Sommers
Encyclopedia
Sommers is an islet and a lighthouse
in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland
, and arm of the Baltic Sea
, just outside the Gulf of Vyborg, about 19 kilometres south of Virolahti
, Finland
, but it is now possessed by Russia
.
The lighthouse is situated on a rocky skerry
, which is elevated a maximum of 16 metres above the Baltic Sea
. The first lighthouse on this islet was built in 1808. That construction was a brick building, chalked in white, about five metres high, with a lanternine on its top. The light source was modernized in 1866, and it was also raised to an elevation of eight metres. The lighthouse was given a third class lens system and a clockwork
which rotated an oil lamp with a double wick
. This gave the lighthouse beacon a reddish gloom.
The lighthouse men lived along with their families in a wooden house next to the lighthouse. A fog horn was constructed at the other end of the island by the beginning of the 20th century. The Imperial Russian Army began constructing defense works on this island when World War I
erupted, but these were never completed. In 1918, Finnish maritime authorities manned the lighthouse.
The old lighthouse was destroyed before the Winter War
of 1939-40 and the personnel were evacuated. On New Year's Eve of 1941 a Finnish force of about 100 men was stationed at the island since it had a strategic position. The Soviet Union
also wanted to possess the islet, and on 8 July 1942 it attacked the islet
with several small warships and aircraft. The Soviets creates a foothold on the eastern extent of the island, but due to artillery support from the Finnish islet of Ulko-Tammio (about 19 kilometres northwest of Sommers) the Finns drove the Soviets away on 9 July 1942.
After the 1944 peace treaty between Finland
and the Soviet Union
, the island of Sommers was given to the Soviets, who also constructed a new truss
lighthouse. Its focal plane is situated about 57 metres above sea level. Its light characteristic is "Fl(2) 10s", i.e. a group of two flashing lights about every ten seconds. There are also a number of buildings and radar masts on the island, probably to keep an eye on the increasingly busy shipping traffic in the area.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland
Gulf of Finland
The Gulf of Finland is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland and Estonia all the way to Saint Petersburg in Russia, where the river Neva drains into it. Other major cities around the gulf include Helsinki and Tallinn...
, and arm of the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
, just outside the Gulf of Vyborg, about 19 kilometres south of Virolahti
Virolahti
Virolahti is the southeastern-most municipality of Finland on the border of the Russian Federation. It is located in the province of Southern Finland and is part of the Kymenlaakso region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, but it is now possessed by Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
The lighthouse is situated on a rocky skerry
Skerry
A skerry is a small rocky island, usually defined to be too small for habitation. It may simply be a rocky reef. A skerry can also be called a low sea stack....
, which is elevated a maximum of 16 metres above the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
. The first lighthouse on this islet was built in 1808. That construction was a brick building, chalked in white, about five metres high, with a lanternine on its top. The light source was modernized in 1866, and it was also raised to an elevation of eight metres. The lighthouse was given a third class lens system and a clockwork
Clockwork
A clockwork is the inner workings of either a mechanical clock or a device that operates in a similar fashion. Specifically, the term refers to a mechanical device utilizing a complex series of gears....
which rotated an oil lamp with a double wick
Candle wick
A candle wick is a string, cord, or wooden object that holds the flame of a candle. A candle wick works by capillary action, drawing the fuel to the flame. When the liquid fuel, typically melted candle wax, reaches the flame it then vaporizes and combusts. The candle wick influences how the...
. This gave the lighthouse beacon a reddish gloom.
The lighthouse men lived along with their families in a wooden house next to the lighthouse. A fog horn was constructed at the other end of the island by the beginning of the 20th century. The Imperial Russian Army began constructing defense works on this island when World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
erupted, but these were never completed. In 1918, Finnish maritime authorities manned the lighthouse.
The old lighthouse was destroyed before the Winter War
Winter War
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...
of 1939-40 and the personnel were evacuated. On New Year's Eve of 1941 a Finnish force of about 100 men was stationed at the island since it had a strategic position. The Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
also wanted to possess the islet, and on 8 July 1942 it attacked the islet
Battle of Someri
The Battle of Someri was a battle in the Gulf of Finland during World War II on 8-9 July, 1942, between the Soviet Union and Finland. Starting as a modest operation to clear a Finnish observation post from a small island, it became one of the largest surface ship engagements in the Baltic...
with several small warships and aircraft. The Soviets creates a foothold on the eastern extent of the island, but due to artillery support from the Finnish islet of Ulko-Tammio (about 19 kilometres northwest of Sommers) the Finns drove the Soviets away on 9 July 1942.
After the 1944 peace treaty between Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, the island of Sommers was given to the Soviets, who also constructed a new truss
Truss
In architecture and structural engineering, a truss is a structure comprising one or more triangular units constructed with straight members whose ends are connected at joints referred to as nodes. External forces and reactions to those forces are considered to act only at the nodes and result in...
lighthouse. Its focal plane is situated about 57 metres above sea level. Its light characteristic is "Fl(2) 10s", i.e. a group of two flashing lights about every ten seconds. There are also a number of buildings and radar masts on the island, probably to keep an eye on the increasingly busy shipping traffic in the area.
Sources
- Seppo Laurell: Finlands fyrar 1999, ISBN 952-5180-21-2
- Lighthouses of Russia: Gulf of Finland Islands The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill