General information
| Destination |
|---|
| Irkutsk, Russia |
Program details
Irkutsk, located at the confluence of the Angara and Irkut Rivers, was founded in the 17th century as a wooden fort (ostrog). It quickly became a regional center for the fur trade and the main Russian trade route through the Mongolian steppes to China. The Great Siberia Tea Road, connected Moscow with Irkutsk by the mid-18th century, has been called the longest land trade route in the world. By the end of the 18th century, merchants began to play a leading role in the civil life of Irkutsk. The construction of the famous Trans-Siberian railway, started in 1891, marked the end of the tea caravans.
The history of Irkutsk also is closely connected to the Decembrists, aristocratic rebels. Siberia was a land of exile. Many Russian intellectuals, nobles were sent into Siberian exile. Irkutsk became a centre of their cultural, intellectual and social life.Mordern Irkutsk is a large tourist, industrial and scientific centre of Eastern Siberia.
Highlights:
During the tour you will have an opportunity to learn about the history of this siberian city, also well-known as the city, where travelers from all over the world start exploring its natural wonder, Lake Baikal, the oldest and deepest existing freshwater lake on Earth.
Your local private tour guide will take you to the city's major historical sites such as: the beautiful embankment along the Angara River, the monument to emperor Alexander III who launched the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway.
You will immerse yourself in the beauty and culture of the beautiful churches and cathedrals, you will see the Church of the Saviour with its unique exterior paintings, the Epiphany Cathedral, the Roman Catholic Church, Znamensky Convent, the Cathedral of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.
Siberia is famous for its wooden architecture. Irkutsk still contains many wooden houses. You will see many surviving traditional log houses with hand-carved trims.
Italiano
Русский
