lighthouse

The painting depicts the Tarkhankut lighthouse, located on the western coast of Crimea. The lighthouse was built in 1816. That same year, a twin lighthouse was built according to the same design — the Chersonesos lighthouse. It is a 38-meter structure made of white Inkerman limestone. It was serviced by a team of 11 sailors, a keeper, usually a retired naval officer, several telegraph operators and servants. The light of the lighthouse came from an oil lamp made up of 15 wicks and 15 reflectors. Rape oil (extracted from rapeseed) served as fuel. In 1824, the lamp was made movable, and it began to rotate around its axis. At the end of the 19th century, a lamp operating on kerosene was installed, and the lens was replaced with a more powerful one. A nautphone was used to service ships during fog, generating sharp high-pitched sounds. Before its installation, a bell was used. A cast-iron spiral staircase, consisting of 142 steps and several landings, leads from the lower floor to the room with the lighthouse. During the earthquake of September 12, 1927, the lighthouse was not damaged, although the lighthouse tower swayed from side to side.