The interaction of narrow light beam with homeotropic liquid crystal 8CB in the region of phase transition smectic-nematic has been investigated. It was found out that the action of light beam leads to nonplane distortion of the director field (appearance of optically inhomogeneous anisitropic structures in the illuminated region) The deformation can be "frozen" in smectic phase in the course of liquid crystal cooling. The formation of deformation is explained by thermomechanical effect.