Irkutsk

Like most Siberian cities Irkutsk appeared on the map in the 17th century. Irkutsk is the capital of East Siberia. In the 60s of XIX century a columnist Nikolay Shelgunov said: "Siberia has created Irkutsk like England has created London and France created Paris. It is proud of it and to fail to see Irkutsk means to fail to see Siberia..."

 

In 1661 Cossacks headed by Yakov Pokhabov founded a fort not far from lake Baikal on the bank of the Angara River. Now this place is considered to be the center of the city. Irkutsk has developed due to its favorable location. Being on the crossroads of the ways connecting the European part of Russia with Mongolia and China, Irkutsk started developing very quickly. In 1986 the city got a coat of arms and became the trading center of Siberia. Irkutsk coat of arms constitute a beaver holding a sable in its teeth. It symbolizes richness of the region.

 

At the end of the 17th century Irkutsk was inhabited by Cossacks, trades people, peasants, soldiers, officers, and the exiled. The population was 1000 people. Many exiled dissidents influenced the formation of multi-faceted and fine Irkutsk culture. The families of Decembrists deported to Siberia in XIX century left a prominent trace in the history of the town.

  

Irkutsk was predestined to cut through the window to the east, to open up Russia’s way to the Pacific Ocean of Near-Baikal National Park. It was Irkutsk from where all the expeditions organized by the Russian government to the Far East, Yakutia, Mongolia, China started. In the early XIX century Irkutsk was considered the largest city of Siberia judging by the numbre of population anf the number of shops. Irkutsk became a large administrative and cultural center.

 

The first train came to Irkutsk in 1898. It was a significant event for the city. From that time the city wasn’t cut off the center of the country, it became a full-fledged Russian city, as distances were not such a great hindrance any more. The Trans-Siberian Railway connected Siberian towns, contributing to their development.

 

In Soviet time Irkutsk became an industrial center. Cellulose, aluminum, chemical industries got developed.

 

During its history Irkutsk has survived many difficulties: wars, revolutions, earthquakes, fires, but nevertheless Irkutsk has retained its unique image. The Cathedral of Theophany, the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, the Church of the Savior and many other old buildings became historical monuments. Nowadays Irkutsk has a great cultural heritage.

 

About 600 thousand people live in the city. It is an administrative, industrial, economical and scientific center with tens of thousand enterprises, a branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, a lot of scientific institutes, universities, libraries, history and architecture monuments, museums, theatres.

 

A famous writer Valentine Raspoutin has written: “Here stands Irkutsk, taught by history and life, quietly and wisely, aware of its worth, easonably famous with both former and new fame, reasonably modest, since olden times cultural, traditionally hospitable”.