{"id":4998,"date":"2026-10-10T15:26:25","date_gmt":"2026-10-10T15:26:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/?p=4998"},"modified":"2026-10-10T15:26:25","modified_gmt":"2026-10-10T15:26:25","slug":"karacharovsky-mayak","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/karacharovsky-mayak\/","title":{"rendered":"Karacharovsky Mayak (Karacharovo Lighthouse) Tomato Review"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n<div class=\"kk-star-ratings kksr-auto kksr-align-left kksr-valign-top\"\n    data-payload='{&quot;align&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;4998&quot;,&quot;slug&quot;:&quot;default&quot;,&quot;valign&quot;:&quot;top&quot;,&quot;ignore&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;reference&quot;:&quot;auto&quot;,&quot;class&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;count&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;legendonly&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;readonly&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;score&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;starsonly&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;best&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;gap&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;greet&quot;:&quot;Share your rating&quot;,&quot;legend&quot;:&quot;0\\\/5 - (0 votes)&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;24&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Karacharovsky Mayak (Karacharovo Lighthouse) Tomato Review&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;_legend&quot;:&quot;{score}\\\/{best} - ({count} {votes})&quot;,&quot;font_factor&quot;:&quot;1.25&quot;}'>\n            \n<div class=\"kksr-stars\">\n    \n<div class=\"kksr-stars-inactive\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"1\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"2\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"3\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"4\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"5\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n<div class=\"kksr-stars-active\" style=\"width: 0px;\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n                \n\n<div class=\"kksr-legend\" style=\"font-size: 19.2px;\">\n            <span class=\"kksr-muted\">Share your rating<\/span>\n    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<div class=\"tldr-box\" style=\"background: #f4f9f4; padding: 20px; border-left: 5px solid #4CAF50; margin-bottom: 30px; border-radius: 4px;\">\n<h3>\ud83d\udccc Quick Summary (TL;DR): Karacharovsky Mayak (Karacharovo Lighthouse)<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>\ud83c\udf0d <strong>Origin:<\/strong> An old amateur Russian heirloom from the historic village of Karacharovo. The name translates to &#8220;Karacharovo Lighthouse&#8221;.<\/li>\n<li>\ud83c\udf3f <strong>Plant Habit:<\/strong> Indeterminate (tall) greenhouse variety. It is a very vigorous, heavily foliated vine with an incredible will to survive tough conditions. It responds well to being pruned to 2, 3, or even 4 stems.<\/li>\n<li>\ud83c\udf45 <strong>Fruit Characteristics:<\/strong> Bright red, blocky, barrel-shaped plum tomatoes. They consistently weigh in around 5 to 7 oz (150-200 g).<\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc45 <strong>Flavor &amp; Use:<\/strong> Classic, sweet tomato flavor with dense, sugary, &#8220;pure meat&#8221; flesh. Picked fruits have an exceptionally long shelf life. It is highly versatile\u2014great for fresh salads, canning in jars, or traditional whole-barrel fermenting. Read the forum posts below to find out why one grower&#8217;s family affectionately renamed this bulletproof variety the &#8220;Karacharovsky Maniac&#8221;!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"add-review-cta\" style=\"margin: 20px 0; padding: 15px; background: #f9f9f9; border-left: 4px solid #4CAF50; border-radius: 4px;\"><strong>\ud83c\udf45 Grown this variety?<\/strong> <a href=\"#wpdcom\">Click here to add your own photos and review below!<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">Y<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Yaroslavna (Natalya) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (6,274 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Northern Yaroslavl Region (USDA Zone 3)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>This summer I tested a very interesting indeterminate variety for the greenhouse called Karacharovsky Mayak. Turns out, it&#8217;s an old amateur variety from the village of Karacharovo, the very same place where Ilya Muromets was born!<\/p>\n<p>It grew in a rather dim corner of the greenhouse, but it showed off all its best traits. The vine was vigorous and leafy, and it set every single flower cluster. The fruits are bright red, shaped like little barrels, and weigh around 5 to 7 oz (150-200 g), with dense, sweet flesh.<\/p>\n<p>Picked fruits store for quite a long time. They are great for fresh eating and all sorts of canning. I will definitely be growing this variety again next season, but in much better conditions.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/2\/318-131113010700.jpeg\" alt=\"Beautiful red barrel-shaped Karacharovsky Mayak tomatoes on the vine\" width=\"570\" height=\"760\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">C<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">cat2008 (Oksana) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (5,827 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Orsha, Belarus (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>Excellent variety, great for salads and for canning in jars. I grew it to two stems. It&#8217;s a powerful indeterminate vine, so I think you could easily try running it to 3 or 4 stems, it feels like it would handle it just fine. Thanks to Olechka-Cherry for the seeds!<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/106\/12397-230116124635.jpeg\" alt=\"Harvest of Karacharovsky Mayak red plum tomatoes\" width=\"1000\" height=\"600\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">P<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Plena (Elena) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (9,242 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Moscow Region (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/83\/9709-130815145035.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/83\/thumb_9709-130815145035.jpeg\" alt=\"Meaty cross section of Karacharovsky Mayak\" width=\"120\" height=\"160\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/83\/9709-120815172737.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/83\/thumb_9709-120815172737.jpeg\" alt=\"Karacharovsky Mayak tomatoes on a scale\" width=\"160\" height=\"120\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">F<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Fotinia (Svetlana) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (8,948 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Tambov (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>Plena wrote:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/83\/9709-120815172737.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/uploads\/newforum\/galleries\/83\/thumb_9709-120815172737.jpeg\" alt=\"Karacharovsky Mayak tomatoes on a scale\" width=\"160\" height=\"120\" \/><\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Pure meat! \ud83d\ude0b Fantastic variety! \ud83d\udc4d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">A<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Andrey_K (Andrey) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 User (994 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd N\/A<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>I bet Ilya Muromets bred this variety himself. \ud83d\ude04 He had nothing else to do while lying on the stove for 33 years anyway. \ud83d\ude48<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">R<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Rudn (Tatiana) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Newbie (21 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd N\/A<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>I grew it in the greenhouse this year under spunbond row covers. It was a really tough year: cold spring, dry summer, but this variety really showed what it can do. We picked the last tomatoes a week ago, and it single-handedly provided half of our barrel-fermented harvest. Seeds were from Yaroslavna, huge respect and special thanks to her &#8211; they came as a freebie bonus packet with my order.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">E<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Ellis_Cu (Tatiana) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 User (131 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Kolomna, Moscow Region (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>My family renamed this variety the &#8220;Karacharovsky Maniac&#8221; because of its sheer will to live. It manages to survive and produce at least something even in spots where other tomatoes flat out refuse to grow. Good flavor, I&#8217;d even say above average. Excellent texture, sugary meat, perfect little barrels. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s our absolute favorite red tomato.<\/p>\n<p>Yields are great. In the Moscow region, it really is best to keep it in a greenhouse.<\/p>\n<p>Considering this is the only red variety I&#8217;ve grown three years in a row and already put on my grow list for 2020, well, I think you get the idea. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s my sweetheart. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n<p><em>Edited: I edit my posts often, my eyesight is bad.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">A<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Artemiy (Artemiy) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 User (506 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Vladimir Region (USDA Zone 4)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>Over the winter we bought some &#8220;Karachaevskie&#8221; seeds, supposedly a 19th-century heirloom of the Karachay people. As you can probably guess, given the unfortunate historical events, that&#8217;s highly unlikely. Most likely, someone just mixed up the name with &#8220;Karacharovsky Mayak&#8221;. The &#8220;Karachaevskie&#8221; aren&#8217;t doing well for us at all &#8211; they took forever to flower and set fruit, it looks like a total bust. I&#8217;m going to give the seeds away to other people. It would be really interesting to give them to someone to grow side-by-side with Karacharovsky Mayak for comparison. Let me know if anyone is interested.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"editor-note\" style=\"background: #eef7ff; padding: 15px; border-left: 4px solid #2196F3; margin-top: 15px; font-size: 1.2em;\"><strong>\ud83d\udc68\u200d\ud83c\udf3e Editor&#8217;s Note: Tomatoes and Russian Folklore<\/strong><br \/>\nIn this thread, you might have noticed some funny references to &#8220;Ilya Muromets&#8221; lying on a stove for 33 years. For an American reader, this sounds entirely random!<\/p>\n<p>Ilya Muromets is one of the most famous legendary knights (bogatyrs) in Russian folklore, and he supposedly hailed from the village of Karacharovo (where this tomato gets its name). According to legend, Ilya was paralyzed from birth and lay on a traditional Russian masonry stove for 33 years until he was miraculously healed by wandering pilgrims, after which he became an invincible warrior. User <em>Andrey_K<\/em> is making a fantastic cultural joke that Ilya bred this tomato variety because he had nothing else to do while stuck on the stove for three decades.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\ud83d\udccc Quick Summary (TL;DR): Karacharovsky Mayak (Karacharovo Lighthouse) \ud83c\udf0d Origin: An old amateur Russian heirloom from the historic village of Karacharovo. The name translates to &#8220;Karacharovo Lighthouse&#8221;. \ud83c\udf3f Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall) greenhouse variety. It is a very vigorous, heavily foliated vine with an incredible will to survive tough conditions. It responds well to being &#8230; <a title=\"Karacharovsky Mayak (Karacharovo Lighthouse) Tomato Review\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/karacharovsky-mayak\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Karacharovsky Mayak (Karacharovo Lighthouse) Tomato Review\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4998,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,438],"tags":[56,30,33,1110],"class_list":["post-4998","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-paste-canning","category-red-tomatoes","tag-canning-tomato","tag-heavy-yielder","tag-indeterminate","tag-red-paste-tomato"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4998","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4998"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4998\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4999,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4998\/revisions\/4999"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4998"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4998"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4998"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4998"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}