This article will examine the difference in time between Irkutsk and Moscow. In general, how are time zones calculated and by what criteria? The article will briefly describe each of these cities in Russia, as well as study the issues of measuring the time zones of the Earth.
Capital of Russia
Moscow is the capital of Russia and a city of federal significance. Every day millions of people come here to solve different issues: business, studies - as well as just tourists from different cities of Russia or foreign countries.
Moscow has a lot of attractions. For example, Red Square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Or the Kremlin, which is surrounded by a brick wall that includes twenty towers of various architectural forms.
Also noteworthy places to visit in Moscow include the Ostankino Tower. This television tower, 540 meters high, is used for broadcasting radio and television programs. In addition, in Moscow you need to see the State Department Store (GUM), which is primarily one of the greatest architectural monuments of Russia of the 19th century.
Siberian city
Irkutsk is a city located in Siberia, with a population of more than 623 thousand people. It also has its own architectural monuments with a unique style. For example, the 130th quarter of the city represents the architecture of the 18th century, the period of the merchants. The buildings have been recently reconstructed, and modern buildings are also located here.
The Irkutsk region is primarily known for Lake Baikal, which is located within its borders. It has the largest freshwater reserves in the world. The lake is very clean and contains many useful minerals. Baikal reaches 636 km in length and reaches a maximum of 1,637 meters in depth.
Also among the attractions of Irkutsk stands the Museum of the Decembrists. On the territory of this cultural institution there are houses of the Decembrists-revolutionaries Trubetskoy and Volkonsky. They present household items of their families, in addition, thematic events - "Decembrist evenings" are also held here.
What is the time difference between Moscow and Irkutsk?
So, in accordance with the global UTC time standards, the time zones of these cities are:
- Moscow - UTC / GMT + 3;
- Irkutsk - UTC / GMT + 8.
What does this mean? It follows that if travelers are planning to go to the capital of the Irkutsk region, they should take into account that the time difference is 5 hours. That is, if in Moscow it’s 15:00, then in Irkutsk it’s already eight in the evening.
Data that simply calculates the time difference between Moscow and the Irkutsk region can be found on the Internet. Here is a huge number of online calculators or converters that immediately calculate the time difference between cities and even clearly show it in the form of hours.
As for the distance between Irkutsk and the capital of the state, it is about 4.2 thousand kilometers if you go along a direct highway. Of course, the fastest way will be to fly on an airplane. The flight time will be approximately 5 hours 20 minutes. Unless, of course, the flight is direct and non-stop.
Several flights from various airlines, such as Aviaflot, Ural Airlines, and others, depart daily from Moscow to Irkutsk. When buying, you should know that the cost of the ticket will be lower if you book it in advance (for one or two months). For the next flights, the cost is higher, and if there are no direct tickets, you will have to fly with transfers, and this is extra time. For example, a transfer flight in Krasnoyarsk will take 15 hours!
If a traveler leaves from Irkutsk to Moscow, the hourly flight difference will be 40 minutes. Simply put, if a person flies out at an o'clock, then he will arrive at 1:40, but already according to Moscow time.
So, the time zones of these cities are: UTC / GMT + 3 and +8. In general, what do these abbreviations mean - UTC, GMT? Let's consider this question further.
Time Zones
UTC and GMT are global standards by which we calculate time. There are many time zones on Earth, so they need to be standardized. For this, some reference points are required. So, for example, the time difference between Moscow and Irkutsk was calculated.
Previously, only GMT, or zero meridian, was used. He passed through the Royal Greenwich Observatory in London. Since this scale is uneven and depends on the period of the Earth’s rotation, in 1970 it was decided to introduce a new standard (UTC), which was more convenient for using and measuring time. UTC in English stands for Universal Coordinated Time.
UTC is now worldwide coordinated time. All software uses this standard to replace Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
Conclusion
So, the time difference between Moscow and the Irkutsk region, and more precisely Irkutsk, is 5 hours. Or +5 hours, if you look from the point of view of the inhabitants of the city of Siberia. For time zones, the standard is UTC or GMT. However, GMT, or GMT, was valid until 1970. After they switched to Universal Coordinated Time, as the most accurate and uniform. Although even now GMT is quite often used, for example, by manufacturers of watch movements.