Irkutsk Favorites

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Favorite thing: The Angara River – one of the most deep rivers in Siberia is the main site of Irkutsk. It was established at the shore of the Irkut River, from which the town takes its name. Irkut is a smaller river that joins the Angara directly opposite the city.
The city lies on the Angara River, a tributary of the Yenisei, about 70 kilometers below its outflow from Lake Baikal. The river, about 600 meters wide, is crossed by the Irkutsk Hydroelectric Dam and three other bridges downstream.
The river is covered by ice in winter except a few kilometers below the Dam (in the centre of Irkutsk). Walking the enbankment and watching its deep and fast waters was among the most pleasant things I remember in Irkutsk.

You can watch my 4 min 13 sec Video Irkutsk-Angara out of my Youtube channel or here on VT.

You can watch my photo of Irkutsk on the Google Earth according to the following coordinates 52° 17' 32.04" N 104° 16' 47.52" E or on my Google Earth Panoramio Angara embankment.

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Favorite thing: I was fortunate to visit Irkutsk on business in February of 2010. The city was going to celebrate the 350th anniversary since it had been established.
Irkutsk is one of the largest cities in Siberia.
This place was first found in 1652 by Ivan Pokhabov when he built winter quarters near the site of Irkutsk for gold trading and for the collection of fur taxes from the Buryats.
Irkutsk was established in 1661 when Yakov Pokhabov built an ostrog nearby. 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.

You can watch my 5 min 17 sec Video Irkutsk part 1 out of my Youtube channel or here on VT.

You can watch my photo of Irkutsk on the Google Earth according to the following coordinates 52° 16' 36.09" N 104° 17' 47.16" E or on my Google Earth Panoramio Irkutsk panorama.

Favorite thing: Irkutsk is a wonderful town in my opinion! It is fun to walk along the old city center, to do some shopping or to discover the beautiful surrounding!

For some more information, here are some links:

- Wikipedia on Irkutsk
- www.Irkutsk.ru
- www.baikalhostels.com

Fondest memory: Always the first shower after three days on the train!

Favorite thing: check out Youth Island and stroll along Yuri Gagarin Boulevard. Not only does about 85% of the youth in the city go hang out there, but it's really beautiful. i would try to check out all the museums and theatres there, Dramaticheskii, Musikalnii, philarmonii etc, where you can hear some fabulous musicians and artists, and see some really nice internal architecture in the Dramaticheskii teatre.

Fondest memory: i actually miss the inexpensive ice cream that you can buy almost anywhere on the street in little stands. even when it's -20C outside, it was always great.

Favorite thing: In Irkutsk sharply continental climate. In the winter very coldly, and it is very hot in the summer. A difference between day time and night temperature big enough. If in the summer day time temperature about +30 degrees at night it can be +5, 8.

Favorite thing: again just walk around, irkuts is a nice town and it feels 'rich'. Nicely dressed people and when we where there the weather was nice and we walked around and at at the summercafees.
Shops are nice as is the central market

Fondest memory: Sitting in the sun on Bulvar Gagarina nice vieuw of the river and a lot of space to sit and relaxe

Favorite thing: Well, with work keeping me busy, it was hard to see anything more than the inside of the hotel and some 'business tour' locations that 'were determined ahead of time'. Either way, the best part my trip to Irkutsk was definitely Lake Baikal. A wonderful lake (and, for you Guiness Book of Records Fans -- the deepest lake in the world!), it is incredibly beautiful and undeveloped....there are some 'modern hotels' and accommodations but they are still only few -- Yea! for us. It is still very much 'family cottage territory' -- cottages dot the landscape and it brought back endless memories of summer's spent at my friends' cabins at the lake. Simply fabulous.....

Fondest memory: The people. Although I was a little 'put off' at first by the tough, macho, 'too direct and not friendly enough' comments and conversations that I received or was a party to, after a while, all of this blended away and I realized that it was just the exterior. And, as generalizing as it might sound, after having a few good, strong, straight glasses of 'Moskovoskya' (I think that's what it was called but, honestly, I was plastered!!) with the 'guys' and you were one of the group. I have never met such warm people (the vodka might have helped)....and it wasn't even winter yet!!

P.S. This ad has been copied from Funny-R-Stuff - May 1st, 2000.

Favorite thing: go to the taditional oak house.when you are get to here you can feel the silence. you are going to forget the bad memory.

Fondest memory: mountains