Secret Kiev: Deviation tower

In the midst of the Dnieper, near the South Bridge and Osokorky subject is in the form of a circular protruding from the water a few meters of reinforced concrete tower. Its purpose is known to one, so the tower immediately dubbed the firing point of the Great Patriotic War, Stalin's entrance to the tunnels, the conclusions of the caisson Stalinist tunnels and yet God knows what ...



In fact it is, if we speak the language of the sailors fell - the place where the ship's compasses tune. Many summer residents and vacationers Osokorki on ships can often observe a strange picture - sometimes different ships moored to the tower or do a few laps around it.
This eliminates the error ship compasses, called magnetic deviation. It arises because of the pressure of large masses of metal that surrounds the compass or the magnetic field of the Earth.

Each vessel is required once a year to eliminate errors in their magnetic compass, as well as Kiev is located at the junction of the two reservoirs, that any mistake in navigation can lead to tragic consequences. Even those ships that are equipped with the latest technology, are required to undergo this procedure. After electronics besides that can fail, so still and electricity can be lost - then hope remains only on the compass.
Interesting facts:
 - Adjust the compass still able seamen northern Pomerania and the ancient Phoenicians, who used it for his own instrument made from mammoth ivory.
Approaching the tower, you can see the iron ladders and steps upstairs, where the iron base designed for mooring ships. Earlier diverting tower was on the site of the present South Bridge, but due to its construction it was moved away, spending about two million Soviet rubles. They built it out of solid concrete, trying to apply a minimum iron constructions for good reason.

Setting the compass vessel is as follows: with the help of special equipment deviator compares the compass with the coordinates of the tower and sets it to the correct parameters in the case of deviations. Thereafter deviator writes vessel certificate and puts "wet print" - without this ship with the law has not. Now in Kyiv was only one specialist deviator and all over Ukraine are unlikely to be typed ten people.

Where is diverting tower?
Address: Street Pier-Korchevatskaya, 90 (right bank), Garden Street, 86 (left bank)
Coordinates: 50 ° 21'50 "N 30 ° 34'40" E