and snowstorms it is signaled by means of a steam howler installed in 1889″. The efficiency of the Nizhneberdyansk lighthouse was described in the book «About Storms on the Black and Azov Seas» by B. Erezansky: «For five years the Berdyansk lighthouse registered 257 storms on the Sea of Azov…».
The 23-meter tower painted in white-orange color has been serving as a guiding star not only for sea ships but also as a visiting card of our seaside town for more than 160 years. Years have passed, but Berdyansk lighthouse on the spit, one of the oldest structures of the city, has not changed much in appearance. The only thing that has changed is the navigational instruments.
The newspaper «Izvestia» on March 21, 1985 reported on the installation in Berdyansk seaport laser sector lighthouse, in many ways exceeding the usual «guiding stars». But the documents stored in the Rostov archive inform about the joyful news that touched the Nizhneberdyansk lighthouse: «1911 г. By February 15, the work on laying a telephone line to the Nizhneberdyansky lighthouse was completed».
How much has changed over the decades. «When approaching Berdyansk, the first to be seen are the lights of the Lower, and then the Upper lighthouse at the northwestern end of Berdyansk opens» (Y.M.Ivanov «Description of Berdyansk port»).
The Upper Berdyansk Lighthouse was built in 1877, at which time it became operational. In two adjacent floors of the Upper Berdyansk lighthouse two refracting apparatuses are installed. They were replaced in the post-war period by an electric installation.
At present, a radio beacon is installed at a height of 70 meters, which is switched on in case of need. And in everyday life the installation with electric beacon rotating apparatus works. When an experienced sailor is asked where the port begins, you can be sure he will say — with the lighthouse.
Indeed, no matter how stormy the sea is, sailors know that the ruby lights will show them a safe way to the port.