Lighthouses of Ukraine: Dnipro Basin

The Directory's pages for Ukraine describe the lighthouses as they existed before the start of the current conflict between Ukraine and Russia. No changes will be made until there is a stable agreement that stops the fighting.

Ukraine (officially Україна, Ukraina) is a large country on the north side of the Black Sea, bordering Russia. Except for a brief period of independence during the Russian Revolution (1917-20), Ukraine was part of Russian or Soviet empires from the mid seventeenth century until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. However, the coastline of the Black Sea was mostly under the control of the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire until it was taken by Russia during a series of wars in the second half of the 1700s.

The Black Sea's northern coast is in several sections. In the west is the Bight of Odessa, named for Ukraine's largest port. In the center is the diamond shaped peninsula of Crimea. To the east is the Sea of Azov, connected to the rest of the Black Sea by the narrow Kerch Strait at the eastern end of Crimea.

In March 2014 Russia annexed Crimea, leaving the Ukrainian coast in two sections: the Bight of Odessa in the west and the northwestern side of the Sea of Azov in the east. The annexation of Crimea has not been accepted by Ukraine or recognized internationally. Important note: The Lighthouse Directory takes no position on any international dispute; our task is to describe lighthouses, not comment on politics. Our descriptions are of the actual situation, whatever it may be.

Ukraine (without Crimea) is divided into 24 provinces called oblasts (область), and the oblasts are divided into county-level districts called raions (райони). This page describes Ukraine's lighthouses in the area to the north of Crimea, including the southwestern coast of the Kherson Oblast and the Dnipro (Dnieper) River and its estuary, which joins the Bight of Odessa just to the northwest of Crimea. Lighthouses of the southeastern (Sea of Azov) coast of the Kherson Oblast are described on the Southeastern Ukraine page.

The Ukrainian word for a lighthouse is mayak (маяк); ostriv (острів) is an island, mys (мис) is a cape, richka (річка) is a river, and havan' (гавань) is a harbor.

Lighthouses in Ukraine are maintained by Derzhhidrohrafiyu, the hydrography and navigation service of the Ministry of Transport and Communications.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. UA numbers are the Ukrainian light list numbers as reported by Ukrainian Lighthouses on the Air. Admiralty numbers are from volume N of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 113. The Ukrainian light list, Вогні і знаки Чорного та Азовського морів (Lights and Signs of the Black and Azov Seas), is not available online.

General Sources
Derzhhidrohrafiyu - Lighthouses
Photos and historical information on the Ukrainian State Hydrography web site.
Lighthouses in Ukraine
The ARLHS Ukraine listing; photos contributed by Ukrainian amateur radio operators are available for many of the lighthouses.
Lighthouses in Ukraine
Photos by various photographers available from Wikimedia.
World of Lighthouses - Ukraine
Photos by various photographers available from Lightphotos.net.
Online List of Lights - Ukraine
Photos by various photographers posted by Alexander Trabas.
Russische Leuchttürme auf historischen Postkarten
Historic postcard images posted by Klaus Huelse. Ukrainian lighthouses are near the bottom of the page.
Lighthouses of Ukraine
Historic postcard images posted by Michel Forand.
Navionics Charts
Navigation chart for Ukraine.

Tendrovskiy West Light
Tendrivska West Light, Tendrovskaya Spit
Derzhhidrohrafiyu photo (no longer online)

Kherson Oblast: Black Sea and Dnipro Estuary Lighthouses

Skadovsk Raion: Skadovsk Area Lighthouses
This coast faces Karkinitsa Bay, a wedge-shaped inlet of the Black Sea on the northwest side of the diamond-shaped Crimean Peninsula.
* Skadovsk Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 18 m (60 ft); red light, 2 s on, 2 s off. Approx. 25 m (82 ft) square skeletal tower. The front of the tower carries a slatted daymark painted white with a black vertical stripe. Julia Martynova has a 2021 closeup photo, Andrii Andrii has a photo, Google has a street view and a satellite view. The front light is on a much smaller skeletal tower. Skadovsk is a beach resort town and a small port on the mainland side of Dzharylhach Bay, sheltered by Dzharylhach Island. Located in the middle of Tarasa Shevchenko Street about 300 m (330 yd) north of the harbor. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty N5260.1.
Dzharylhach (Ostrov Dzharylhach) (1)
1902. Inactive. 23 m (75 ft) square pyramidal cast iron skeletal tower with lantern, gallery, and central cylinder. The abandoned tower is rusting and gravely endangered. Tatiana Garkusha has the 2020 photo at right, a 2017 photo is available, Wikimedia has a 2012 photo, Lightphotos.net has a photo of the two lighthouses, another photo shows both lighthouses, and Google has a satellite view. Dzharylhach is at the eastern tip of a 150 km (90 mi) long barrier beach; Tendrovskiy is at the western tip of the same sandy structure. Accessible only by boat. Site open; visitors climb the tower, but this is probably dangerous.
Dzharylhach (Ostrov Dzharylhach) (2)
Date unknown (station established 1902). Active; focal plane 26 m (85 ft); red flash every 5 s. 23 m (75 ft) slender round cylindrical cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. Guy wires are used to steady the tower. This lighthouse stands close to the abandoned 1902 tower. A closeup is available, Svitlana Podchakha has a 2018 photo, Lightphotos.net has a photo of the two lighthouses, a photo shows both lighthouses, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the eastern tip of Ostrov Dzharylhach. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. UA-1210; Admiralty N5255; NGA 18210.
* Sofievskiy (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); white flash every 3 s. 12 m (39 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower. The front of the tower carries a slatted daymark painted black. Yuri Shchutskiy has a street view and Google has an indistinct satellite view. This light has recently replaced a more substantial skeletal tower. Located just off the beach in Lazurne, a resort on the mainland west of Ostrov Dzharylhach. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty N5252.

1902 Dzharylhach Light, July 2012
Google Maps photo by Tatiana Garkusha

Skadovsk Raion: Tendrovskaya Spit Lighthouses
The Tendrovskaya Spit is a hook-shaped barrier beach sheltering Tendrovskiy Bay. The spit is a hazard to ships approaching any of the ports of the Odessa Bight or Dnipro-Buh estuary.

* Zaliznyi (Zheleznyy) Port
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); red light, 3 s on, 3 s off. 12 m (39 ft) square tower rising from a 2-story coast guard building. Google has a street view and a satellite view. Despite its name Zaliznyi Port is a beach resort and not a port. Located on the beach front at the east edge of town. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty N5250; NGA 18205.
Tendrovskiy Zhelezny
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); white flash every 5 s. 12 m (39 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower, painted white. No photo available but Bing has an indistinct satellite view. Located near a shallow pass in Tendrovskiy Spit about 25 km (15 mi) west of Zaliznyi. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty N5248; NGA 18200.
Bili Kuchugury
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); red flash every 3 s. Approx. 15 m (49 ft) skeletal tower. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on a spur of the north side of the Tendrovskaya Spit. Site status unknown. Admiralty N5242; NGA 18192.
Tendrivska (Tendrovskiy) South
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); white flash every 5 s. 10 m (33 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower, painted black. No photo available but Bing has an indistinct satellite view. Located on the Tendrovskiy Spit about 5 km (3 mi) south of the Tendrivska lighthouse (next entry). Site open, tower closed. Admiralty N5247; NGA 18184.
Tendrivska (Tendrovskiy) West (2)
1904 (station established 1827). Active; focal plane 29 m (95 ft); white light, 3 s on, 3 s off. 31 m (102 ft) round masonry tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1-story keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white with two black horizontal bands. A photo is at the top of this page, ARLHS has a photo by UR5FA, the Derzhhidrohrafiyu has another photo, and Google has a satellite view. The original lighthouse was lost to rapid beach erosion in the area, and the current lighthouse is endangered similarly. Located at the westernmost bend of the Tendrovskiy Spit. Accessible only by boat or a long 4WD drive. Site status unknown. ARLHS UKR-032; UA-1165; Admiralty N5246; NGA 18188.
Tendrivska (Tendrovskiy) North
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 27 m (89 ft); white flash every 3 s. 20 m (66 ft) square cylindical steel skeletal tower with gallery, painted red; the upper half of the tower is covered on two sides by a black slatted daymark. Vera Lavrova has a photo looking straight up the inside of the tower and Google has a distant satellite view of the station. This light marks the end of the long Tendrovskiy Spit. Accessible only by boat or a long 4WD drive. Site status unknown. ARLHS UKR-043; UA-1160; Admiralty N5244; NGA 18180.

Skadovsk Raion: Dnipro (Dnieper) Estuary Southside Lighthouses
The Dnipro-Buh (Dnieper-Bug) Estuary is a liman (a broad estuary) extending about 55 km (34 mi) west to east. The Dnipro (Dnieper) River flows into the east end of the estuary; the Buh (Bug) joins the north side of the estuary in the middle. The lighthouses of this group are off the south coast in the eastern half of the estuary. They guide vessels toward the Dnipro, which is navigable to and beyond Kiev, the national capital.

Stanislav-Adzhigol'skiy Range Front (Stanislav)
1915 (Vladimir G. Schukov). Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); continuous red light. 26 m (85 ft) round skeletal tower with lantern, double gallery, enclosed watch room, and central cylinder. Entire lighthouse painted red. 1-story keeper's house adjoining the lighthouse. A photo is at right, ARLHS has a photo by UR7GW, the Derzhhidrohrafiyu has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. The range guides ships approaching the Dnipro River. Located on a concrete pier on a tiny islet about 7 km (4.5 mi) west northwest of Rybalce. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS UKR-052; UA-1000; Admiralty N5149; NGA 18088.
Stanislav Range Front Light
Stanislaus-Adzhyholskyy Range Front Light, June 2008
Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by _AL_
Stanislav-Adzhigol'skiy Range Rear (Adzhiogol)
1915 (Vladimir G. Schukov). Probably destroyed in 2022; listed with focal plane 67 m (220 ft); continuous white light, visible only on the range line. 64 m (210 ft) round skeletal tower with lantern, double gallery, enclosed watch room, and central cylinder. Entire lighthouse painted red. The 1-story keeper's house is built within the base. A Derzhhidrohrafiyu photo is at right, Ivan Antypenko has a photo, Serezha Konkretniy has a distant view, ARLHS has a photo by UR7GW, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. There is a report the lighthouse was attacked and probably destroyed by Russian missiles during the Ukraine War in July 2022. This remarkable lighthouse was built in the shape of a hyperbolic paraboloid; from a distance it has a light and graceful appearance that belies its great size. The range guides ships entering the Dnipro River. Located on a concrete pier on a tiny islet off the mouth of the Dnipro, about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) north of Rybalce. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS UKR-102; UA-1001; Admiralty N5149.1; NGA 18092.

Kherson Raion (Dnipro Entrance) Lighthouses
The Dnipro (Dneiper) River has formed a large delta at its mouth. The entrance for shipping is through the Rvach River, the Dnipro's northernmost distributary.

Kasperovskiy (Kizomys) Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); continuous red light. 6 m (20 ft) 2-story concrete tower rising from the front of a 1-story concrete keeper's cottage. The light was formerly shown from a square second-floor window, but it is now shown from a mast mounted in front of the window. Building painted gray; the seaward face of the light tower is painted purple as a daymark. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. This is the approach range for the Dnipro River entrance. Located on the north side of the entrance about 3 km (2 mi) west of Kizomys. Accessible by road. Site status unknown, probably open. ARLHS UKR-105; UA-1075; Admiralty N5152; NGA 18164.
Kasperovskiy (Kizomys) Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); continuous white light. 27 m (89 ft) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, painted red. The entire seaward side of the tower is covered with a red slatted daymark. ARLHS has a photo by UR7GW and Google has a satellite view. Located on the north side of Kizomys, about 1.6 km (1 mi) east northeast of the front light. Site status unknown, probably open. ARLHS UKR-106; UA-1076; Admiralty N5152.1; NGA 18168.

Stanislaus-Adzhyholskyy Range Rear Light
Derzhhidrohrafiyu photo
Malyy Kasperovskiy Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11.5 m (37 ft); continuous green light. 11 m (36 ft) round tower carrying a diamond-shaped daymark painted black with a white vertical stripe. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. This is the entrance range for the Rvach River. Located in a wet field at the east end of the town of Kizomys. Site status unknown. Admiralty N5156; NGA 18172.
Malyy Kasperovskiy Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 19 m (62 ft); continuous green light. 19 m (62 ft) round tower carrying a diamond-shaped daymark painted black with a white vertical stripe. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located in a field 500 m (0.3 mi) east of the front light. Site status unknown. Admiralty N5156.1; NGA 18176.
Richka Rvach Range No. 12 Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 17 m (56 ft); continuous (?) white light. Approx. 16 m (52 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. This is a downstream range. The front light is on a post. There are twelve ranges guiding vessels through the Rvach River to and from the port of Kherson; most of the lights appear to be on posts with daymark panels but no photos are available. Located on the south side of the river near the east end of Ostrov Zabich. Site status unknown. Admiralty N5159.71.
* Richka Dnipro Range No. 1 Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 15 m (49 ft); continuous (?) red light. Approx.14 m (43 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. This is a downstream range guiding vessels on a long reach from or past the Kherson docks into the delta. Located in the Zakitne neighborhood of Kherson, which faces the river loop called the Staryi Dnipro. Site appears open, tower closed. Admiralty N5177.
* Richka Dnipro Range No. 1 Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 25 m (82 ft); continuous (?) white light. Approx. 22 m (72 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located in the Zakitne neighborhood of Kherson about 800 m (1/2 mi) southwest of the front light. Site appears open, tower closed. Admiralty N5177.1.

Dnipro (Dnieper) River Lighthouses

The Dnieper River (known in Ukrainian as the Dnipro) rises in easternmost Russia and flows across Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. It is Europe's fourth longest river. In Ukraine it is a major source of hydroelectric power and also an artery of transportation. When Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union (1917-1991) a series of six major dams was built on the river. Each dam has a navigation lock, making the river navigable over the full width of the country. Each lock has an associated lighthouse.

Kherson Oblast Lighthouse
Kakhovka Lower Entrance
Around 1955. Active (?); focal plane about 15 m (49 ft); continuous (?) red light. Approx. 9 m (30 ft) concrete tower. Nickolay Omelchenko has a distant drone view and Bing has a satellite view. Clearly trees obstruct the view of this light, if it is active. Completed in 1956, the Kakhovka Dam creates the Kakhovka Reservoir, which extends upstream for about 240 km (150 mi). Located at the entrance to the canal leading to the navigation lock. Site and tower probably closed.
Kakhovka Upper Entrance
Around 1955. Active; focal plane about 22 m (72 ft); continuous (?) green light. Approx. 20 m (66 ft) round concrete tower atop an octagonal concrete tower. A photo (first photo on the page) is available and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse is located at the end of a breakwater extending from the south shore of the reservoir to protect the entrance to the navigation lock. The breakwater appears to be part of a park, so the lighthouse may be accessible by walking the pier. Site probably open, tower closed.

Zaporizhia Oblast Lighthouse
Zaporizhia Upper Entrance
Around 1932. Active (?); focal plane about 25 m (82 ft) continuous (?) red light. Approx. 23 m (75 ft) round concrete tower topped by a mast. A photo is at right, Lightphotos.net has a photo, Yuri Byshev has a photo, another photo and several additional photos are available, and Google has a satellite view. Built between 1927 and 1932, the Zaporizhia Dam and Dnipro Hydroelecric Station were one of the first major hydroelectric projects of the Soviet Union. The dam was dynamited by retreating Soviet troops in 1941 and again by retreating German troops in 1943; after extensive reconstruction it was placed back in operation in 1950. The lighthouse is located at the end of the west breakwater protecting the entrance to the navigation lock. Site and tower closed.

Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Lighthouse
Dniprodzerzhynsk Upper Entrance
Around 1964. Active (?); focal plane about 20 m (66 ft); continuous (?) green light. Approx. 15 m (49 ft) square concrete pillar rising from a 1-story concrete equipment shelter. Evgeny Burlakov has a distant drone view and Google has a satellite view. The dam is at Dniprodzerzhynsk, about 40 km (25 mi) west of the provincial capital of Dnipropetrovsk. The Kamianske (Dniprodzerzhynsk) Reservoir behind the dam is 114 km (71 mi) long. The lighthouse is located at the end of a detached, curved breakwater protecting the entrance to the navigation lock. Site open, tower closed.

Zaporizhia Dam and Light, Zaporizhia, July 2013
ex-Panoramio Creative Commons photo by mirhul

Kirovohrad Oblast Lighthouse
Kremenchuk Upper Entrance
Around 1960. Active (?); focal plane about 20 m (66 ft); continuous (?) green light. Approx. 18 m (60 ft) triangular skeletal tower, lower portion enclosed. A very distant street view is available, Denis Chuguev has a distant drone view, and Google has a satellite view. Built between 1954 and 1961, the Kremenchuk Dam creates the largest reservoir on the river, 149 km (93 mi) long and as much as 28 km (17.5 mi) wide. The lighthouse is located at the end of a detached, curved breakwater protecting the entrance to the navigation lock. Site open, tower closed.

Cherkasy Oblast Lighthouse
Kaniv Upper Entrance
Around 1975. Active (?); focal plane about 25 m (82 ft); continuous (?) green light. Approx. 23 m (75 ft) square cylindrical glass-enclosed skeletal tower mounted on a robust square concrete base. From a distance the tower appears black with narrow white horizontal bands. Dima Korol has a photo and Google has a street view and a satellite view. Completed in 1975, the Kaniv Dam was the last of the great hydroelectric projects on the river. The Kaniv Reservoir extends 162 km (100 mi) upstream to the capital city of Kiev. The lighthouse is located at the end of a curved breakwater protecting the entrance to the navigation lock. Site status unknown.

Kyiv (Kiev) Oblast Lighthouses
* Lighthouse Restaurant
Date unknown (recent). Active; focal plane about 12 m (39 ft); continuous white light. 12 m (39 ft) 2-stage tower with lantern; upper half round, painted red, on a round platform supported by a square unpainted concrete pier. A drone view is available, the restaurant has a view from the outdoor seating area, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the east bank of the river just south of the Paton (E95) bridge. Owner/site manager: Pесторан «Маяк» (Lighthouse Restaurant).
* Chervona Kalina (2 towers)
Date unknown (recent). Two active lights; focal plane about 8 m (26 ft); continuous white lights. 8 m (26 ft) posts carrying large lanterns with galleries; spiral stairways surround the posts. Olexiy Zozulya has a 2021 photo of both lights, Alexandra Kolotova has a photo of the south light, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located adjacent to a pier of the yacht harbor at the Chervona Kalina Hotel Complex on the east side of the river opposite the Podils'kiy District in northern Kiev. Site open, tower closed.
Vyshhorod (Kyiv, Kiev) Upper Entrance
Around 1964. Active (?); focal plane about 25 m (82 ft); continuous (?) green light. Approx. 23 m (75 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower with a glass-enclosed upper section, mounted on a robust square concrete base. The entire lighthouse is white. A photo is at right, Arthur Stogniy has a 2019 photo, Dmitry Kukushkin has a photo, Maxim Kradozhon has a 2021 drone view, and Google has a satellite view. The Kiev Dam is located about 25 km (15 mi) north of the capital city. The Kiev Reservoir extends 110 km (68 mi) upstream and is about 12 km (7.5 mi) wide. The lighthouse is located at the end of a curved breakwater protecting the entrance to the navigation lock. Site status unknown.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:


Vyshhorod (Kiev) Light, Vyshhorod, November 2013
ex-Panoramio Creative Commons photo by Wisetus

Adjoining pages: East: Southeastern Ukraine | South: Western Crimea | West: Mykolaiv Area

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Posted February 19, 2007. Checked and revised September 8, 2021. Lighthouses: 29. Site copyright 2021 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.