Tokarevsky Lighthouse, Vladivostok

Tokarevsky Lighthouse marks the entrance to the Eastern Bosphorus Strait and has guided ships since the late 19th century. The present stone tower was completed in 1913, later rising from a small man-made stone islet only about 25 metres across. Its name honours military hydrographer Mikhail Tokarevsky, although historical records suggest he never visited the area himself.

The narrow sand-and-stone path leading to the lighthouse is known locally as Tokarevskaya Koshka, or “Tokarevsky Cat,” a nautical term for a sandspit exposed at low tide. Until the 1980s, a wooden footbridge connected the shore to the tower; at low water, traces of its old supports can still be seen. At high tide, the crossing may be covered by shallow water.

Before modern equipment, the lighthouse relied on kerosene and sound as much as light. Until 1959, keepers rang a large fog bell during thick Pacific mists, and that bell is now preserved at the Pacific Fleet Museum. Today, the site is valued for its sea views, passing ships, occasional seals, and its reputation as the “edge of the world,” a phrase strengthened by its use in the final scene of the romance film Soulmate.