Irkutsk is considered not only the main city of Eastern Siberia, but also a museum in which the romanticism of antiquity has miraculously been preserved. Here, the elegance of merchants' palaces, classic Russian Empire style and solemn baroque intertwined harmoniously. Now it is a dynamically developing city with great potential and a huge scientific and technical base.
Irkutsk: the history of the foundation
Where did this name come from? The name of this city was given by the Irkut River. Regarding the question: "What year is the foundation of Irkutsk?" scientists still have several opinions. Some support the version that this event occurred at the beginning, while others are sure that in the middle of the XVII century. According to some accounts, the year in which the foundation of Irkutsk took place was 1652, when the Cossack detachment of Ivan Pokhabov arrived in these places, who decided to build a winter house here. It was located in an area where two rivers - the Angara and Irkut - merged together. But people here did not stay for long, but moved beyond Lake Baikal with the goal of imposing yasak (in kind tax) on all those who had not yet paid a tax.
According to other sources, the founding date of the city of Irkutsk is July 6, 1661. It is she who is considered official. Then, on the right bank of the Angara River, the prison was founded by another Pokhabov - Jacob. The settlement was called Irkutsk. This area was not chosen by chance at all, because it was here that the lands were fertile, water was teeming with fish, and forests with game. In addition, this place was located at the intersection of the main trade routes between East and West. The settlement developed rapidly, and already in the 9th year of the foundation of Irkutsk, the first Moscow messenger proceeded through China to it. After another 5 years, the Russian ambassador Nikolai Spafariy went to China.
New status
A document compiled for the 23rd year of the foundation of Irkutsk, that is, dated 1684, which describes this settlement of the late 17th century, has survived to this day. It says that in the city at that time there was a church, six towers and a sovereign's yard, where the Irkutsk governors lived. In addition, baths, a hotel, huts for single Cossacks, a cellar and barns were built. The towers had loopholes where the guns stood, and one of the walls had the so-called powder hut, which was used to store various weapons and ammunition.
In the 25th year of foundation of Irkutsk, the latter was given the status of a city. This event occurred in 1686. Then he had his own coat of arms and seal. Very quickly, rumors of a new city scattered not only in Siberia, but throughout Russia. The convenient location and fertile soil made it the center of the agricultural land, so people from many parts of the country came here. In the 36th year of the foundation of the city of Irkutsk, there were already six hundred families of arable peasants in it, who were allotted mowing and allotment land. According to an old document, these people were given plow, horses, a cart, as well as cattle and poultry, to acquire their own households from the city treasury. But the basis of the whole economy was bread. They were supplied with Cossacks, as well as various kinds of merchants and researchers, who moved deeper into Siberia in search of new fertile lands.
Almost in the year of the founding of the city of Irkutsk, the so-called bread department was created at the chancellery, which was responsible for accounting for the supply, reception, issue, storage and sale of wheat, rye and oats. To do this, they even specially expanded the staff of employees, which included governors, centurions, secretaries-upstairs, tens, etc. It is worth noting that the number of citizens increased significantly after Tsar Peter I began to exile archers who took part in the rebellion against the emperor . Therefore, at the beginning of the XVIII century, Irkutsk totaled more than 3400 inhabitants, and this by the standards of those times was a serious figure for the Siberian city.
Further development
By the middle of the XVIII century the famous Moscow highway came here. And about 100 years after the founding of Irkutsk, grand fairs began to be held here every year. These events in many respects contributed to the rapid development of trade and the city itself, where numerous factories, breweries and mills began to be built.
Over time, their Gostiny Dvor with shops and benches appeared in Irkutsk. The design of the commercial building was designed by Giacomo Quarenghi, a well-known Italian architect of the 18th century. On the territory of the Gostiny Dvor there were at least two hundred shops, but, unfortunately, it was not preserved. Another creation of this master has survived - the White House, still standing on the banks of the Angara. It was built with funds allocated by the merchant Sibiryakov. A little later, this building turned into the residence of the Governor General. Now there is one of the largest book depositories in the country - the Scientific Library at Irkutsk State University. It consists of many books of the pre-revolutionary era. These include the personal libraries of the Decembrists, as well as a large number of periodicals published in the 19th century.
The development of crafts and the emergence of industry
The foundation of Irkutsk (a photo of what it looked like at that time is presented in the review), and then the assignment of city status to it attracted a significant flow of immigrants to the banks of the Angara. This entailed the rapid development of crafts on these lands and the emergence of industry. Local carpenters built here dwellers - small flat-bottomed wooden vessels with a deck and mast, which were widely used on most major Russian rivers and were used mainly for transporting various cargoes weighing from 7 to 200 tons.
Merchants and just travelers who were in Irkutsk, all as one noted that the city is famous for its cabinetmakers who make beautiful furniture. It is worth noting that their products were in demand even in St. Petersburg. The material for its production was special species of trees that grow only in the Siberian taiga. In addition, there were good icon painters in the city, whose works were decorated with rich silver salaries. Even in Irkutsk, rich carriages of amazing beauty were made, as well as ordinary light shakes specially adapted for Siberian roads.
The village grew rapidly. To build new stone buildings, a brick was required, so soon a small brick factory was built here. Since the foundation of Irkutsk, whose date is still debatable among scientists, occurred at the intersection of important trade routes, it is not surprising that goods were presented in abundance not only from Mongolia and China, but also from Central Asia and even Europe. Over time, the city turned into the main distribution center of the country with a rather impressive source of income, largely filling the state treasury.
Thus, it is safe to say that the foundation of the city of Irkutsk served the rapid development of trade, crafts and industry, which positively influenced not only the economy of Eastern Siberia, but also the entire Russian state. In addition, various diplomatic meetings were often held here at which important interstate relations were discussed.
Appearance
The foundation of Irkutsk (we briefly talked about this above) was a truly significant event for the Russian state. As the economy developed, the city gradually transformed. Two churches were built - Krestovozdvizhenskaya and Spasskaya, which can be admired in our days. They are one of the most ancient stone buildings in Eastern Siberia. In addition, large triumphal gates were erected here.
Unfortunately, most of the houses built in the year the city of Irkutsk was founded were destroyed by numerous devastating fires that constantly occurred for various reasons. The first of them burned down the fortifications along with the wooden Spasskaya Church. It was rebuilt again, but already made of stone. The most destructive is the fire that broke out in 1679, when more than 3 thousand wooden and about 100 stone houses were destroyed by flame. Then almost the entire city center burned out. Only 10 years after the tragedy, the streets were re-created here. In addition, residents of Irkutsk suffered from earthquakes, as the city is located in a seismically active zone.
Scientific expeditions
We can say that almost in the first year of the foundation of Irkutsk, researchers were extremely interested in these places. Especially many scientific expeditions were equipped throughout the eighteenth century, beginning with the reign of Peter I and the reign of Empress Catherine II. The object of study was not only Lake Baikal and the rich Siberian region, but also the East as a whole. The ultimate goal of these expeditions was the desire to pave the way for the Russian state to the Pacific Ocean.
The government financed trips to Mongolia, Yakutia, China, and preparations for them were in Irkutsk. It was from here that the settlement and development of the Amur coast began. Here was the famous office of the Russian-American company, which in the 19th century was engaged not only in trade, but also in the development of new lands, from Alaska to the Japanese islands. The path of the first embassy, which went to Beijing, also ran through Irkutsk. The main trade routes leading to China and Mongolia also passed here. Almost all wholesale commerce on the lands of Eastern Siberia was in the hands of local merchants.
It was in Irkutsk that the first two expeditions headed by Vitus Bering were preparing . Added to the prestige of the city and the fact that it organized a base for supplying these trips with equipment and food. In addition, the construction of ships for the marine part of the expedition was entrusted to local shipbuilders.
Link Location
In the 19th century, Eastern Siberia became a place of serving the sentence of politically unreliable citizens of the Russian Empire. So, during this period in Irkutsk, two indigenous people accounted for one exile. At different times, the city was inhabited by Decembrists, Polish rebels, and Narodnaya Volya. Each of them in a certain way influenced the fate of this region. This is especially true of the Decembrists, who opened schools here for both boys and girls, thus ahead of the European part of the country.
Irkutsk was very lucky with the fact that the authorities allowed two families to live in it - Trubetskoy and Volkonsky. Their houses have literally become the heart and cultural center of this city. All the Irkutsk youth sought to get there, since there were often organized performances and concerts in which both St. Petersburg, French and Italian visiting singers and musicians took part.
Industry and science development
Since the mid-19th century, the city has become the capital of the gold mining industry. From everywhere in Irkutsk capital of large industrialists, traders and even foreign companies began to flock. They were actively engaged in the development of gold mining regions. Due to this, they significantly increased their capital and became the richest people not only in Siberia, but throughout Russia. It is difficult to overestimate their role in the development of the city. They were engaged in the construction of both their own mansions and public buildings - orphanages, hospitals, and various educational institutions. Significant funds were also allocated for the development of science. At the same time, typography and the first newspapers appeared in the city.
In 1851, the first scientific institution in Eastern Siberia, the Siberian Branch of the Russian Geographical Society, was opened in Irkutsk, which was later renamed the East Siberian. Many outstanding scientists, such as A. L. Chekanovsky, V. I. Dybovsky and I. D. Chersky, studied the Lena River and Lake Baikal within its walls. The well-known geographer, geologist and researcher of Siberian lands V. A. Obruchev worked here.
In 1898, during the reign of Emperor Alexander III, the Trans-Siberian Railway was laid through the city. The first train arrived in Irkutsk on August 16, and this event was welcomed by its residents with great joy, since it was now possible to get to Moscow in just 9 days. The construction of the railway contributed to an even more intensive development of industry in this region.
The beginning of the twentieth century
By this time, Irkutsk was becoming the most beautiful of all Siberian cities. There were already more than three hundred stone buildings in it, while the streets were clean, wide and well-lit. It was during this period that the city center began to radically change - large buildings were erected, roads were paved with stone, and sidewalks were paved for the first time. In addition, power plants and running water began to operate.
In 1918, the first higher educational institution, Irkutsk State University, was opened in Eastern Siberia. And at the end of May a civil war came to these places. The city briefly became the residence of the Supreme Ruler of Russia - Admiral Kolchak, and from December 28, continuous fights began here. January 5, 1920 Irkutsk was occupied by the Bolsheviks. The power of Kolchak was overthrown, and the admiral himself was executed. His corpse was dumped into the river Ushakovka. This event is reminiscent of a wooden cross mounted on the site of those events. In the same place where the general was executed, a monument was erected at the Znamensky Monastery in November 2004.
War and post-war years
When the war with fascist Germany began, Irkutsk, despite the huge distance from the front line, played a significant role in strengthening the country's defense capabilities. During the war years, more than 200 thousand Irkutsk citizens went to fight for their homeland. Those who remained in the city worked selflessly, producing planes and ammunition, and also supplying the front with food.
After the war, Irkutsk developed rapidly, gradually taking on the appearance of an industrial city. In 1958, the construction of the first large hydroelectric power station in Eastern Siberia was completed. After the flooding of the reservoir, the level of the Angara River rose by about 30, and Lake Baikal - by 1 meter.
Modernity
Irkutsk is considered a city of students. There are more than 40 universities in which hundreds of doctors of sciences and thousands of candidates of science in more than 250 specialties teach. Applicants come here not only from all over Irkutsk, but also from the areas adjacent to it. The local scientific complex is one of the largest in the Russian Federation.
Modern Irkutsk is the economic center of Eastern Siberia. Here are more than 70 industrial enterprises. Well-developed engineering, production of reinforced concrete products, building materials, etc. Extremely rich natural, industrial and energy resources, as well as the ability to purchase urban municipal property and long-term lease of land - all these factors created a very favorable environment for attracting investors.
The historical, cultural and scientific traditions that have developed over the centuries of Irkutsk's existence and its openness have made the city a very important and attractive place in Russia, as well as a center that brought together the vast territory of the Angara area.