Name and Location

Vysotskiy South Lateral Beacon (“Vysotskiy S”) is a port-lateral seamark located off the eastern side of Vysotsk harbour in Leningrad Oblast, Russia. Its coordinates are 60°36′38.3″ N, 28°33′04.6″ E (WGS-84), and its Plus code is 9GGC JH62+7G.

Construction and History

The beacon's construction date is not documented in public sources, but it is likely to be from the late Soviet era or early post-Soviet period, circa 1980-2000. It functions as a fully automated low-profile beacon guiding vessels on starboard when entering or leaving the port.

Architecture and Materials

The structure of the beacon is a cylindrical or slightly tapered metal tower mounted on a concrete foundation. The tower is made of steel or iron, with a concrete footing.

Light and Navigation

The beacon emits a group flashing (2) green light, period 5 seconds (Fl(2) G 5s), at a focal height of approximately 3 meters above mean sea level. Its range is not specified in public sources but is typically around 3-5 nautical miles for small beacons.

Accessibility and Visiting

The beacon itself is on a breakwater, accessible only by boat or on foot at low tide/ice. There are no visitor facilities. The surrounding area includes the industrial and fishing port of Vysotsk, with an open Gulf of Finland to the north.

Notable Views and Landscape

From the beacon, one can see the mixed rocky and sandy shoreline, as well as the nearby features such as the northern and southern breakwaters of Vysotsk harbour, the Vysotsk ferry terminal, local fishing fleet quays, and small yacht marina.

Anecdotes and Folklore

No notable events or shipwrecks are associated with this beacon. It forms part of a modernized system of navigational aids in Vyborgsky District.

Technical and Operational Details

The managing authority is likely Rosmorport (Federal State Unitary Enterprise “Rosmorport”), which maintains major Russian seaports and navigational aids. The beacon has been designated as a starboard lateral mark (seamark:beacon_lateral).

Further Information

For more information, refer to the List of Lights, Radio Aids and Fog Signals: Northern & Northwestern Europe, UK Hydrographic Office, Volume C, NGA Publication 116: “List of Lights, Radio Aids, and Fog Signals,” U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Russian Hydrographic Office chart series (Chart 770, Sheet V-16), OpenStreetMap entry: way/126987314, Wikipedia (in Russian): https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Высотский_южный_маяк, and Rosmorport official site: https://rosmorport.com/.