Irkutsk

General information

Irkutsk is located in three Angara river, Irkut river, Ushakovka river, in 66 km to the West of the sacred lake Baykal. Climate here severen however, not freezing of Angar, winds from Transbaykal, cyclones soften winter frost. Irkutsk - one of a few cities of Russia, where a quantity of sundials in the year exceeds 2000. Plant meadows spaciously were stretched around Irkutsk, pine, are pine-larch, pine- birch scaffolding, birch groves; within the boundaries of city there are many planted greenery sections, forest nurserys and forest-parks.

Irkutsk nonaccidentally enjoys large popularity in Russian and foreign tourists. Them draws rich historical past, unique architectural heritage and amazingly picturesque environments of city. This is present city- museum. Irkutsk preserved much old times, making possible to admire it for the numerous guests of city. The monuments, which are located in its feature, have both the all-Russian and universal significance. At present in Irkutsk are counted 501 monuments of history and culture, the confronting under the state protection and 810 newly revealed objects, which are of historical cultural interest. Special value in the city presents the wooden building XIX - head XX of substances, which is isolated in four guarded forbidden zones.

In Irkutsk is concentrated the very large number of monuments of the rock and wooden architecture XIX of century, and so theaters, museums and churches. The travellers of different times noted the large focus of church temples - this concentration of cult buildings it was not in one Siberian city. Today in the city orthodox and Roman Catholic, Moslem and judaic churches peacefully are nearby.

Rich architecture and abundance of monuments allowed Irkutsk in 1970 g. to enter into the number of 115 cities of the country, acknowledged historical. But the 90th according to the results of the world competition of the fund for rescuing monuments Irkutsk was at the end included in the list of 100 cities, priority for the investments on the restoration and the reconstruction of historical center.

A little the history

In 1652 boyars' son Ivan Pokhabov went in Baykal and for the convenience in the collection of taxes from the Angara they bore it constructed with the mouth of river They Irkut cabins, and on July 6, 1661 “against Irkut river on The Verkholenskoy side was laid new jail - cereal sovereign barn with the tower is above and several towers in the countries”. In April 1686 to Irkutsk “Ostrozhtsu”, which stood in 5042 kilometers from Moscow, were granted status of city.

With the connection to Russia in XVII - the 18th Century of enormous territory to Pacific Ocean the city proved to be in the center of the numerous commercial ways of entire East Siberia. Hence dispatch roads to the north, into Yakutiya, in Kamchatka, Chukot, Alaska, in the south - into the Mongolia and China. Through Irkutsk they were reached into European Russia fur, mica and other riches of East Siberia.

In 1764 the city became the center of the newly formed Irkutsk province. In 1803 - by the administrative center of the extensive General- governorship of Siberia, while into 1822 - East Siberia.

In 1898 into Irkutsk along the Trans-Siberian railroad the first train arrived.

In spite of the terrible fires of before last and the city-planning activity of the past of centuries, city preserved historical appearance and many remarkable monuments of architecture and history. In the historical part the old streets with the numerous wooden and rock houses of the 19th Century remained.