Irkutsk - Paris

Sightseeing tour of the historical part of the city.

3 a.m.

You will see the Savior Church, which was built in 1706 and miraculously survived to our times. On August 1, 1710 the temple was solemnly consecrated. The Spasskaya Church, where the boundaries of the old Irkutsk prison can be determined, was loved and protected by many generations of Irkutsk residents.

Eternal flame, erected in memory of the soldiers who fell in the battles for the homeland from 1941 to 1945. The opening of the monument took place in 1975. Located on the Angara embankment, a favorite place of the Irkutsk people, there are holidays, concerts and festivals.

The Epiphany Cathedral, founded in 1718-1274, was originally built of wood, but a great fire destroyed the building. Instead, in 1718, a new stone church was laid, consecrated in 1724 - 1726, stands in the very center of the city and was considered the main temple of the local diocese from the XVIII - XIX. In the decorative design of the facades, the motifs of ancient Russian architecture are closely intertwined with baroque elements.

The Polish Church is a masterpiece of architecture of the XIX century, the pointed structure is almost the only example of late Gothic, a pearl of urban architecture. The first cathedral was built in 1825, the second in 1881 – 1884. Throughout the XIX century, up to the 70th century, the church served not only as a place of religious Catholic worship, but also turned out to be one of the centers of democratic opposition to the tsarist regime in Eastern Siberia.

Next, we will go with you to the Znamensky Monastery, one of the oldest monasteries in Siberia. Originated in 1693. Peter I demanded the acceleration of the Christianization of the non-Russian population of Siberia. He attached special importance to the opening of the monastery in Irkutsk. The architecture is close to the ancient Russian architecture, “Siberian Baroque”. There are buried many people who left a noticeable mark in the history of Irkutsk: Irkutsk honorary citizen V.F. Kolygin, Decembrists V.N. Bechanov, P.A.Mukhanov, A.A. Panov, the wife of the Decembrist E.A. Trubetskaya, V.G. Rasputin, writer, publicist, public figure. G.A. Shelekhov, navigator, founder of the first Russian colonies on the shores of North America.

The Kazan church was founded on July 27, 1885, the building was laid and on the same day the procession was held. Donations in the amount of 20,000 rubles for construction were made by Dmitry Demidov, Alexander Trapeznikov, both were merchants, gold miners and other patrons. The forces of the parishioners collected another 1500 rubles for the construction of the church. The Zauralsk architects built the church and painted it in the Russian-Byzantine style. The author of the paintings is the Irkutsk painter Maxim Zyazin, who also worked on the frescoes of the Ascension Monastery. Now the Kazan Church acts as a cathedral of the Irkutsk and Angarsk Metropolia.

The house of A. I. Shastin or “Lace House” was built in the late XIX – early XX centuries. The abundant decorative decoration of the facades, the complex outlines of the roof with turrets give the monument a special unique image. In Soviet times, the house was requisitioned from the Shastin family, its appearance was practically not monitored, and the building gradually began to decline. In the 1990s, the house was restored in accordance with archival drawings and old photographs. Now there is a hotel with interiors in the spirit of the Russian merchant estate of the early XX century, a small cafe, official meetings and conferences are held.

The monument to Alexander III was built in 1900 by the Irkutsk City Duma to mark the end of the merger of the vast expanses of Siberia with European Russia. The project of the monument belonged to the sculptor R, R, Bach, who won the art competition organized by the city Duma. In 1920, the figure was removed from the pedestal, and for many years the pedestal was empty. In 1960, according to the project of architect V.P. Shmatkov, an obelisk in the form of a marble spire was built. Today, through the efforts of the Eastern Siberian Railway Administration and modern benefactors, the monument has been restored in its original form.

The 130th quarter was built in 2008 for the 350th anniversary of Irkutsk. The quarter is presented in the image of Irkutsk Sloboda. On its territory there is a large number of restaurants, souvenir shops, hotels, cafes, where guests can have a great time and relax.

Tickets to the museum are purchased on the spot.

Walking tour.

The tour is conducted in Russian or English.

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