Irkutsk

Irkutsk (????????), the chief town of the Irkutsk Oblast, is one of the most important places in Siberia, being not only the principal commercial depot north of Tashkent, but also a fortified military post, an archbishopric of the Russian Orthodox Church and the seat of several learned societies. It is situated in {{coor dm|52|17|N|104|16|E|}}, 5185 km by rail from Moscow. Pop. (1875) 32,512, (1900) 49,106, (1975) 500,000, (2002) 593,400.

Layout

The town proper lies on the right bank of the Angara, a tributary of the Yenisei, 45 m below its outflow from Lake Baikal, and on the opposite bank is the Glaskovsk suburb. The river, which has a breadth of 1900 ft. (579 m), is crossed by a flying bridge. The Irkut, from which the town takes its name, is a small river which joins the Angara directly opposite the town, the main portion of which is separated from the monastery, the fort, the port and the suburbs by another confluent, the Ida or Ushakovka.

Related Topics:
Angara - Yenisei - Lake Baikal

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Irkutsk has long been reputed a remarkably fine city — its streets being straight, broad, well paved and well lighted; but in 1879, on the 4th and 6th of July, the palace of the (then) Governor General, the principal administrative and municipal offices and many of the other public buildings were destroyed by fire; and the government archives, the library and museum of the Siberian section of the Russian Geographical Society were utterly ruined.

Related Topics:
1879 - Russian Geographical Society

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On July 27, 2004, Irkutsk's synagogue built in 1881 suffered from an electrical fire. A cathedral (built of wood in 1693 and rebuilt of stone in 1718), the governor's palace, a school of medicine, a museum, a military hospital, and the crown factories are among the public institutions and buildings. The illustrious natives of Irkutsk include Afanasy Shchapov and Nikolay Okhlopkov.

Related Topics:
July 27 - 2004 - 1881 - 1693 - 1718 - Afanasy Shchapov - Nikolay Okhlopkov

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