Open up your eyes and Irkutsk will show its best!

frosty in the sunlight*	fresh pink...why not?
old street in autumn*	never too cold for a girlie's talk*
white, red, blue -  tints of Russia	old still gorgeous*

 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.

Irkutsk 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 Listvyanka 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 kept his word. Ancient icons, tiny church, busy babushkas sweeping the floor and cleaning candle holders and the plump strict prist, hopping into his small but posh car after service. :) One can sit outside there on an old bench and enjoy "here-and-now" minute. There is no 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. ;)