Sukho (island)

Sukho
Nickname:
Geography
Administration
Russia
Oblast Leningrad Oblast
Volkhovsky District Volkhovsky District

Sukho island is small artificial island located in the south-east of Lake Ladoga 20 km near its southern shore. The island has the shape of an irregular horseshoe. Dimensions of this island is approximately 90 to 60 m.

The island was built at the beginning of 18th century under the orders of Peter the Great in place of existing shelf to improve the navigation conditions on the lake.

History

According to a legend when tsar Peter I was passing Volkhov Bay in his Yal (boat), he ran aground and exclaimed: "Here is dry!" ("Zdes sukho"). He ordered to convert the shallow spot he found into an island. All vessels passing by the way would have to leave stones on the new island, which got a name Sukho (Dry). So they built a man-made island in the shape of a horseshoe measuring approximately 90 by 60 meters. Entrance to the bay was built in the south-east, because the east wind blows here very rarely.[1]

A high stone lighthouse was built there in 1891.

During the Great Patriotic War especially high during Siege of Leningrad the island became important. Since this island was located in the path of Soviet convoys and 37 kilometers north of the Novaya Ladoga, it controlled large areas of the southern part of Lake Ladoga, and covered approaches to Volkhov bay and Novaya Ladoga, where the main base of the Soviet Ladoga Flotilla was located.

In the spring of 1942 the Germans began to prepare the operation "Brazil" on Lake Ladoga. Their tasks included sudden landing on the island of Sukho to capture or destroy the island garrison and to establish control over Ladoga communications between Leningrad and the rear of Red Army. In preparation the Germans created a naval base in the city of Lakhdenpokhya. 12th detachment of torpedo boats came there. Siebel disassembled self-propelled landing barges were transferred from the Italian port of La Spezia by rail through Finland.

On the island a battery number 473 with three 100 mm boat-defense guns and 3 machine-guns was stationed in September 1942. Sukho island garrison had 90 soldiers.[1]

The island's garrison with the support of aircraft and Ladoga Flotilla ships managed to repel German landing party of 30 ships trying to capture the island and the lighthouse on the night of October 22, 1942.[2] German SF-12,SF-26,SF-13 and SF-21 light Artillery Ferries ran aground and were shelled and sunk in shallow water, only partially submerged, by Soviet shore batteries at Sukho Island. One of the ferries that ran aground was salvaged by the Soviets and put in service as DB-51 ( Soviet Navy).[3]

After the war the island became a meteorological station. Despite the island has become uninhabited after the collapse of the Soviet Union the lighthouse is functioning properly because it is automated. [4] Now the caretaker arrives at Sukho lighthouse only if a service is needed.[5]

References

  1. 1 2 Остров Сухо » Тайны XX века (russian)
  2. ↑ Андрей Епатко Тайны прошлого. Занимательные очерки петербургского историка. От Петра I до наших дней
  3. ↑ Battle of Suho Island Battle of Suho Island at soviet-empire.com: see forum » Historical » The Red Army » The Red Fleet » Soviet Naval Battles - Baltic Sea during WW2 22 October 1942
  4. ↑ Андрей Епатко (12/02/2003). "Остров Сухо" (in Russian). mk-piter.ru. Archived from the original on 2012-04-17. Retrieved 2011-08-17. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ↑ Блог Юрия Мацеевского - На маяк острова Сухо
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