Irkutsk

Often called the cultural capital of Siberia, Irkutsk is a major city in Siberia. This is a large manufacturing center, including defense industries, especially aircraft. As you can imagine, I didn't get anywhere near that. Irkutsk was also a major site for exiles, especially for Decembrists in the 19th century, most of whom were intellectuals, who brought that with them.
Most buildings are 19th century or newer due to fires destroying what had been a mostly wooden city.
The first pic is the symbol of the city. It is an Amur tiger with a beaver tail (the names of both are similar in Russian) holding a sable as a sign of wealth. The second is of the main (Kirov) square, followed by a couple buildings and a look across the Angara River. The Angara carries the outflow from Lake Baikal.Read more