When looking at the history of Svetlogorsk, formerly Rauschen (German: Rauschen), it is necessary to begin not with the German period, but with the Prussian, pagan period of this land. The settlement that later became known as Rauschen and later still as Svetlogorsk was located at the northern end of the Sambian Peninsula, also known as Zemland. The first mention of a pagan settlement on the site of Rauschen dates to 1258. At that time, this settlement of Prussians and Curonians, located in a hollow between two dunes, consisted of no more than a dozen fishing and farming households whose residents lived by fishing and hunting. The settlement was called Ruse-Moter, which in the Sambian dialect of the Prussian language meant "edge of cellars". When the knights of the Teutonic Order conquered Sambia, they renamed Ruse-Moter as Rause-Moter, then Raushe-Moter, and eventually simply Raushe.
From 1458, official documents record the final form of the name: Rauschen. At that time Baron Albrecht von Rawschen received 64 hectares of land east of the settlement, and the name gradually changed under the influence of his surname. By pure coincidence, the name matched the infinitive form of the German verb meaning "to make noise" or "to rustle", which often led to incorrect interpretations of its origin. The brethren of the Order gave the settlement a new direction in life: they dammed the Katzenbach stream, Cat Stream, which flowed into the pond, and built a mill on the stream. From then on the pond became known as Mühlen-Teich, Mill Pond, and milling became the main occupation of the settlement's residents. In the Order period, it was the largest mill in Zemland. At the very beginning of the 19th century, travel and seaside bathing holidays became fashionable in Europe, and holidaymakers began visiting these places and travellers began staying here. Because access to the sea was difficult due to a sand dune, the picturesque areas around Mill Pond became the main places for accommodation and recreation. An inn opened by the mill and new houses appeared. Cosy villas and boarding houses began to be built in Rauschen, and soon carts carrying sacks of grain were lost among carriages filled with holidaymakers, luggage and ladies in airy hats. Rauschen was officially opened as a resort on June 24, 1820. The real impetus that established Rauschen as a resort of national importance came in 1840, when King Friedrich Wilhelm IV visited Rauschen after his coronation. He was enchanted by the romantic character of the area. By royal order, the coastal dune was intensively landscaped, convenient descents to the sea were built and the seafront was reinforced.
Despite its official status and the attention of the monarch, most development of the resort remained the initiative of private individuals. Perhaps for this reason, Rauschen remained a quiet and sparsely populated place until the beginning of the 20th century. Its popularity as a resort increased substantially from 1900, when a railway was built from Königsberg to the Rauschen/Ort station, now Svetlogorsk-1, and extended in 1906 to the Rauschen/Düne station, now Svetlogorsk-2. Trains could now travel closer to the sea, making the resort much more accessible to many residents of Königsberg. A racecourse opened in Rauschen by an equestrian society also played a positive role in developing the resort and attracting holidaymakers. The town began to divide into two parts: the lower part by the pond and the upper part, 40-50 metres higher, by the sea. The upper settlement stood approximately 40 metres above sea level, so the opening in 1912 of a funicular, an inclined railway carrying holidaymakers to and from the sea, was a welcome development. The resort could not develop without organised beach areas. In 1908, a wooden promenade deck was built on piles along the seashore, reached by several serpentine descents. Among the best-known visitors in the first half of the 19th century was the pianist and composer Otto Nicolai, author of the famous comic opera Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor (The Merry Wives of Windsor) based on Shakespeare; much later, in the 20th century, Thomas Mann and Käthe Kollwitz also stayed here. In the early years of the 20th century, private individuals undertook intensive construction of country houses, villas and boarding houses in Rauschen, particularly in the upper part of the resort.
The buildings used architectural forms with elements of half-timbering, Gothic Revival and Art Nouveau and blended well into the landscape. In the centre of Rauschen, a water-treatment tower designed by architect Kuckuck of Königsberg was erected in 1900-1908 in the National Romantic style and became a distinctive symbol of the town. Even then, in addition to hydrotherapy - seawater, carbon dioxide and other baths - the town's sanatoriums practised mud therapy, electrotherapy, light therapy and therapeutic massage. Beneath the helmet-shaped roof of the tower was an observation platform overlooking the surrounding area. Some of the town's buildings were constructed by a charitable society made up of local and visiting entrepreneurs and affluent members of the intelligentsia. From 1841, this society, together with holidaymakers, published a printed newspaper called Hospitable Rauschen Resident. Through the society's efforts, for example, a home for elderly female teachers and the town's Evangelical church were built. The church was erected in 1903-1907 and consecrated on July 7, 1907; it was designed by architects Wichmann and Kuckuck in the Romanesque Revival style with Art Nouveau elements. A notable feature of the church was a carved wooden altar created by architect Goering. During the First World War, Rauschen became a kind of branch of the German military administration: civilians were almost displaced by German officers receiving treatment and taking rest. After the First World War, Rauschen acquired a power station and a sewerage network. Local authority was represented by the municipality, while the mayor also served as resort commissioner. The resort service was divided into two sections: medical and administrative. From June 1 to September 15, the official resort season, every visitor had to register with the resort commissioner within 24 hours and pay a prescribed fee. The scale of visitor numbers can be judged by the individual lockable beach cabins: across all beaches there were as many as 3,000. At the height of the season, around 20 hotels, boarding houses, restaurants and cafes operated in the upper part of the town. Most of them closed during the winter.
By the beginning of the Second World War, the town was a highly developed European resort with a network of hotels and treatment facilities. On April 14, 1945, it was taken by Soviet troops with virtually no destruction. In 1946, East Prussia was renamed the Kaliningrad Region, and in 1947 the town was renamed Svetlogorsk. At the same time, it began to be used as a resort of local importance, and from 1971 as a resort of republican importance. During the Soviet period, the resort continued to develop. Almost all of the sanatoriums, boarding houses, holiday homes and children's health camps operating today were built during this period. Svetlogorsk became one of the most attractive health resorts in the USSR. In the post-Soviet period, resort specialisation became the district's principal development direction. By Resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation dated March 29, 1999, Svetlogorsk was granted the status of a federal resort.
From the 16th century, the name Ruse-Moter gradually transformed into Rauschen (German: Rauschen - to make noise, to rustle).
In 1813, the first holidaymakers appeared in Rauschen by Mill Pond.
On July 24, 1820, the resort of Rauschen was officially opened.
In 1840, King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia visited the surroundings of Rauschen and placed them under his patronage.
In 1900, the railway connected Königsberg with Rauschen-Ort railway station, today Svetlogorsk-1, and on June 2, 1906, Rauschen-Düne station, today Svetlogorsk-2, located directly on the upper dune, was ceremonially opened.
The Rauschen Kurhaus began welcoming guests in 1901.
In 1907, the town Evangelical church of Rauschen was consecrated; today it is the Church of Saint Seraphim of Sarov.
1907-1908 - construction of the Seaside Treatment Facility with a water tower, designed by architect Otto-Walter Kuckuck.
In 1931, the Catholic chapel Mary, Star of the Sea was consecrated; today it houses the Makarov Company Organ Hall.
April 14, 1945 - Rauschen was taken by troops of the 2nd Guards Army under the command of Guards Lieutenant General Porfiry Georgievich Chanchibadze.
In 1947, Rauschen was renamed Svetlogorsk and the town became part of the Russian Federation.
In 1971, the Svetlogorsk-Otradnoye resort received republican resort status, and in 1999 it received federal resort status.
In 1973, construction of the central staircase and seaside promenade was completed; in 1974, the promenade was decorated with the Zodiac mosaic sundial.
In 2015, the modern multifunctional Amber Hall concert complex opened and became the venue for the Baltic Debuts film festival and the Golosyashchiy KiViN music festival.
In 2019, construction of the new section of the promenade in Svetlogorsk was completed, after which reconstruction of the old section began. In 2021, a modern lift was launched, providing a fast and comfortable descent to the sea.