Often called the Siberian Paris, Irkutsk is one of the largest and most beautiful cities in Siberia, Russia. The city boasts magnificent churches, whose histories date back centuries. Irkutsk was founded in 1661 on the place of the confluence of the Angara and the Irkut Rivers. The Irkut River gave the name to the city. At first, it was just a little wooden town, but it developed very fast, and 25 years later Irkutsk was given the status of the city. Today Irkutsk is one of the largest economic, industrial and cultural centres of Eastern Siberia. The citizens of the city believe that Irkutsk means for Siberia as much as Paris for France and London for England.

Begin at the historical centre of Irkutsk on the Angara coast. The history of the city began on Kirov Square. Nearby, see the Savior Church, which is considered to be the oldest stone building in all of Eastern Siberia. Visit the Epiphany Cathedral, a Roman Catholic church. Explore the Znamensky Monastery and the illustrious collection of icons at the Holy Cross Church. Walk along the main street of the city, Karl Marx Street, to the Angara River. There is the Irkutsk Drama Theater, the Irkutsk Regional Museum, and many other buildings built in the early 20th century. Proceed to the central embankment of Irkutsk at Angara River, which is a favourite place for walks and mass celebrations. Away from the embankment, visit an interesting historic district, the buildings of which appeared in the early 18th century. Due to a large number of wooden buildings, this area has formed a special historical zone of the city. Explore the heart of the blacksmith and pottery workshops and souvenir shops. 

Then pay a visit to the icebreaker “Angara” - one of the first icebreakers in the world and the most ancient of this kind of ship that still exists today. The icebreaker was used on Lake Baikal for a long time. Before being put into operation of the Circum-Baikal Railway, the icebreakers “Angara” and “Baikal” served as ferries between the stations Baikal and Misovaya. The “Baikal” was the first Baikal icebreaker (constructed in 1899) and the “Angara” became the second one set afloat on July 25, 1900. The “Angara” was used on Lake Baikal until 1962. On the 5th of November 1990, the restored icebreaker “Angara” became a museum and took a permanent place next to the pier at Solnechny micro-district.