Oprichnik Lighthouse

The Oprichnik Lighthouse stands on Cape Signalny, the eastern entrance cape of Oprichnik Bay, in the Dalnegorsk municipal district of Primorsky Krai. The nearest settlement is the village of Kamenka, located along the coast to the northwest, about a kilometer from the lighthouse.

The cape and the bay

Cape Signalny is formed by the southern slope of a hill 203 meters high. Oprichnik Bay cuts 1.3 kilometers into the mainland, and its width at the entrance is about three kilometers. The bay's western entrance cape is called Rifovy. The bay's western and eastern shores are elevated and rocky, while the northern shore is low. The beach along the coast is mostly pebbly, with boulders in places, which is typical of the rocky coastline in this part of Primorye.

Near Cape Rifovy, on the other side of the bay's entrance, stand the sea stacks known as the Kamenskie Two Brothers — free-standing rock formations clearly visible from the water. Oprichnik Bay also hosts a deviation range, where the magnetic compasses of small vessels are calibrated: the calm waters and remoteness from interference make the bay well suited to this task.

History

Oprichnik Bay was discovered in 1855 during hydrographic surveys of the Primorye coast. It received its current name later, in 1874, in memory of the Russian naval clipper Oprichnik, whose crew carried out the first hydrographic surveys and depth soundings here in 1860. The lighthouse on Cape Signalny, marking the eastern entrance to the bay, is a third-class lighthouse — a class that typically marks approaches to mid-sized bays and inlets rather than major ports.

How to get there

A walking route to the lighthouse begins at the lighthouse keepers' house on the cape. The trail runs 3.85 kilometers, with an elevation gain of 172 meters and a maximum climb altitude of 249 meters, so the route calls for a reasonable level of fitness.

The road to the keepers' houses is passable for any crossover vehicle. In summer it is reached by a detour across a shallow ford of the Oprichninka River (formerly called Mutukhe), and in winter directly across the river ice. The nearest landmark on the way is the village of Kamenka: from there it is about a kilometer along the coast to the lighthouse.

Today the Oprichnik Lighthouse on Cape Signalny is a popular destination for walks along the Oprichnik Bay coast, combining sea views, rocky shores and the history of the Dalnegorsk district.