The Tolbukhin Lighthouse, established in 1719 by the decree of Peter the Great, is one of the oldest in the Baltic and in Russia. Originally named Kotlin, it later received its name in honor of Colonel Fyodor Semyonovich Tolbukhin, who successfully repelled a Swedish landing on Kotlin Spit in 1705. Tolbukhin played a significant role in Russian history, being the commander of the Kotlin Island garrison and contributing to the construction of the lighthouse.

Peter the Great personally developed the sketch of the lighthouse and handed it to Captain Lein. However, the construction of a stone lighthouse required significant resources and skilled stonemasons, which were not available in Kronstadt port. Therefore, it was decided to build a temporary wooden lighthouse and begin gathering materials for the stone tower.

The original lighthouse did not satisfy sailors due to the poor visibility of the candles. In 1723, it was switched to lighting with hemp oil, but this did not improve the situation. Thus, it was decided to use firewood and coal, as was done at the Gotland Lighthouse.

On April 2, 1736, the Admiralty Collegium commissioned architect Ivan Korobov to build a new stone lighthouse. Korobov suggested first erecting a wooden lighthouse in preparation for the stone one. In 1739, only the foundation was laid, as the work was complicated by flooding of the spit. In 1744, a fire destroyed the service premises and fuel supplies, prompting new decisions regarding the construction of the stone lighthouse.

It was not until 1810, nearly a century later, that the construction of the stone lighthouse was completed. Leonty Vasilyevich Spafariev, the director of lighthouses, played a key role in this process. In 1809, the construction of the stone Tolbukhin Lighthouse began, and by September 1810, a brick tower, granite base, guardhouse, and bathhouse were built. A metal lantern with 40 oil lamps and 24 reflectors was installed on the tower, significantly improving visibility. A stone residential building connected to the tower by a gallery was built nearby.

On September 22, 1810, the stone lighthouse began operation, fulfilling the dream of Peter the Great and his associates. Today, the lighthouse remains an important navigational landmark, especially after its restoration in 2018, when its equipment was updated to meet modern requirements. The appearance of the lighthouse has changed little since 1810.