Aniva Rock Lighthouse - Sakhalinskaya Oblast, Russia

The Aniva lighthouse was built by the Japanese in 1939, on a chunk of rock off the southern coast of Sakhalin, a thin 950 km long island situated just east of Russia, between the Sea of Japan and Russia’s Sea of Okhotsk. The island was largely uninhabited until the 1800’s, when both Japan and Russia became interested in annexing it; the Russians for use as a penal colony

This lighthouse is one of many that are part of the Polar Nuclear Lighthouses, put along the coast of Russia to help aid in the passage of ships because of Polar Night.

 This one being closer to Japan than anything. They were put along the coast of Russia to help aid in the passage of ships because of Polar Night. Since they could not be crewed or supplied constantly these autonomous nuclear-powered lighthouses were erected. Many think these are radioactive because they were nuclear powered, but there isn’t a clear answer for this.

Now the Aniva lighthouse is abandoned. Its seven stories of diesel engines, accumulator rooms, keeper’s living spaces, radio facilities, storerooms, large clockwork pendulum (for regulating optical system), and 300kg pool of mercury (as a low friction rotation surface for the lens) are still, and echo only with the crash of waves against the surrounding crags.