Kyiv's Deviation Tower: The Mysterious Tower in the Dnipro

Have you ever heard of the strange tower standing in the middle of the Dnipro? You can spot it while driving to Kyiv's Left Bank toward Osokorky. In its time, this structure stirred up quite a lot of talk. Some Kyivans believed it had once been a secret entrance to the city's catacombs, used by Soviet troops during World War II. But that was nothing more than speculation. The tower really does have strategic importance, though for sailors rather than ground forces. It is called a deviation tower, or simply a "pal" (pile).

Sailors use the tower to correct errors in ships' navigation systems. Put simply, it helps adjust shipboard compasses by measuring magnetic deviation: the displacement of the compass needle from the magnetic meridian, which can be caused by the Earth's magnetic field or by other factors. Every vessel is required to have its compass deviation checked once a year. Interestingly, even the most modern ships, packed with the latest technology, must go through this procedure, because they all still carry ordinary magnetic compasses as well.

The compass is adjusted like this: using special equipment, a compass adjuster (deviator) compares the tower's coordinates with the compass readings and, if there are discrepancies, corrects the compass. After the procedure, the ship's captain receives an official certificate of inspection with a stamp. Without it, the vessel is not allowed to sail. It is a rare craft, and only a handful of specialists in Ukraine have mastered it.

This monolithic structure originally stood where the Southern Bridge is now, but around 1983 it was moved further down the Dnipro.

So the next time you head to the Left Bank with family or friends and notice the top of a tower peeking out of the water, you can tell them it is not an entrance to ancient tunnels but a genuine deviation tower, helping ships stay true to their course.

Address: Kyiv, 90 Naberezhno-Korchuvatska Street (Right Bank); 86 Sadova Street (Left Bank).