Alexander Katashevtsev - The Most Detailed Travel Guide around Irkutsk. All the attractions with the route of movement & addresses

© Alexander Dmitrievich Katashevtsev, 2022

ISBN 978-5-0059-0174-3

Created with Ridero smart publishing system

Dear guests and residents of the Baikal region, here is the most detailed guide to the capital of Eastern Siberia. This includes the brightest and most unusual sights that will help you get acquainted with the most interesting moments from the past, present and future of Irkutsk. Almost 75 kilometers of routes along more than 90 streets of the city.

Routes of travel guide

This book is my appreciation and gratitude to my historical homeland, as well as the result of ten years of work as a guide on various thematic excursions. Thirteen generations of my family live on Irkutsk land. Twice my ancestors in the 19th century became the mayors of Irkutsk. With my work, I hope I will be able to thank my hometown for everything that it has done and created for my family. I would like to believe that this book will help you fall in love with Irkutsk the way I do.

We begin our journey from the building of one of the most beautiful railway stations in Russia, built in 1907 by the architect V.I. Kolyanovsky. The rails of the Trans-Siberian Railway came to Irkutsk in 1898, and this was a great event, not only because it connected the city with the central part of the country, from which the city was separated by thousands of kilometres of poorly developed territories, but also as it led to a doubling of the population and the opening completely new perspectives.

The first railroad station of Irkutsk

But it could be left out from the “great steel road”, like Tomsk, Kolyvan or Nerchinsk, but the mighty mountains of Lake Baikal did not allow this to happen. After six geotechnical expeditions (from 1887 to 1902), it was decided to build the Trans-Siberian exactly through Irkutsk, despite the recommendations of Emperor Alexander III to avoid the capital of Eastern Siberia.

It is no coincidence that we begin our journey from here, since the Irkutsk railway station is located right at the foot of Kayskaya mountain, which glorified the city throughout the world with the discovery of the Glazkov necropolis – the largest ancient burial ground in the territory of the modern city.

Arrival of the first train to Irkutsk

On the whole territory of Eastern, Western Siberia and the Far East taken together were founded as many stone age graves as at the area of the Lokomotiv stadium, which is located nearby the railway. Moreover, this amount is only 2% of the total number of finds, many of which are the high valuable artefacts that adorn more than one collection of museums in Siberia and central Russia.

Glazkov culture

We will continue our movement along Chelnakov street, named after military twice hero of the Soviet Union, General N.V. Chelnokov, who flew more than 270 sorties, killing the enemies in the air and on the ground from Baltic to Black Sea. How symbolic that he was born in Irkutsk on May 9, 1906 which is a day of great victory in WWII. The monument to him was established at the entrance group to the Sverdlovsky district of the city unforgivably late: only on October 2, 2016, to the 110th anniversary of the birth of aviation general.

Twice hero of the Soviet Union, General N.V. Chelnokov

Directly from a small park near the monument, we go to Glazkovsky Bridge – the oldest bridge in Irkutsk over the roaring daughter of Baikal called the Angara River. And although it had a predecessor – the pontoon Nikolayevsky bridge, the remains of which are still visible at the bank downstream (existed since 1891) – a permanent ferry began operating in Irkutsk only in 1936. By the time of completion, it was the most long-span concrete bridge in the USSR.

Pontoon bridge

The architect of the bridge was the author of the mausoleum to V. I. Lenin and the tribune on Red Square in Moscow I.A. Frantsuz. And on the penultimate parapet stand on the left, you can still see a sign that this bridge is a monument to V. I. Lenin.

Glazkovsky bridge in 1936

And now we will find ourselves in the center of Irkutsk, where immediately on the right we are greeted by the beautiful Holy Trinity Church, built in the style of the mysterious “Siberian Baroque”. It was consecrated on September 22, 1778 and, despite the fact that it suffered from many floods and fires, it is the only one in the city that has possessed the ancient roofing iron forged in smithy.

Holy Trinity Church

Until the middle of the 19th century, this temple was the only place of prayer for residents of Glazkovsky suburb on the other side of the Angara River, where the Troitsky ferry was arranged. The only planetarium in Siberia was opened in an abandoned church building since 1950, which worked until 1983.

Planetarium in Trinity Church

Behind the powerful silhouette of the temple you can see the only church-rotunda in Irkutsk. It was consecrated in the name of St. Gregory of Neocaesarea in 1805 and built according to the project of the famous architect A.I. Losev.

We pass along Chekalov Street and at the entrance to the embankment we are greeted by a monument to veteran of paratroopers, opened in 2018. Then we will turn right and dive under the bridge, where after on the right we will see one of the memorable buildings of Irkutsk – this is the former progymnasium of M.V. Hajduk. Today here is a center and a service for the preservation of the historical and cultural heritage of the Irkutsk region, as well as the Cosmonauts Square which is located nearby.

Progymnasium of M.V. Hajduk

The building located very picturesquely at the bend of the river. Exactly here was the entrance to the pontoon bridge and to the city once rested against the bank, and one of the floats is still visible in the water. In the troubled days of the Russian Civil War in December 1917 and 1919. here took place some of the bloodiest battles in the history of Irkutsk, and on March 7, 1920, next to this place on the ice of the Angara River, an ice triumphal arch was installed in honour of the soldiers of the 5th Red Army who were entering the city in victorious formation.