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Irkutsk

Other sights in Irkutsk

  1. Angaram Ice-Breaker

    Some 6km southeast of the centre, the 1956 Angara Dam is 2km long. Moored nearby, the Angara Ice-breaker was originally imported in kit form from Newcastle-upon-Tyne to carry Trans-Siberian Railway passengers across Lake Baikal (the trains went on her bigger sister ship Baikal, which sank years ago). The steamer is now a less-than-inspiring museum reached by a permanent gangway.

    reviewed

  2. A

    Art Gallery

    The grand old Art Gallery has a valuable though poorly lit collection ranging from Mongolian thangkas (Buddhist religious paintings) to Russian Impressionist canvases. Behind a photogenic 1909 facade its sub gallery is strong on Siberian landscapes and petroglyph rubbings and has some superb 17th-century icons.

    reviewed

  3. B

    Raising of the Cross Church

    The 1758 baroque Raising of the Cross Church has a fine interior of gilt-edged icons and examples of intricate brickwork in a rounded style that’s unique to Irkutsk and the Selenga Delta village of Posolskoe.

    reviewed

  4. C

    Saviour’s Church

    The whitewashed 1706 Saviour’s Church has remnants of murals on its facade and until a few years ago housed a museum, hence the rather colourless interior.

    reviewed

  5. D

    Trinity Church

    The newest gilt spires to puncture Irkutsk’s boxy skyline belong to the 18th-century Trinity Church where restoration work continues apace.

    reviewed

  6. Trubetskoy House-Museum

    The smaller Trubetskoy House-Museum was dismantled and carted off for renovation in late 2007 but its return is imminent so it’s worth checking.

    reviewed