Open up your eyes and Irkutsk will show its best!
Wooden houses
The central streets are the best bit of modern Irkutsk, anything built during Soviet times is no attraction. If only for a striking comparison with the classic-style stone and brick buildings remained from pre-Soviet Russia -they are along the main arteries Lenin and Karl Marx street. Good roads and attractiveness of the city streets have never been a priority to the city authorities. Dull concrete buildings make the majority of post-Soviet architectural heritage, but fast emerging sky-scrapers somehow improve the face of the city by their modern elegance. But old wooden houses of Irkutsk despite neglected for decades are still full of dignity and beauty. I recommend walking along the central Dekabskikh Sobyty Str, Partizanskaya Str,Marata Str., 5th Army, Deputatskaya Str., Timiryazeva Str. with your cam. When you do so, look up to see nice under-roof decorations and window frame carvings. For this walk make sure you are supplied with enough time and wabi-sabi **approach to spot hidden beauty .
Other spots to see are a recently rennovated square (with benches -hurray! ) between the Circus and the central telegraph with a new fountain and a lovely small bridge over it. The Telegraph building is a pompous sample of Soviet architecture whereas just a few yards away (on Nekrasova Street) as a contrast to it one may see a colourful noble-looking palace dated as far as 18 century.
Churches
Irkutskian churches are worth visiting too.They are all so different in colour and exterior - none repeating the other. To get the atmosphere of Orthodox chuch service come between 5 and 7 pm to listen to the prist and the choir and see the standing audience. Women must cover their heads and wear skirts , never trousers. My favourite is the church on Sovietskaya Street located on the territory of children's hospital. It is a nice wooden interior, always full of sun, wonderfully tranquil and warm, ascetically thin prist with a deep look . :) There is also an icon depicting one of the saints -blind Ksenya - which was seen crying during Easter service about 3 years ago. One still can see the line left by its tears. Hystory of Irkutsk tells that there used to be a huge Kazan Catherdal on the central Kirov square (former Tikhvin Square)- on the spot where currently Irkutsk Region Administration sits . The total money invested into construction and appropriate interior arrangement came to nearly 1 mln Roubles*. The Cathedral was 60 m hign and could contain up to 5000 parishioners. Was blown up in 1932 by bolsheviks as the building of no hystorical and cultural value.... St.Nicolas Church in Litsvyanka is wonderful too. Two centuries ago a ship carrying goods was crossing the Lake. It got into the storm and was in a big danger. Russian merchant the owner of the ship who was on board started praying to Saint Nicolas asking for salvation. Soon the miracle occured: he saw St.Nicolas hurrying for rescue. The grateful merchant promised he would build a church in his name and he kept his word. :) Ancient icons, tiny church, busy babushkas sweeping the floor and cleaning candle holders and the plump strict prist, after service driving his small but posh car . :) One can sit outside there on an old bench and enjoy "here-and-now" minute. There is none such place anywhere else around.
* At the end of 19-beg 20 century a state teacher/doctor received a good salary of 10-15 Roubles (now it's 8-10,000Rub, which is just enough to survive). The exciled were given monthly 10 Roubles, for which they could buy books and even a piano. 1 liter of good quality vodka cost 12/100 of a Rouble (12 kopeks), a bear skin - 2 Roubles. ;)
Places to eat out:
Jeans café - Stylish interior, extensive menu (Euroepan), variety of delicious teas/coffee. Nice place to treat your girlfriend/partner/friend. Baikalskaya Street, cinema Barguzin.
Krendel restaurant/café – cozy old Russian interior, the menu can give you an idea of true Russian/Siberain food pretty close to home-made. Reasonable prices, smiling good-looking waitresses. Gryaznova Street (central)
Mamachka café - funny interior design, a sample of typical Soviet public canteen with recepies coming from Soviet times (i.e. simple but nourishing). Variety of tasty Russian salads. Clean, cozy, inexpensive. Easy to order - you can point at dishes. Karl Marx Street. (central)
Kioto restaurant – the first of few Japanese restaurants in Irkutsk. As per the Japanese it’s the best here. Expensive (of course!), excellent everything (you’ll like the toilet). Karl Marx Street.
WasabiCo- nice rolls and sushi, cocktails, ice-cream, reasonable price. Karl Marx Street (near Benetton shop, on the 1st floor). Easy to order - picture menu! :)
The London Pub – looks very much like London pub, though no football on the screen. Comments of the British who had several lunches here: “We’d like skirts of the waitresses shorter, service prompter”. Angara Hotel, Sukhe-Bator Street (Kirov Square)
Grand Salon restaurant – used to be my favourite (when I worked in the same building). Good option for business-lunches (quality vs price). Not a big selection of food, but quality and service is always top. Excellent Russian soups. Lovely place for a romantic dinner for two (not cheap still acceptable) Partizanskaya Street, Grand salon (3 min walk from the central market).
Marziano Restaurant – small, cozy, warm interior with a “flower-and-vase” touch, walls decorated by paintings in Italian style. Idyllic and ideal for the two, who are still “books unread” to each other. :) Karl Marx street.
Tender Bulldog- highly-scored by most customers, quality steaks, good service . Gagarina Bullevaurd, 11 (embankment )
To make your own trip around Irkutsk include the must-see sights:
Central market (find Mongol-looking sellers of dairy products and try their "smetana" - sour cream ( the stuff I'll miss if I move to a different place)
Drama theatre and Monument to Alexander III
The Eternal Fire (you may see Irkutskian new-weds here on Thusday-Saturday), two churches around , a small square and an embankment. From this very spot Irkutsk began its history.
Decembrists' Museum (if lucky)
Art Gallery (one of the best in Siberia) if you are fond of arts
Souvenier Shops - to buy earings for your sweatheart made of locally excavated semi-precious stones nephrite and charoyeet
*Photos by my guests Marco Carletto, Philippe Levy
** - wabi-sabi - Japanese concept of being able to sense beauty where an ordinary eye would not see it (good book by Richard Powell. Wabi-sabi)
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