Ai-Todor Lighthouse

(autotranslated, could have mistakes)

Star of the sailor Ai-Todorsky (20 59) 151222 ! from First Sevastopol channel on Vimeo.

Cape Ai-Todor is one of the most beautiful places on the southern coast of the Crimean Peninsula. No one can say for sure how long ago people have lived on this steep coast covered with evergreen subtropical plants. How scientists discuss the hypothesis of being here in the 1st millennium BC. the most ancient tribes - the Taurians. And they note as a fact that in the 1st century AD. Roman ships entered the harbor under the Aurora rock and landed the sailors of the Ravenna squadron ashore. Perhaps they climbed where the staircase leading to the Swallow's Nest now winds, and moved to the main, southwestern spur of the cape, founding a stone fortification over a high and therefore impregnable cliff, which served its functions for about two centuries.

Crimea Island. Episode 15. Massandra.

This ancient Roman fortress settlement returned from oblivion largely thanks to the efforts and efforts of the current head of the Ai-Todor lighthouse, retired captain 2nd rank Yuri Ivanovich Tyurin. It was on his initiative and with the direct participation of the walls of the ancient Roman settlement that they began to reveal their secrets, the distant history of an amazing and picturesque piece of the south coast. It was he who became the soul of the local historians who returned to the world the stone chronicle of the ancient fortress of Kharaks.

...Together with Yuri Ivanovich we walk through the ruins of the ancient Roman fortress, and he bitterly complains that today it is not protected from “black” archaeologists and the tricks of the weather. I listen to his amazing story about the collection of anchors he has collected, among which are Admiralty ones, including those weighing 2.5 tons, the anchors of the English captain Hall, and even stone and lead ones - which I have never seen anywhere before. There is a one-legged

two-, three- and even four-legged. 22 anchors of various times and designs!

Yuri Ivanovich’s special pride is the collection of lanterns located on the spacious veranda. This, according to its creator, does not exist anywhere else.

– The fact is that it includes not only lighthouses, ship

and ship lanterns of different eras and designs, but also aviation, railway, and household types of lanterns,” explains Tyurin.

And what is the collection of astronomical and navigational instruments, collected over almost three decades, worth?!

A special place in his museum is occupied by exhibits related to the Antarctic expedition, which was carried out by scientists and Black Sea hydrographers on the oceanographic research vessels (OIS) “Admiral Vladimirsky” and “Thaddeus Bellingshausen” in 1982-1983 under the flag of the head of the hydrographic service of the Black Sea Fleet, Rear Admiral Lev Mitin. Yuri Ivanovich himself was a participant in that round-the-world Antarctic expedition. In 147 days and nights, the Black Sea Fleet OIC covered 36,000 miles. Black Sea hydrographers discovered 178 underwater mountains and peaks and clarified the location of 13 islands.

The fate of the caretaker of the Ai-Todor lighthouse, Yuri Ivanovich Tyurin, is as amazing as the history of the lighthouse itself - if you can compare human life and the imperishable creation of human hands. He was born on October 24, 1927 in the village of Elemeika, Vachsky district, Gorky region, during the Great Patriotic War he graduated from the 3rd Gorky Naval Special School, then the Gorky Military

-marine preparatory school. And it is not surprising that the trained young man became a cadet of the first post-war recruitment at the famous Leningrad Higher Naval School named after M.V. Frunze.

“There were many front-line soldiers there, including two Heroes of the Soviet Union,” recalls Yuri Ivanovich.

After graduating from university, the young hydrographer, lieutenant, ends up in the 7th Pacific Fleet, in Sovetskaya Gavan.

“In 1950, the Politburo decided to begin work on the construction of a tunnel under the Tatar Strait,” recalls Yuri Ivanovich, “but first it was necessary to carry out survey work, so they began to form a hydrographic party with the task of surveying the area. Naturally, the best were selected for it, since it was Stalin’s idea.

The hydrographic party was headed by Ka

Lieutenant Nikolai Sergeev. Lieutenant Tyurin also fell into it. And besides the officers, 20 of the best conscript sailors. It was necessary to take measurements of the hydrographic area and, in particular, the Nevelskoy Strait between the mainland and Sakhalin. It's seven and a half kilometers. And the main watercraft used by hydrographers was a boat. Sailors understand what it's like

xstream. Add to this the separation from the base, field work and uninsulated tents in which we had to live in that harsh region. Sleeping bags saved us.

At sea - extreme, on the shore - an ascetic lifestyle. And so on for 7 months. Moreover, it was necessary to constantly report on the progress of work - strict control was carried out.

The hydrographers completed the difficult task with honor. And even though the construction of a tunnel under the bottom of the Tatar Strait connecting the mainland with Sakhalin (“Sakhalin Umbilical Cord”) was abandoned a few years later, the research of hydrographs was still useful. They are reflected on maps and in relevant documents. And the young officer Tyurin received excellent sea training, the ability to control a boat and its crew, and most importantly, the much-needed practical skills. And not only in the technique of depth measurements, but also in triangulation, geodesy, and other areas.

After successfully completing the task, Tyurin returned to Sovetskaya Gavan. Sakhalin Island, Kuril Islands. During his eight years of service in the Far East, he learned a lot. The lighthouses still shine there, in the construction of which Yuri Ivanovich was directly involved.

And he remembered one of the Far Eastern cases for the rest of his life.

b, when on a hydrographic sounding boat I got caught in a severe storm. The fragile little boat, with a displacement of only 100 tons, was tossed around so that the crew had very little chance of staying alive.

On that day, Tyurin turned exactly a quarter of a century old. The Tartary Strait seemed to go crazy. My mind was constantly haunted by the thought of the absurdity of dying on my own birthday. And even at that age. The officer mustered all his will and, being in the field of view of his subordinates, tried to remain calm. He decided at all costs to make his way to the small island of Moneron and, hiding behind it, wait out the storm.

At dawn, with the storm continuing, the lighthouses began to look for the boat and the bodies of the dead hydrographers on the shore. No one believed that they survived such hell. What a joy it was to meet friends and colleagues. One of them jokingly remarked to Tyurin: well, if you survived such a 25th anniversary, it means you will live for a long, long time. And he prophesied...

Eight-year Far Eastern “universities” became an excellent life school for an officer, character building, a solid basis of knowledge, experience, and professionalism. By the way, here, on Sakhalin, he met his future wife, Raisa Gu

a zealous, charming teacher, whom he took to the Black Sea Fleet in 1957. In Sevastopol, Yuri Ivanovich was appointed head of the navigation equipment unit.

“In those years, it was located on the Mine Wall,” the veteran recalls, “then it moved to Lenin Street, then to Streletskaya Bay...

For 12 years, Captain 2nd Rank Tyurin commanded the hydrographic region, which covered most of the Crimean Peninsula. His area has been repeatedly noted as the best in the hydrographic service of the Black Sea Fleet.

The time has come to retire. And then Tyurin was offered to become the head of the Ai-Todor lighthouse. This is an official position. But in essence, he shouldered the position of caretaker of Ai-Todor. After all, he is in charge of not only one of the most beautiful lighthouses on the southern coast of Crimea, but also a thousand-year-old (!) pistachio tree on the territory of the lighthouse town, which served as a navigation sign for ancient sailors, he created, one might say, a museum exhibition on the ruins of the ancient fortress of Kharaks, a built residential building and an entire lighthouse town... He is very careful and reverent about everything that the ancient land preserves Ai-Todora.

Yuri Ivanovich - hydrological engineer

Raf, member of the Geographical Society of the USSR and Russia, honored officer, although today he is retired. He, despite all the numerous difficulties, maintains strict naval order not only at the lighthouse, but also throughout the entire territory adjacent to it. And this cape itself is connected with the army throughout its history.

Ai-Todor translated from Greek means Saint Theodore. The cape was named in honor of the Roman warrior Theodore Tyrant, who accepted death for the Christian faith. The cape continued to faithfully serve the military due to its strategic geographical location. Created on the initiative of the commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Admiral M.P. Lazarev with the approval of Governor General Mikhail Vorontsov, he has been faithfully serving the Black Sea Fleet and sailors of many countries for 172 years.

The caretakers and commanders of the Ai-Todor lighthouse were people well-known in the Crimea and in the navy, whom Yuri Ivanovich Tyurin talks about with particular warmth. This is General Nikolai Panteleimonovich Fedorov, his younger brother Ivan Fedorov is a wonderful artist, whose paintings were even bought by princes. Leo Tolstoy, who was resting 3 miles from Ma, often came to visit him (he was a caretaker from 1891 to 1911).

yak, on the estate of Countess Panina.

A noticeable mark in the biography of the lighthouse was left by the titular adviser Nikolai Yakovlevich Ryzhov, a participant in the Russian-Japanese War, a hero of Port Arthur. But perhaps the most famous and, one might say, legendary lighthouse maker was Andrei Ilyich Dudar - the head of the Chersonesos lighthouse during the Great Patriotic War, a participant in the October Revolution and the Civil War. Much has been said about his feat at the Chersonesus lighthouse. He became the head of the Ai-Todor lighthouse in 1944 after the liberation of Crimea and continuously kept this watch until 1966, as evidenced by the memorial plaque installed on the day of the 150th anniversary of the lighthouse. The motor ship of the Yalta seaport, which cruised with tourists along the Crimean coast, was named after him.

After him, for 12 years the lighthouse staff was led by Ivan Denisovich Ganotsky, whose son, Alexander, still works at the lighthouse. Since 1978, after being transferred to the reserve, Captain 2nd Rank Yuri Ivanovich Tyurin took over the lighthouse baton of Ai-Todor from his predecessor. Over 29 years of lighthouse command, he accomplished a search and collection feat, bit by bit restoring not only the history of the lighthouse, but highlighting many pages of the history of Navy hydrography

and the Black Sea Fleet, in particular. Its museum collection contains rarities that would be the envy of reputable museums and libraries. For example, the Charter of Peter I, dated 1763. Ocean Atlases. During the 29 years of his asceticism in this position, he created a unique lighthouse museum, which has no equal. More precisely, not even a museum, but an entire lighthouse-museum complex, because the lighthouse itself, which has been functioning regularly for more than 170 years, can be considered a rarity. The history of the lighthouse town is attractive. Russian tsars, major military leaders, great writers and poets, artists, mayors left their mark here...

Yuri Ivanovich far-sightedly started a book of honorary visitors to the Ai-Todor lighthouse. Guests who visited it left grateful notes in the guest book, asked about the details of such a romantic service, and about the history of this branch of hydrography.

“Perhaps, it was their sincere interest that prompted me at one time to create a lighthouse museum, now known far beyond the borders of Crimea,” says Yuri Ivanovich, “But over many years, the book of reviews itself began to be of museum value. After all, eminent guests not only thanked or praised - they left their reflections on the pages,

attitude, attitude towards maritime affairs. We, the lighthouse workers, value their “from the outside” view of our work. I am sure that their words and assessments are of great interest to a wide readership. After all, even in our time, extraordinary people often visited the lighthouse. Commanders-in-Chief, commanders of all four Soviet fleets, famous scientists, writers, masters of art. We received guests from different parts of our great Fatherland, from many countries of the world. The archives also preserved detailed reports about the stay of L. Tolstoy, A. Chekhov, V. Mayakovsky here at one time, and about the visits to the lighthouse of reigning persons and grand dukes, the king and queen of Denmark.

Yuri Ivanovich allowed me to make extracts from the book of honorary visitors, some of which I would like to present, because they are a kind of portrait of the Ai-Todor lighthouse and its keeper.

Academician A.F. Treshnikov: “It’s a great idea to create a museum at the Ai-Todorsky lighthouse. People have settled on this cape since ancient times, as evidenced by archaeological excavations and traces of the material culture of the distant past. By themselves, they can already constitute a museum. Ai-Todor lighthouse is also unique and incredibly beautiful...

Our famous contemporary and my teacher, Academician V. Shchuleykin, conducted marine research in the area of ​​the cape.

...The head of the lighthouse, Tyurin, carefully collects its history, which very conveniently included a place for a section dedicated to the voyage around Antarctica of the ships Thaddeus Bellingshausen and Admiral Vladimirsky in 1982-1983.

Yuri Ivanovich himself was a participant in that voyage and sacredly preserves documents, things, books related to those events. I believe that contemporaries and descendants will appreciate this work. The Ai-Todor Museum will be the same alluring light to everyone who appreciated history, like the attractive beam of its lighthouse. It awakened in my memory memories of the Antarctic, the study of which I devoted many years to, and allowed me to further appreciate the contribution of the Black Sea Fleet to the science of land and sea, the significance of the geographical discoveries made by the current generation of Black Sea residents...”

Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR, General of the Army V. Govorov: “...I admire your hard work and preservation of ancient monuments...”

Commander of the Kola Flotilla of the KSF, Rear Admiral I. Kasatonov: “...I am sincerely grateful for the preserved piece of Russian history, for your dedication and enthusiasm!

This is how you should love your Motherland, your fleet and your work...”

T.D. Karbysheva (daughter of the hero-general): “...I never thought that someday I would find myself on a wonderful, most beautiful lighthouse on the Black Sea, and maybe in the world... My heart skips a beat, overflowing with pride and love...”

Commander-in-Chief of the USSR Navy, Fleet Admiral V. Chernavin: “I got acquainted with the lighthouse with great interest. ...It is impossible not to appreciate the efforts of enthusiasts to preserve the history of the lighthouse service and our fleet. Everything I see evokes a feeling of deep satisfaction...”

Head of the Main Directorate of Navigation and Oceanography of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, Vice Admiral A. Komaritsyn: “...Despite all the difficulties and complexities of the modern period, the lighthouse, its buildings, and the territory are maintained in exemplary order. Such exemplary behavior is possible only when work and service are a matter of life, honor and conscience of the lighthouse workers...”

Professor O. Mamaev: *“...Who, seeing the distant, saving, calling light of a lighthouse, did not dream of understanding its essence and touching its heart?

Ai-Todor! Your fire always led me savingly past the welcoming and menacing shores. And so I touched your heart for a moment..."*

N

expedition leader of the magazine “Soviet Woman”, yacht captain Victoria Ostrovskaya (yacht “Altair”): “For thirteen days I went to the signal of the Ai-Todor lighthouse. The storm threw me into the sea, but I again went to this call sign. And not only did she reach the shore, but she even climbed into the tower and touched the lens of the lamp that shines on the sailors on their way, lifts their spirits, and warms them with the warmth of the earth - ours, our dear, beloved.

In a storm, in darkness, noise and howling winds, we so need this guiding thread of hope, woven from light and warmth...”

Scientific Secretary of the Vladimir Department of the Geographical Society of the USSR L. Fomintseva: * “The search for materials about the life of the famous Russian naval commander, our fellow Vladimir resident M.P. Lazarev revealed to me a new page of his activities - the founding of the oldest lighthouse on the Black Sea - the Ai-Todor lighthouse.

Having visited here for the first time, I was touched by how sacredly the lighthouse staff honors Lazarev’s traditions - an impeccably honest attitude to business in the name of the interests of the Motherland, a humanistic attitude towards people, a constant combination of everyday affairs with scientific research work. I leave as a souvenir the landscape of our modest Klyazma River, which flows thousands of miles away

t from you and carries its waters to the sea.”*

These are some of the touches to the portrait of Ai-Todor, captured by his guests. This is only a small part of what was said and recorded by visitors.

Tyurin has gone through a long and difficult career as an officer. The path of serving the Fatherland continues. Yuri Ivanovich regularly maintains a permanent watch as the keeper of the Ai-Todor lighthouse, whose green light is known to thousands and thousands of sailors from many countries. And all these 29 years, the lighthouse has been regularly, day after day, stable, like the rising and setting of the sun, shining on sailors, orienting them, giving them a premonition of an imminent meeting with the earth. And no emergency situations can prevent the lighthouse from lighting its guiding star.

Source: Captain 1st Rank Vladimir PASYAKIN, “Red Star”. Photo by the author.