CITY · IRKUTSK OBLAST

Irkutsk.

Irkutsk stands on the Angara about 70 km downstream of where it flows out of Lake Baikal, and for many travellers it is the gateway to the lake. Its centre keeps wooden houses with carved window frames and old stone churches, and by 1900 its looks had earned it the nickname "the Paris of Siberia".

Region: Irkutsk Oblast
Population: 605,708 (2025)
Founded: 1661
Airport: Irkutsk · IKT

Good news & stories

30 September 2026

Neutrino astronomy

The Baikal Neutrino Telescope: an observatory deep in the lake

How Lake Baikal's clear water and winter ice help physicists catch neutrinos from distant space.

Science and natureIrkutsk Region, Lake Baikal

30 September 2026

Wooden Irkutsk

Irkutsk: wooden quarters, the Angara and the road to Baikal

Irkutsk's carved wooden houses, the 130th Quarter, the Angara riverbank and the city as a starting point for Baikal.

City and natureIrkutsk, Irkutsk Region

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History

A winter outpost for the fur trade appeared here in 1652, and in 1661 Yakov Pokhabov built a fort on the site of today's Kirov Square. Irkutsk received town status in 1686. After the 1825 uprising many Decembrists were exiled here, and their presence left a mark on the city's culture. In 1879 a fire destroyed about three quarters of the town, and on 16 August 1898 the first train arrived.

Culture & traditions

The Okhlopkov Drama Theatre is regarded as one of Russia's oldest. The playwright Alexander Vampilov and the writer Valentin Rasputin are closely linked to the city, and the pianist Denis Matsuev was born here. Among the historic churches are the Church of the Saviour, whose stone building was begun in 1706, the Epiphany Cathedral and the Znamensky Monastery. Irkutsk State University dates from 1918, and its botanical garden holds more than 5,000 plant taxa.

Sport

The great winter passion is bandy: Baykal-Energiya matches have drawn crowds of up to 30,000. Irkutsk is called the centre of women's bandy in Russia and is home to the club Rekord. The city hosted the Women's Bandy World Championship in 2012 and the men's championship in 2014.

Food & drink

The local delicacy is omul, a fish found only in Lake Baikal. Smoked omul is sold all around the lake and has long been a favourite of Trans-Siberian passengers. As elsewhere in Siberia, pelmeni are a staple, widely seen as Siberia's contribution to Russian cuisine.

Practical information

Flights arrive at Irkutsk International Airport, and both the Trans-Siberian Railway and the main highway east pass through the city. Trams, trolleybuses and buses run around town. Local time is Moscow plus 5 hours. The climate is sharply continental, averaging about −18 °C in January and +19 °C in July. Summer is the easiest time to visit, when the city combines well with a trip to Baikal and the Taltsy museum.

What to see

Kirov Square — the site of the original 1661 fort.
Church of the Saviour — one of the city's oldest stone churches, begun in 1706.
Epiphany Cathedral — a historic stone church in the city centre.
Znamensky Monastery — a historic monastery within the city.
Carved wooden houses — streets that keep the look of old Siberia.
Taltsy Museum — open-air wooden architecture 47 km from the city, with a reconstructed Ilimsk fort.