Irkutsk - Ирку́тск - Эрхүү

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Irkutsk (Russian: Ирку́тск, Buryat: Эрхүү)






Irkutsk  is one of the largest cities in Siberia and the administrative center of Irkutsk Oblast, situated 5,185 kilometers (3,222 mi) by rail from Moscow. Population: 593,604. Irkutsk is lighthearted and sunny, filled with pastel-colored 18th century buildings and delicately sculptured old wooden houses where the political rebels lived n serene exile. Elaborate brick mansions were built at the turn of the century, and the dark black wooden cabins were adorned with a local "lace" sculpture that gives them a touch of the Italian Renaissance.










Important roads and railways like the Trans-Siberian Railway connect Irkutsk to other regions in Russia and Mongolia. Also, the city is served by the Irkutsk International Airport and the smaller Irkutsk Northwest Airport. The Federal road to Vladivostok passes through a suburb of Irkutsk.









Irkutsk has long been home to the well-known Russian writer Valentin Rasputin; many of his novels and stories take place in the Angara Valley. An essay on the cultural history of Irkutsk (and another one about the nearby Lake Baikal) is included in Rasputin's non-fiction collection "Siberia, Siberia."











Irkutsk is located 60km East of the world famous Lake Baikal. It is administrative centre of Irkutsk oblast (province) in the east-central Russia. The city lies along the Angara River at its confluence with the Irkut River. Irkutsk is in many ways the heart of Siberia, with its proximity to Lake Baikal. As a local writer once noted, "To miss seeing Irkutsk is to miss Siberia."








Irkutsk has taken on several roles in its nearly 350 years of existence, including expedition base for explorations of Siberia, city of exiles, and gold rush town, just to name a few. The city’s nicknames include the capital of Siberia, the pearl of Siberia, and even Paris of Siberia.

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Irkutsk, continued


Irkutsk is the administrative center of Irkutsk Oblast, one of the most important places in Siberia, being not only the principal commercial depot north of Tashkent, but also a fortified military post, and an archbishopric city of the Russian Church. Irkutsk grew out of the winter quarters established (1652) by Ivan Pokhabov for the collection of the fur tax from the Buryats. Its existence as a town dates from 1686.









The most significant person in the religious life of Irkutsk is Saint Innocent of Alaska (1797–1879, born Ivan Veniaminov) who was born near Irkutsk, and later entered into the Orthodox priesthood. He did missionary travels with his family to the Aleutians. He learned local languages and translated the Gospels and the hymns. Later, after his wife died, Veniaminov became a monk, Innocent. He was raised to bishop, and then archbishop of Kamchatka, the Kurile and Aleutians Islands until 1867 when he was appointed Metropolitan of Moscow.










During the civil war that broke out after the Bolshevik Revolution, Irkutsk became the site of many furious, bloody clashes between the "Whites" and the "Reds". In 1920, Kolchak, the once-feared commander of the largest contingent of anti-Bolshevik forces, was executed there, effectively destroying the anti-Bolshevik resistance.





Despite the fact that Irkutsk is well over three hundred years old, the average age of today's population is only 31.6 years. It is a city of youth and students. There are 36 institutes and colleges and 9 vocational schools. Every day 166,646 pupils attend school in the city.








From a Russian folk song:
“There are taller and more beautiful cities.
But wherever the roads of the Irkutsk townspeople lie,
They see and hear you,
Dear Irkutsk is the middle of the Earth.”

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Irkutsk area radio stations


Europa Plus-Baikal


Love Radio Irkutsk


Echo Moskoy FM Repeater station for Moscow's Echo FM-2


Russkoe Radio Repeater station from Moscow


AC Radio Irkutsk Pop hits, news






Irkutsk Webcam

Irkutsk webcam

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Irkutsk and Lake Baikal


The largest body of freshwater in the world is intertwined with the life of Irkutsk, yet Lake Baikal is so massive in size and scope (this one lake contains 20% of all the freshwater in the world) that we have dedicated a separate thread for this wonder of the natural world.

Find Lake Baikal here: http://ruadventures.com/forum/index.php?topic=5974.0

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