Irkutsk is the capital of trade, merchants, wooden architecture. For many centuries it has been an outpost for the expeditions to the Far East. Being called the city of contrasts, it really joins the traditions of Asia and Europe, modern architecture with old wooden houses, Slavic people with natives, orthodox religion with the original beliefs of different ethnic groups. The beauty of Irkutsk will never leave you indifferent.
Irkutsk is considered to be the capital of Eastern Siberia. It is one of the oldest cities in the area. With the population of more than 600 000 people, it is an educational, administrative, political, and geographic center of Eastern Siberia.
One of the problems related to the development of Irkutsk is preserving and restoring its historical heritage. For this reason, they established the area called 130th quarter. The main idea was to create a new urban space on the basis of the existing architectural and historical heritage, a specially created zone of historical development in Irkutsk, including several dozen monuments of architecture and history of the city. They managed to fulfil successfully this plan.
Another important thing to tell about Irkutsk is a symbol of the city - Babr. This is how they called a type of tiger, which inhabited the forests of Siberia many centuries ago. And the Irkutsk citizens decided to depict it at the coat of arms of the city. But the officials in the capital have confused this tiger with Beaver, as the word "Babr" sounds like "beaver", and nowadays you can see a fantastic creature as a symbol of the city. The statue of it is located in the 130th quarter.
The classical city tour starts from the historical center with the ensemble of orthodox churches and monuments. There is the best view of the city and the Angara River there. The citizens like to do promenades there, and the guests are usually overwhelmed by the beauty and coziness of this place.
Every Russian city has its own Karl Marks street, and Irkutsk is not an exception. Our central streeе is full of cafes, restaurants, movie theatres, and shops. I recommend you to leave the main street route and glance into the secret yards with interesting buildings, pictures, and even small squares.