The light of Russian lighthouses has reached Paris. At the Russian Orthodox Spiritual and Cultural Center (RDCPZ) on Quai Branly, the photo exhibition "Lighthouses of Russia" has opened, gathering dozens of images from various regions of the country. The exhibition and the preceding photo contest of the same name are important steps towards attracting international attention to the unique Russian lighthouses, an almost unused domestic resource for tourism development. Meanwhile, in the world, trips to lighthouses are a popular direction. For special fans, there are even special passports in which stamps are placed upon visiting another lighthouse. Today, there are about 350 lighthouses operating in Russia, and to see at least some of the most interesting and historically important ones, you need to travel all over Russia, visiting almost all the seas that wash it. The northernmost lighthouse in Russia is the Heiberg Tower Lighthouse, located on Eastern Island in the Vilkitsky Strait, separating the Taimyr Peninsula from the Severnaya Zemlya archipelago. The hard-to-reach Aniva Lighthouse stands in the southern part of Sakhalin Island, where the Sea of Japan meets the Sea of Okhotsk. The Tolbukhin Lighthouse, one of the oldest in Russia, was erected in 1719 in the Gulf of Finland by order of Peter the Great and named after the first commandant of Kronstadt, Fedot Tolbukhin. The Pilau Lighthouse in Baltiysk, Kaliningrad region, is also associated with the name of Peter the Great. Ships with the emperor on board entered this port even before these lands were annexed to Russia. No less interesting than the northernmost is the southernmost lighthouse – Derbent, built in 1853. It is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, which rarely happens with lighthouses. The old object is still in operation. Probably everyone who has visited Yalta has seen the lighthouse there. One of the symbols of the city adorns the city promenade. The Chersonese Lighthouse delights tourists who visit the ancient city, the ruins of which are located within modern Sevastopol. The Sochi Lighthouse has been operating since the 19th century. Not far from the Crimean village of Gaspra is the Ai-Todor Lighthouse, which survived three wars: the Crimean War, the Russo-Turkish War, and the Great Patriotic War. By the way, among the navigation structures of Russia, there are heroic lighthouses that withstood enemy shelling and fulfilled their duty. Among them is the Osinovets Lighthouse on Lake Ladoga, which served as a landmark on the Road of Life during the blockade of Leningrad. Among the lighthouses of Russia, there are many structures that are unlike any other. The Russian Lighthouse is called a 24-meter round yellow tower in the Barents Sea. In the Kara Sea rises the White Lighthouse – a wooden tower that resembles the Eiffel Tower, but it is not white. The lighthouse was named by analogy with White Island. Among the structures of the famous Solovetsky Monastery is a church-lighthouse – a guiding star for sailors. It is probably fair that the first lighthouse museum in Russia is located in Kronstadt, near one of the oldest lighthouses in the country – the Tolbukhin Lighthouse. By their purpose, all lighthouses are the same, but in appearance, they differ greatly. The lighthouse is a special object. It's one thing to work on the facade of an urban building and quite another on a structure on a remote deserted shore, seen only by pilots and seals. Perhaps the Soviet typical approach is right? Probably because of this conviction of Russian architects and engineers, Russian lighthouses attract the attention of tourists from all over the country and abroad. – There is no training for the profession of head, technician, or engineer of a lighthouse. Anyone with education, preferably higher technical, can get this job. But people with humanities education also have the right to apply for this position. Each candidate undergoes an interview because the work is very specific. It is important to establish that the person is capable and understands where they are going. And all the nuances are learned on the spot. In the world, there is lighthouse tourism, many lighthouses are open for visits in the form of mini-museums, – he says. – In operating lighthouses, entry is prohibited – into the lantern room where the equipment is located. But you can climb the observation deck, see some historical exhibits and materials. In many countries, there are lighthouse societies and associations that are engaged in the restoration and popularization of lighthouses. For example, there is a lighthouse passport in which stamps are placed during the visit to various lighthouses. The task is to collect all the stamps, and this also stimulates tourism development. Russia is at the beginning of its journey in developing lighthouse tourism, but the interest shown by visitors gives grounds for optimism. According to the founder of the Russian Lighthouse Service Museum, on every tour, the question arises about which lighthouses can be visited. The answer is – those that are out of operation.