Name and Location

Anapa Lighthouse (also known as Анапский маяк) marks the entrance to Anapa Bay on the northeastern shore of the Black Sea. It is located at Ulitsa Kirova, 2, Anapa, Anapsky District, Krasnodar Krai, Russia, 353440, with coordinates 44°53′16″ N, 37°17′57″ E (WGS84).

2. Construction and History

The lighthouse is believed to have been constructed during the Soviet period (mid-20th century) when Anapa's port facilities were modernized. Earlier lights are mentioned in sailors' accounts from the late 19th century, but the standing tower reflects post-World War II coastal navigation improvements.

3. Architecture and Materials

The lighthouse has a slender, four-storey cylindrical (tapered) tower rising from a low rectangular base building. The construction is a reinforced-concrete shell over brick or concrete block infill, typical of Soviet-era lighthouses. The exterior finish is painted white with a red lantern roof and gallery railing.

4. Light and Navigation

The light has a focal plane roughly 18–22 meters above mean sea level and an estimated range of 10–12 nautical miles in clear weather. The characteristic is a single white flash every 5–7 seconds (Fl W 5–7s). The lighthouse is electrically powered and fully automated, with no resident keeper.

5. Accessibility and Visiting

The tower is closed to visitors, but the base and lantern gallery are visible from the embankment and nearby café terraces. Visitors can reach the lighthouse by walking along the northern promenade (Verkhnyaya Naberezhnaya Ulitsa) or taking local buses and taxis to Ulitsa Kirova.

6. Notable Views and Landscape

The views from the lighthouse forecourt over Anapa Bay, the Sugar Loaf ("Sakhalin") headland to the east, and the low rolling hills of the Gelendzhik-Anapa coastal plain are notable. Nearby attractions include the Anapa Archaeological Museum-Reserve and 19th-century fortifications.

7. Anecdotes and Folklore

Local anecdotes mention that fishermen once tied their boats to the lighthouse's mooring rings during sudden storms. No widely attested legends or shipwreck stories are currently associated with this light.

8. Technical and Operational Details

The Russian Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transport (Rosmorrechflot), Southern Directorate of Navigation Aids, owns and operates the lighthouse. The contact is the Port Authority of Anapa.

9. Further Information

• For further information, see Wikidata entry Q26257034,
• OpenStreetMap feature way/125813145 (man_made=lighthouse),
• Google Maps location,
• Russian Maritime Administration publications (shore-based light lists).