Sopka Mayachnaya

Sopka Mayachnaya is a 218-metre hill in the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky urban district, on Cape Mayachny, which marks the southern side of the entrance to Avacha Bay in Kamchatka Krai. It is one of the best-known viewpoints in the region: from the top, the Pacific Ocean, Avacha Bay and the volcanoes of the Avacha group are all visible.

Nature

Geologically, the hill belongs to the Zavoyko volcanic complex. Its slopes run down to several coves — Bolshaya Lagernaya, Solovarka (also called Srednyaya Lagernaya), Malaya Lagernaya, and Shlyupochnaya Bay. Lakes Sinichkino and Ovalnoye lie close by. The viewing spot on Cape Mayachny offers a panorama of the ocean and the mountains, which is why the place is popular with tourists and photographers.

The Three Brothers rocks

At the foot of the hill, in the sea off Cape Mayachny, stand three rock stacks known as the Three Brothers (Tri Brata), one of the symbols of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. According to legend, three brothers turned to stone while shielding the bay from a giant wave coming from the ocean. A viewing platform has been built next to the rocks and is now one of the most visited spots in the city.

Petropavlovsk Lighthouse

Cape Mayachny is home to the Petropavlovsk Lighthouse, also known as Dalny or Vauna, the oldest lighthouse in the Russian Far East. A signal fire on this site is recorded as far back as 1740. A wooden, larch-built lighthouse was erected here in 1850, followed in 1896 by a 12-metre cast-iron tower designed by military engineer Konstantin Leopold; it went into service in 1897. In 1937 the station received the Far East's first radio beacon and a steam siren. In 1905 a Japanese cruiser passed the cape into Avacha Bay and shelled the city. The lighthouse underwent its last major reconstruction in 1966–1968 and is now equipped with a GLONASS system.

Getting there

Sopka Mayachnaya and Cape Mayachny lie within Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and can be reached by car or taxi. A popular option is a jeep tour that combines the lighthouse, the Three Brothers rocks and the surrounding coves. Part of the route is covered on foot, along dirt roads and coastal trails.