Description of the attraction
The Kõpu lighthouse, located on the island of Hiiumaa, is today the oldest operating lighthouse in the world. The construction of the lighthouse began in 1505 and lasted 26 years intermittently. For the first time, the fire on the top of the tower was lit in August 1531. The lighthouse tower already at that time was a four-sided prism with powerful buttresses in the direction of the main divisions of the compass.
Up to 24 meters high, the tower is made of solid cobblestones bound with cement. At a height of 24 meters, there was the first lower room, where the ministers were housed. This room had 2 windows facing east and west. There was another one above this room, in which there was a winch for lifting firewood. Above the upper room there was a platform where a fire from firewood was laid out on a grate. In calm, clear weather, the fire was visible from afar - for 15 miles, but in a storm the fire was often flooded or scattered by the wind.
Previously, the lighthouse was called Daguerort - from the Swedish dager - "day, daylight, light" and ort - "place, edge, point", as well as "cape".
The height of the lighthouse increased to 36.5 m in 1659 under the Swedes, when it was leased to Thimen Cornelis.
In 1660 Count Axel Julius de la Gardie bought the island together with the lighthouse from the Swedish government with the obligation to illuminate the tower for a fee.
During the time of Peter I, duty was collected from all ships passing by Dago to Vyborg, Revel, Vyborg and Nyenskans. Thus, Daguerorte lighthouse was the first in the Russian waters of the Baltic Sea, which served, among other things, for commercial purposes. During this time, the lighthouse was regularly illuminated from March 15 to April 30 and from August 15 to December 30.
In 1776 the lighthouse with the Khorenholm estate was handed over to Countess Ebbe Margarita Steenbock. In 1792, Baron Roman Ungern-Sternbert bought this estate. Every year the baron asked the state for an amount of 5,000 rubles in silver to illuminate the lighthouse. The thing is that over the long years of the lighthouse's existence, the forest around it was cut down long ago and firewood had to be brought from afar, which was not cheap. Initially, about half of the required amount was allocated from the treasury. And in 1796 they stopped paying altogether. However, the baron, until 1805, maintained the lighting of the lighthouse. He distributed the supply of firewood among the residents of the nearest peasant households, freeing them from other work.
Since 1805, the Russian state took over the lighting of the lighthouse. Repairs were immediately carried out. A lantern was placed in the upper part, which was illuminated by 23 oil lamps. In 1845, the tower was repaired again, at which time the lighthouse was illuminated for 10 months a year - from July 1 to May 1. The lamps were lit at sunset and extinguished at dawn.
In 1860, improved lighting of the lighthouse was installed, with a visibility of the fire at a distance of up to 50 km. The lighthouse was serviced by a team of 7 people, one of whom was constantly in the wind.
In 1883, a telegraph station was installed at the Kipusky lighthouse. A rescue station was located near the lighthouse, whose duties included warning ships approaching too quickly and providing assistance to those in distress.
In 1898, a telephone exchange was placed instead of telegraph equipment.
In 1901, the tower was again overhauled. In the same year, the lighthouse was equipped with the latest light-optical system, acquired in Paris at the World's Fair in 1900.
In 1940, a power transmission line from the state grid was brought to the Kypus lighthouse.
The lighthouse was badly damaged during the Second World War. However, the destruction was not fatal and, thanks to the powerful and durable stone walls, the tower was quickly restored.
In subsequent years, the lighthouse lighting was modernized.
In 1957, a complete overhaul of the Kypu lighthouse was carried out. However, it was not possible to completely stop the destruction of the tower and in 1982 repairs were carried out again, the area around the lighthouse was landscaped. An EMV-930M light-optical apparatus was also installed with a fire visibility range of 26 … 30 miles.
In August 2011, the Kõpu lighthouse turns 480 years old. According to its tenant Jaan Puusepp, the lighthouse is annually visited by about 30 thousand tourists. And in recent years, more and more people come to look at it from different parts of the world.
