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'{{Other uses}} {{Infobox Russian city |en_name=Irkutsk |ru_name=Иркутск |image_skyline=Industrial panorama in Irkutsk, Russia.jpg |image_caption=Industrial panorama in Irkutsk |latd=52 |latm=17 |lats= |longd=104 |longm=17 |longs= |map_label_position=top |image_coa=Coat of Arms of Irkutsk.svg |coa_caption= |image_flag=Flag of Irkutsk (Irkutsk oblast).svg |flag_caption= |anthem=''none'' |anthem_ref= |holiday=First Saturday of June |holiday_ref= |federal_subject=[[Irkutsk Oblast]] |federal_subject_ref=<ref name="Ref40" /> |adm_data_as_of=December 2014 |adm_city_jur=[[City of federal subject significance|City]] of Irkutsk |adm_city_jur_ref=<ref name="Ref40" /><ref name="IrkutskO_charter" /> |adm_ctr_of1=[[Irkutsk Oblast]] |adm_ctr_of1_ref=<ref name="Ref40" /> |adm_ctr_of2=[[Irkutsky District]] |adm_ctr_of2_ref=<ref name="Ref40" /> |adm_ctr_of3=City of Irkutsk |adm_ctr_of3_ref=<ref name="Ref40" /> |inhabloc_cat=City |inhabloc_cat_ref=<ref name="IrkutskO_charter" /> |inhabloc_type= |inhabloc_type_ref= |mun_data_as_of=December 2004 |urban_okrug_jur=Irkutsk Urban Okrug |urban_okrug_jur_ref=<ref name="Ref659" /> |mun_admctr_of1=Irkutsk Urban Okrug |mun_admctr_of1_ref=<ref name="Ref659" /> |mun_admctr_of2=Irkutsky Municipal District |mun_admctr_of2_ref=<ref name="Ref594">Law #94-oz</ref> |leader_title=Mayor |leader_title_ref=<ref name="admirk.ru">{{cite web|url=http://admirk.ru/pages/mayor.aspx|title=Мэр - Официальный портал города Иркутска|publisher=|accessdate=December 5, 2015}}</ref> |leader_name=Dmitri Berdnikov |leader_name_ref=<ref name="admirk.ru"/> |representative_body=[[Duma of Irkutsk|Duma]] |representative_body_ref= |area_of_what= |area_as_of= |area_km2=277 |area_km2_ref=<ref name="2014Area">{{cite web|url=http://www.gks.ru/dbscripts/munst/munst25/DBInet.cgi|title=Федеральная служба государственной статистики Российской Федерации - База данных показателей муниципальных образований|publisher=|accessdate=March 17, 2016}}</ref> |pop_2010census=587891 |pop_2010census_rank=24th |pop_2010census_ref=<ref name="2010Census">{{ru-pop-ref|2010Census}}</ref> |pop_density= |pop_density_as_of= |pop_density_ref= |pop_latest= |pop_latest_date= |pop_latest_ref= |established_date=1661 |established_title= |established_date_ref=<ref name="Lantzeff" /> |current_cat_date= |current_cat_date_ref= |prev_name1= |prev_name1_date= |prev_name1_ref= |postal_codes=664xxx |postal_codes_ref= |dialing_codes=3952 |dialing_codes_ref=<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.the-acr.com/codes/cntrycd2.htm#q |title=International Calling Codes - Pg2 |publisher=The-acr.com |date= |accessdate=2013-03-26}}</ref> |website=http://www1.irkutsk.ru |website_ref= |date=May 2010 }} '''Irkutsk''' ({{lang-rus|Иркутск|p=ɪrˈkutsk}}) is a [[types of inhabited localities in Russia|city]] and the [[administrative center]] of [[Irkutsk Oblast]], [[Russia]], and one of the largest cities in [[Siberia]]. Population: {{ru-census|p2010=587,891|p2002=593,604|p1989=622,301}} ==History== {{Refimprove|date=August 2012}} [[File:Irkutsk Kreml 1735.jpg|thumb|left|Irkutsk Castle in 1735]] In 1652, Ivan Pokhabov built a ''zimovyo'' (winter quarters) near the site of Irkutsk for gold trading and for the collection of [[Yasak|fur taxes]] from the [[Buryats]]. In 1661, Yakov Pokhabov built an ''[[ostrog (fortress)|ostrog]]'' nearby.<ref name="Lantzeff">{{cite book|last=Lantzeff|first=George V., and Richard A. Pierce|title=Eastward to Empire: Exploration and Conquest on the Russian Open Frontier, to 1750|publisher=McGill-Queen's U.P.|year=1973|location=Montreal eduacadtion}}</ref> The ostrog gained official town rights from the government in 1686. The first road connection between [[Moscow]] and Irkutsk, the Siberian Road, was built in 1760, and benefited the town economy. Many new products, often imported from [[China]] via [[Kyakhta]], became widely available in Irkutsk for the first time, including [[gold]], [[diamond]]s, [[fur]], [[wood]], [[silk]], and [[tea]]. In 1821, as part of the [[Mikhail Speransky|Speransky]] reforms, Siberia was administratively divided at the [[Yenisei River]] and Irkutsk became the seat of the Governor-General of East Siberia. [[File:Irkutsk-club.jpg|thumb|left|Irkutsk [[Assembly of the Nobility]] in the early 1900s]] In the early 19th century, many Russian [[artist]]s, officers, and [[nobility|nobles]] were sent into [[exile]] in Siberia for their part in the [[Decembrist revolt]] against [[Tsar]] [[Nicholas I of Russia|Nicholas&nbsp;I]]. Irkutsk became the major center of intellectual and social life for these exiles, and much of the city's cultural heritage comes from them; many of their wooden houses, adorned with ornate, hand-carved decorations, survive today, in stark contrast with the standard [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] apartment blocks that surround them. [[File:Irkutsk 1865.jpg|thumb|left|Epiphany Cathedral and central Irkutsk in 1865]] By the end of the 19th century, there was one exiled man for every two locals. People of varying backgrounds, from members of the [[Decembrist revolt|Decembrist uprising]] to [[Bolshevik]]s, have been in Irkutsk for many years and have greatly influenced the culture and development of the city. As a result, Irkutsk eventually became a prosperous cultural and educational center in [[Eastern Siberia]]. In 1879, on July&nbsp;4 and&nbsp;6, the palace of the (then) Governor General, the principal administrative and municipal offices and many of the other public buildings were destroyed by fire, and the government [[archive]]s, the [[library]] and the [[museum]] of the Siberian section of the [[Russian Geographical Society]] were completely ruined. Three-quarters of the city was destroyed, including approximately 4,000 houses.<ref name="Kennan">{{cite book|last1=Kennan|first1=George|title=Siberia and the Exile System|date=1891|publisher=James R. Osgood, McIlvaine & Co.|location=London|pages=1-2}}</ref> However, the city quickly rebounded, with electricity arriving in 1896, the first theater being built in 1897 and a major train station opened in 1898. The first train arrived in Irkutsk on August&nbsp;16 of that year. By 1900, the city had earned the [[nickname]] of "The [[Paris]] of Siberia." [[File:Иркутск. Чешско-словацкие войска в Иркутске.jpg|thumb|Irkutsk in 1918]] During the [[Russian Civil War]], which broke out after the [[October Revolution]], Irkutsk became the site of many furious, bloody clashes between the "[[White movement|Whites]]" and the "[[Bolsheviks|Reds]]". In 1920, [[Aleksandr Kolchak]], the once-feared commander of the largest contingent of anti-Bolshevik forces, was executed in Irkutsk, which effectively destroyed the anti-Bolshevik resistance. Irkutsk was the administrative center of the short-lived [[East Siberian Oblast]], which existed from 1936 to 1937. The city subsequently became the administrative center of Irkutsk Oblast after East Siberian Oblast was divided into [[Chita Oblast]] and Irkutsk Oblast. During the Communist years, the industrialization of Irkutsk and Siberia in general was heavily encouraged. The large Irkutsk Reservoir was built on the [[Angara River]] between 1950 and 1959 in order to facilitate industrial development. [[File:Church of the Epiphany (Irkutsk).jpg|thumb|left|Epiphany Cathedral (built in 1718–1746)]] The Epiphany Cathedral (left), the governor's palace, a school of medicine, a museum, a military hospital and the crown factories are among the public institutions and buildings. The [[Aleksandr Kolchak]] monument, designed by [[Vyacheslav Klykov]], was unveiled in 2004. On July&nbsp;27, 2004, the Irkutsk Synagogue (1881) was gutted by a conflagration. ==Geography== The city proper lies on the [[Angara River]], a [[tributary]] of the [[Yenisei River|Yenisei]], {{convert|72|km|sp=us}} below its outflow from [[Lake Baikal]] and on the bank opposite the [[suburb]] of Glaskovsk. The river, {{convert|580|m|adj=on|sp=us}} wide, is crossed by the Irkutsk Hydroelectric Dam and three other bridges downstream. The [[Irkut River]], from which the town takes its name, is a smaller river that joins the Angara directly opposite the city. The main portion of the city is separated from several landmarks—the [[monastery]], the [[fort]] and the [[port]], as well as its suburbs—by another tributary, the Ida (or Ushakovka) River. The two main parts of Irkutsk are customarily referred to as the "left bank" and the "right bank", with respect to the flow of the Angara River. Irkutsk is situated in a landscape of rolling hills within the thick [[taiga]] that is typical in Eastern Siberia. According to the regional plan, Irkutsk city will be combined with its neighboring industrial towns of [[Shelekhov]] and [[Angarsk]] to form a metropolitan area with a total population of over a million. ===Climate=== Irkutsk originally had a borderline [[subarctic climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''Dwc''). Since 2000, the temperatures have resembled a [[humid continental climate]] (Köppen climate classification ''Dwb''). Snow cover disappeared earlier, from late April in the 1930s to late March in the 1980s. Discontinuous permafrost depth had decreased from 200&nbsp;m to 100&nbsp;m during the same period. Irkutsk is characterized by an extreme variation of temperatures between seasons. It can be very warm in the summer, and very cold in the winter. However, Lake Baikal has its effect, such that temperatures in Irkutsk are not as extreme as elsewhere in Siberia. The warmest month of the year in Irkutsk is July, when the average temperature is {{convert|+18|C}}, the highest temperature recorded being {{convert|+37.2|C}}. The coldest month of the year is January, when the average temperature is {{convert|−18|C}}, and record low of {{convert|−49.7|C}}. [[Precipitation (meteorology)|Precipitation]] also varies widely throughout the year, with July also being the wettest month, when precipitation averages {{convert|113|mm|sp=us}}. The driest month is February, when precipitation averages only {{convert|7.6|mm|sp=us}}. Almost all precipitation during the Siberian winter falls as flurry, low moisture content snow. {{Weather box|location=Irkutsk (normals 1981–2010) |metric first=yes |single line=yes |Jan record high C=2.3 |Feb record high C=10.2 |Mar record high C=20.0 |Apr record high C = 29.2 |May record high C = 34.5 |Jun record high C = 35.6 |Jul record high C = 37.2 |Aug record high C = 34.1 |Sep record high C = 29.7 |Oct record high C = 24.5 |Nov record high C = 14.4 |Dec record high C = 5.3 |year record high C = 37.2 |Jan high C = −12.8 |Feb high C = −7.8 |Mar high C = 0.3 |Apr high C = 9.4 |May high C = 18.1 |Jun high C = 22.7 |Jul high C = 24.8 |Aug high C = 22.2 |Sep high C = 15.7 |Oct high C = 7.7 |Nov high C = -2.7 |Dec high C = −10.6 |year high C = 7.3 |Jan mean C = -17.8 |Feb mean C = -14.4 |Mar mean C = -6.4 |Apr mean C = 2.5 |May mean C = 10.2 |Jun mean C = 15.4 |Jul mean C = 18.3 |Aug mean C = 15.9 |Sep mean C = 9.2 |Oct mean C = 1.8 |Nov mean C = -7.6 |Dec mean C = -15.3 |year mean C = 1.0 |Jan low C = −21.8 |Feb low C = −19.6 |Mar low C = −12.2 |Apr low C = -2.8 |May low C = 3.6 |Jun low C = 9.3 |Jul low C = 13.0 |Aug low C = 10.9 |Sep low C = 4.3 |Oct low C = -2.5 |Nov low C = −11.6 |Dec low C = −19.1 |year low C = −4.0 |Jan record low C = −49.7 |Feb record low C = −44.7 |Mar record low C = −37.3 |Apr record low C = −31.8 |May record low C = −14.3 |Jun record low C = −6.0 |Jul record low C = 0.4 |Aug record low C = −2.7 |Sep record low C = −11.9 |Oct record low C = −30.5 |Nov record low C = −40.4 |Dec record low C = −46.3 |year record low C = −49.7 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 13 |Feb precipitation mm = 8 |Mar precipitation mm = 12 |Apr precipitation mm = 18 |May precipitation mm = 37 |Jun precipitation mm = 78 |Jul precipitation mm = 114 |Aug precipitation mm = 91 |Sep precipitation mm = 52 |Oct precipitation mm = 21 |Nov precipitation mm = 20 |Dec precipitation mm = 16 |year precipitation mm = 480 |Jan humidity = 82 |Feb humidity = 76 |Mar humidity = 65 |Apr humidity = 56 |May humidity = 55 |Jun humidity = 67 |Jul humidity = 74 |Aug humidity = 78 |Sep humidity = 76 |Oct humidity = 73 |Nov humidity = 79 |Dec humidity = 85 |year humidity = 72 |Jan rain days = 0 |Feb rain days = 0.04 |Mar rain days = 1 |Apr rain days = 9 |May rain days = 15 |Jun rain days = 18 |Jul rain days = 18 |Aug rain days = 17 |Sep rain days = 16 |Oct rain days = 9 |Nov rain days = 2 |Dec rain days = 0 |year rain days = 105 |Jan snow days = 21 |Feb snow days = 16 |Mar snow days = 13 |Apr snow days = 11 |May snow days = 3 |Jun snow days = 0.2 |Jul snow days = 0 |Aug snow days = 0 |Sep snow days = 2 |Oct snow days = 10 |Nov snow days = 20 |Dec snow days = 23 |year snow days = 119 |Jan sun = 93 |Feb sun = 149 |Mar sun = 207 |Apr sun = 223 |May sun = 266 |Jun sun = 264 |Jul sun = 243 |Aug sun = 218 |Sep sun = 182 |Oct sun = 152 |Nov sun = 93 |Dec sun = 62 |year sun = 2142 |source 1 = Pogoda.ru.net<ref name="pogoda">{{cite web | url = http://www.pogodaiklimat.ru/climate/30710.htm | title = Pogoda.ru.net- Climate Data for Irkutsk 1981–2010 | accessdate=November 30, 2015 | publisher = Weather and Climate (Погода и климат) | language = Russian}}</ref> |date=August 2010 |source 2 = NOAA (sun, 1961–1990)<ref name = NOAA > {{cite web | url = ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_II/RA/30710.TXT | title = Irkutsk Climate Normals 1961–1990 | publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] | accessdate=November 30, 2015}}</ref> }} ==Administrative and municipal status== Irkutsk is the [[administrative center]] of the [[oblast]] and, within the [[subdivisions of Russia#Administrative divisions|framework of administrative divisions]], it also serves as the administrative center of [[Irkutsky District]],<ref name="Ref40">Law #49-OZ</ref> even though it is not a part of it.{{citation needed|date=October 2012}} As an administrative division, it is incorporated separately as the '''[[City of federal subject significance|City]] of Irkutsk'''<ref name="IrkutskO_charter">Charter of Irkutsk Oblast</ref>—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the [[administrative divisions of Irkutsk Oblast|districts]].{{citation needed|date=October 2012}} As a [[Municipal divisions of Russia|municipal division]], the City of Irkutsk is incorporated as '''Irkutsk Urban Okrug'''.<ref name="Ref659">Law #88-oz</ref> ==Coat of arms== [[File:Coat of Arms of Irkutsk (Irkutsk oblast) (1790).png|thumb|The original version of the coat of arms]] [[File:Fountain Kirov's square 01.jpg|thumb|A fountain in Kirov Square]] The [[coat of arms]] of Irkutsk features an old symbol of [[Dauria]]: a [[Siberian tiger]] with a [[sable]] in his mouth. When the coat of arms was devised in 1690, the animal was described as a tiger ("babr", a bookish word of Persian derivation) with a [[sable]] in his mouth. This image had been used by the [[Yakutsk]] customs office from about 1642. It has its origin in a seal of the [[Siberia Khanate]] representing a sable and showcasing the fact that Siberia (or rather [[Yugra]]) was the main source of sable fur throughout the [[Middle Ages]]. (Actually, the English word "sable" is derived from the Russian "sobol"). By the mid-19th century, the word "babr" had fallen out of common usage, but it was still recorded in the [[Armorial of the Russian Empire]]. Furthermore, the tigers became extinct in this part of Siberia. In the 1870s, a high-placed French heraldist with a limited command of Russian assumed that "babr" was a misspelling of "bobr", the Russian word for "[[beaver]]", and changed the wording accordingly. This modification engendered a long dispute between the local authorities, who were so confused by the revised description that they started to depict the "babr" as a fabulous animal, half-tiger and half-beaver. The Soviets abolished the image altogether, but it was restored following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. ==Economy== ===Energy=== The 662.4 MW [[Irkutsk Hydroelectric Power Station]] was the first cascade hydroelectric power station in the Irkutsk region. The construction of the dam started in 1950 and finished in 1958.<ref name="his">{{cite web|title=Irkutsk Hydroelectric Power Station History|url=http://en.irkutskenergo.ru/qa/1008.2.html|publisher=Irkutskenergo|accessdate=September 7, 2010}}</ref> ===Industry=== The largest industry in Irkutsk is [[Irkut (company)|Irkut]], the Irkutsk Aviation Industrial Association,<ref>{{cite web|author=John Pike |url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/iaia.htm |title=Irkutsk Aviation Industrial Association - Russian Defense Industry |publisher={{ill|de|GlobalSecurity.org}} |date=2002-09-18 |accessdate=2014-02-07}}</ref> which was set up in 1932 in the [[Transbaykal|Transbaykal region]] of the [[Soviet Union]]. It is best known as being the manufacturer of the [[Su-30]] family of [[interceptor aircraft|interceptor]]/[[ground-attack aircraft]]. The Russian government is planning to merge Irkut with '''[[Ilyushin]]''', '''[[Mikoyan]]''', '''[[Sukhoi]]''', '''[[Tupolev]]''', and '''[[Yakovlev]]''' as a new company named '''[[United Aircraft Building Corporation]]'''.<ref name="nyt_united_aircraft">"[http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/22/business/worldbusiness/22air.html?_r=1&oref=login Russian Aircraft Industry Seeks Revival Through Merger]." ''[[The New York Times]].'' February 22, 2006</ref> There is the Irkutsk Aluminium Smelter which belongs to the [[Rusal]] Company.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rusal.ru/en/irkaz_factory.aspx |title=Страница не найдена |publisher=Rusal.ru |date= |accessdate=2013-03-26}}</ref> ===Transportation=== [[File:Irkutsk-Passagirsky.jpg|right|thumb|Passenger railway station in Irkutsk]] [[File:Иркутск. Трамвай 1.JPG|left|thumb|225px|Tram in Irkutsk]] Important roads and railways like the [[Trans-Siberian Highway]] (Federal [[M53 highway (Russia)|M53]] and [[M55 highway (Russia)|M55]] Highways) and [[Trans-Siberian Railway]] connect Irkutsk to other regions in Russia and [[Mongolia]]. The city is also served by the [[Irkutsk International Airport]] and the smaller [[Irkutsk Northwest Airport]]. The Federal road and railway to [[Moscow]] and [[Vladivostok]] pass through the other side of the Angara River from central Irkutsk. Trams are one major mode of public transit in Irkutsk. Other modes are trolleybus, bus, and fixed-route taxi, cycling([[marshrutka]]). <gallery class="center" caption="" widths="220px" heights="220px"> File:Иркутск. Улица Ленина 2.JPG|Trolleybus File:Иркутск. Улица Седова 1.JPG|Bus on Sedov Street </gallery> ==Culture== [[File:Иркутский драматический театр.JPG|thumb|Irkutsk Academic Drama Theater]] ===Television and mass media=== There are many state-owned and privately owned television stations in Irkutsk, including state company IGTRK<ref>{{cite web|url=http://irkutsk.rfn.ru |title=IGTRK - Irkutsk branch of the State Television an Radio Broadcast Company |publisher=Irkutsk.rfn.ru |date= |accessdate=February 7, 2014}}</ref> and private ones, such as AS Baikal TV,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://as.baikal.tv |title=AS Baikal TV |publisher=AS Baikal TV |date= |accessdate=February 7, 2014}}</ref> TV company AIST,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aisttv.ru |title=TV Company AIST |publisher=Aisttv.ru |date= |accessdate=February 7, 2014}}</ref> TV company Gorod,<ref>[http://www.gorodtv.ru Gorod TV]</ref> and also other media outlets, like the VSP Newspaper Agency.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vsp.ru |title=VSP Newspaper Agency |publisher=Vsp.ru |date= |accessdate=February 7, 2014}}</ref> There is also a live webcam broadcasting from the city center.<ref>[http://as.baikal.tv/webcam/ Live webcam in Irkutsk] {{wayback|url=http://as.baikal.tv/webcam/ |date=20130305103048}}</ref> ===Education=== Irkutsk is home to the [[Irkutsk State Pedagogical College|East Siberian Education Academy]] (since 1909), [[Irkutsk State University]] (1918), [[Irkutsk State Medical University]] (1918), [[Baykalsky State University of Economics and Law]] (since 1932), [[Irkutsk State Technical University]] (since 1939), [[Irkutsk State Academy of Agriculture]], [[Irkutsk State Linguistic University]] (1948), [[Irkutsk State Railway Transport University]] (since 1975), and a number of private colleges: [[Siberian Institute of Law, Economics and Management]] (since 1993), [[Institute of Economics of ISTU]] (since 1996), and others. ===Science=== As Irkutsk is within the influence of the Siberian Division of the [[Russian Academy of Sciences]], there are nine research institutes located in the Irkutsk Academgorodok suburb: the [[V.B. Sochava Institute of Geography SB RAS|Institute of Geography]], the [[Energy System Institute]], the [[Institute of Geochemistry]], the [[Institute of System Dynamics and Control Theory]], the [[Earth's Crust Institute]], the [[Solar-Terrestrial Physics Institute]], the [[Institute of Chemistry]], the [[Limnological Institute]] (formerly located on Lake Baikal's shore), the [[Institute of Plant Physics]], [[Laser Physics Institute]] (a Branch of the Institute of Laser Physics in Novosobirsk). A number of institutes conduct research within [[Irkutsk State University]]: the Institute of Biology, the Institute of Oil and Coal Chemistry and Synthesis, the Laboratory of Quantum Chemistry, the Institute of Applied Physics, the Interregional Institute of Social Studies, the Astronomical Observatory, and the Botanical Gardens. The [[East-Siberian Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences]] is also located in Irkutsk and is represented by the following research organizations: the Scientific Center for Medical Ecology, the Institute for Paediatrics and Human Reproduction, the Institute for Microbiology and Epidemiology, the Institute for Medicine of the Workplace and Human Ecology, the Institute of Reconstructive and Restorative Surgery, the Institute of Surgery, and the Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedics. Also, the [[Fyodorov Eye Microsurgery Scientific and Technical Center]] has a branch in Irkutsk. Additionally, there are R&D institutes including [[GAZPROM]] [[R&D Institute]] (a Branch of a Moscow-based institute), the [http://www.irgiredmet.ru/ Irkutsk Institute of Rare and Precious Metals and Diamonds (Irgiredmet)], part of the [[Petropavlovsk plc|Petropavlovsk]] Group of Companies.,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.petropavlovsk.net/ru/in-house-expertise.html |title=Аналитическая служба |publisher=Petropavlovsk.net |date= |accessdate=2014-02-07}}</ref> and the Vostoksibacademcenter of the [http://www.raasn.ru Russian Academy of Architecture and Construction Sciences] that publishes the [[Project Baikal]] journal. ===Literature=== Irkutsk was home to the well-known Russian writer [[Valentin Rasputin]]; many of his novels and stories take place in the [[Angara River|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]], which is also available in an English translation. ===Museums=== [[File:Exaltation of the Cross Church, Irkutsk, Russia.jpg|thumb|The Church of the Cross (1747–60) is a pinnacle of the [[Siberian Baroque]] architecture]] Irkutsk<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lonelyplanet.com/russia/siberia/irkutsk |title=Irkutsk - Lonely Planet Travel and Information Guide |publisher=Lonelyplanet.com |date= |accessdate=2014-02-07}}</ref> is a point of interest for tourists with its numerous museums and old architecture. The [[Taltsy Museum]] ({{lang-ru|[[:ru:Тальцы|Тальцы]]}}), located on the Angara {{convert|47|km|sp=us}} South of Irkutsk, is an open-air museum of Siberian [[vernacular architecture|traditional architecture]]. Numerous old wooden buildings from villages in the Angara valley, which have been flooded after the construction of the [[Bratsk Dam]] and [[Ust-Ilimsk Dam]], have been transported to the museum and reassembled there. One of the centerpieces of the collection is a partial recreation of the 17th-century ''ostrog'' (fortress) of Ilimsk, which consists of the original Spasskaya Tower and the Church of Our Lady of Kazan transported from the flooded ''ostrog'' in the mid-1970s, to which an exact modern copy of another tower of the ''ostrog'' and the Southern wall of the fortress were added in the early 2000s.<ref>[http://babr.ru/?pt=news&event=v1&IDE=3423 В «Тальцах» завершается реконструкция южной стены Илимского острога] (Re-creation of the southern wall of the Ilimsk ''ostrog'' in the Taltsy Museum is approaching its completion) {{Ru icon}}</ref> The [[Botanic Garden of the Irkutsk State University]] known as the "Irkutsk Botanic Garden" is the only [[botanic garden]] as a living [[museum]] in Irkutsk Oblast and Baikalian [[Siberia]]. Its mission is "to protect and enrich the flora of the Lake Baikal area and the world for people through public education, collection, propagation, research, and conservation of plants". The garden is mainly an educational and scientific tool for the [[Irkutsk State University]] and maintains the largest plant collection of living plants in Eastern [[Siberia]] (more than 5000 plant taxa), a herbarium, and a seed bank. It occupies 27 hectares within Irkutsk city, {{convert|70|km|0|abbr=on}} West of Lake Baikal. It has a federal status of especially protected land and a nature memorial of Irkutsk. ===Theaters=== Irkutsk is also home to several theaters, including the Okhlopkov Drama Theater, one of Russia's oldest.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.themoscowtimes.com/beyond_moscow/irkutsk.html |title=Irkutsk: Libertine Legacy by the Lakeside &#124; Beyond Moscow |publisher=The Moscow Times |date= |accessdate=2013-03-26}}</ref> ==Sports== [[Bandy]] is a very big sport in the city. There are several clubs, most notably [[Baykal-Energiya Irkutsk|Baykal-Energiya]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.baikal-energy.ru/ |title=Хоккейный клуб "Байкал-Энергия". Официальный сайт |publisher=Baikal-energy.ru |date= |accessdate=2013-03-26}}</ref> of the [[Russian Bandy Super League]], which can draw spectator crowds of 30,000.<ref>{{youtube|KI7DHW6S2uc|baikal-energy bandy}}</ref> It is also the centre of women's bandy in Russia with the club [[Rekord Irkutsk|Rekord]],<ref>http://www.bandynet.ru/files/mimages/IMG_0409.jpg</ref> which provides most players to the national team.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bandy2010.com/news3.html |title=Bandy2010.com |publisher=Bandy2010.com |date= |accessdate=2013-03-26}}</ref> [[2012 Women's Bandy World Championship]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://baikal-bandy.ru/ |title=WCS 2012 home page |publisher=Baikal-bandy.ru |date= |accessdate=2014-02-07}}</ref> was hosted in Irkutsk and received praise from [[Federation of International Bandy]].<ref>{{cite web|author=emh solutions |url=http://worldbandy.com/news.asp?newsid=120&title=A%20very%20well%20organized%20World%20Championship%20for%20Women%20in%20Irkutsk%20made%20a%20great%20success |title=A very well organized World Championship for Women in Irkutsk made a great success |publisher=Worldbandy.com |date= |accessdate=2014-02-07}}</ref> [[2014 Bandy World Championship]] was played in the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://baikal-bandy.ru/ |title=XXXIV Champ Of World Bandy |publisher=Baikal-bandy.ru |date= |accessdate=2014-02-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=emh solutions |url=http://worldbandy.com/news.asp?newsid=644&title=Russia%20world%20champions |title=Russia world champions |publisher=Worldbandy.com |date= |accessdate=2014-02-07}}</ref> The final of [[Russian Bandy Super League]] 2016 will be played at [[Rekord Stadium]].[https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=ru&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rusbandy.ru%2Fnews%2F8962] ==Twin towns and sister cities== {{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Russia}} Irkutsk is [[twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:<ref>{{ru icon}} [http://www.cbs.irkutsk.ru/lektor05.htm Sister cities of Irkutsk]</ref><ref>{{ru icon}} [http://izvestia.isea.ru/pdf.asp?id=4331 МЕЖДУНАРОДНЫЕ ОТНОШЕНИЯ И - Известия ИГЭА]</ref> {|class="wikitable" |- valign="top" | *{{Flagicon|Mongolia}} [[Ulan Bator]], [[Mongolia]] *{{Flagicon|China}} [[Shenyang]], [[China]] *{{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Kanazawa, Ishikawa|Kanazawa]], [[Japan]] *{{Flagicon|United States}} [[Eugene, Oregon|Eugene]], [[United States]] || *{{Flagicon|Serbia}} [[Novi Sad]], [[Serbia]] *{{Flagicon|Germany}} [[Pforzheim]], [[Germany]] *{{Flagicon|France}} [[Évian-les-Bains]], [[France]] *{{Flagicon|Sweden}} [[Strömsund]], [[Sweden]] || *{{Flagicon|Italy}} [[Pordenone]], [[Italy]] *{{Flagicon|France}} [[Grenoble]], France *{{Flagicon|France}} [[Dijon]], France |} == Notable people == {{Main|List of people from Irkutsk}} * [[Nikolai Polevoy]] (1796–1846), Russian editor, writer, translator and historian * [[Vladimir Kornilov]] (1806–1854), Russian naval officer who took part in the [[Crimean War]] * [[Alexei Fedchenko]] (1844–1873), Russian naturalist and explorer * [[Nikolay Vtorov]] (1866–1918), Russian industrialist * [[Nikolay Okhlopkov]] (1900–1967), Soviet actor and theatre director * [[Mikhail Romm]] (1901–1971), Soviet film director * [[Nikolay Kamov]] (1902–1973), leading constructor of the Soviet-Russian Kamov helicopter design bureau * [[Mikhail Mil]] (1909–1970), Soviet aerospace engineer * [[Konstantin Vyrupayev]] (1930–2012), Soviet wrestler and Olympic Champion * [[Boris Volynov]] (born 1934), Soviet cosmonaut * [[Olga Buyanova]] (born 1954), Honored Master of Sports coach in Rhythmic gymnastics of the USSR and Russia * [[Oleksandr Shlapak]] (born 1960), Ukrainian politician, bureaucrat, and former Minister of Finance of Ukraine * [[Anatoli Ivanishin]] (born 1969), Russian cosmonaut * [[Oxana Kostina]] (1972–1993), Soviet individual rhythmic gymnast * [[Aleksandr Averbukh]] (born 1974), Israeli Olympic athlete who competed in the pole vault * [[Denis Matsuev]] (born 1975), Russian classical pianist * [[Maria Bruntseva]] (born 1980), Russian volleyball player *[[Nina Kraviz]] (born 1980-1986), Russian techno DJ * [[Olga Zhitova]] (born 1983), Russian volleyball player * [[Olga Kurban]] (born 1987), Russian heptathlete * [[Alexey Negodaylo]] (born 1989), Russian bobsledder * [[Angelina Zhuk-Krasnova]] (born 1991), Russian athlete specialising in the pole vault * [[Darya Dmitriyeva]] (born 1993), Russian rhythmic gymnast * [[Nazí Paikidze]] (born 1993), Georgian-American chess player ==References== ===Notes=== {{Reflist|colwidth=30em}} ===Sources=== *{{RussiaBasicLawRef|irk}} *{{RussiaAdmMunRef|irk|adm|law}} *{{RussiaAdmMunRef|irk|mun|list|irkutsk}} *{{RussiaAdmMunRef|irk|mun|list|irkutsky}} *{{EB1911}} *Brumfield, William. ''Irkutsk: Architectural Heritage in Photographs'' // Moscow: Tri Kvadrata Publishing, 2006. ISBN 978-5-94607-061-4 * {{nobr|Polunina N.M., Korobov S.A., Sutton J.M., Korobova G.W.}} Her Majesty&nbsp;— Queen of Siberia // Publishers Korobov.&nbsp;— Irkutsk, 2008. ==External links== {{Wikivoyage}} *[http://www.admirkutsk.ru Official website of Irkutsk] {{ru icon}} *[[Flickr]] photos tagged [https://secure.flickr.com/photos/tags/irkutsk Irkutsk] *[http://www.virtualtravel.ru/user/3778/index.phtml?wid=27&tips=12 Irkutsk in old and modern photos] *[http://russiatrek.org/irkutsk-city Irkutsk city architecture views] *[http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/10/04/irkutsk_cultural_crossroads_in_russian_asia05002.html Irkutsk: cultural crossroads in Russian Asia] *[http://www.cypis.pl/Podroze/relacje_pliki/2010.03-06%20Mongolia/ROSJA/IRKUCK/galeria1.html Russia - Siberia - Irkutsk - photo galleries] *[http://as.baikal.tv/pages/cams/index.php Irkutsk Webcam Live] {{Irkutsk Oblast}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2011}} {{Authority control}} [[Category:Irkutsk| ]] [[Category:Irkutsk Governorate]] [[Category:Populated lakeshore places in Russia]] [[Category:Populated places established in 1686]] [[Category:World Heritage Site Tentative list]] [[Category:1686 establishments in Russia]]'