Regiospecific C-N photocyclization of 2-styrylquinolines resulting in formation of potentially biologically active quino[1,2-a]quinolizinium derivatives was investigated. The presence of strong electron-donating groups in the phenyl ring reveals to be a crucial factor managing photocyclization effectiveness. Introduction of a crown ether moiety allows changing the photoreaction parameters by means of complexation with Mg(ClO4)2.