Irkutsk is located in the very center of Siberia, 60 kilometers from the famous Lake Baikal. Every year the city is visited by thousands of tourists from all over the world - Irkutsk is also famous for its unique elements of classical architecture in architecture. In 2010, the reconstruction of the old quarter at the foot of the Krestovaya Mountain began, the resettlement of residents from dilapidated architectural monuments, and already in 2011, the 130th Quarter welcomed its first guests. Today this place has become a recreation center for most residents of Irkutsk.
Historical appearance of Irkutsk
The location of Irkutsk is extremely convenient for tourists from all over the world to flock here: the local airport is a major international transport hub, and you can also get to the city by the Eastern Railway. The climate in Irkutsk can be called mild for Siberia - warm summers, dry autumns and springs, frosts rarely last more than a few days.
But tourists to Irkutsk are attracted by something else: the city center still keeps monuments of wooden architecture. Some old, sometimes rickety houses, in which ordinary residents live, were built back incentury before last. The city administration periodically restores them, maintaining an attractive appearance. And although wood is an imperishable material, and sooner or later such houses will have to be demolished, the city is doing everything to preserve its historical appearance. The most ambitious project is the construction of the Irkutsk Sloboda, which the locals call the 130th Quarter. After the implementation of this project, Irkutsk received a unique area in the very center, which instantly became the most popular place in the city.
The history of the creation of the "Irkutsk Sloboda"
The desire to ennoble the historical "130 quarter", Irkutsk, to preserve the buildings of the 18-19 centuries, which were badly damaged by time, has always been with the Irkutsk authorities. In 2008, at the regional level, it was decided to build a unique historical quarter. To do this, it was necessary to resettle residents from dilapidated architectural monuments, to clear the territory for new buildings.
The goal of the project was not just to create a stylized quarter - the buildings were erected strictly on the site of the lost architectural monuments, the best masters of wooden architecture were invited for decoration. Historians carefully studied the materials on the historical development of this area so that the project reproduced the architecture of that time as accurately as possible. "Irkutskaya Sloboda" is a unique place where modern construction technologies are used to recreate historical buildings. After the 130 quarter was built, Irkutsk undoubtedly became even more attractivefor tourists.
"130 quarter": museums, shops
Another important feature of this area is that “Kvartal 130” has a high concentration of museum halls. Irkutsk has always been famous for its rich cultural life. Here is an entertaining museum of experimental science, where you can get acquainted with the most non-standard practical achievements in the field of physics, chemistry, mathematics and other sciences. In the Museum of the Siberian Railway, you can learn about how this road, unprecedented in scale, was built. There are other museums: the Craft Compound, "Window to Asia", the Museum of Weapons, the Museum of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the City Administration and others.
But not only museums are located in these beautiful wooden buildings: here you can find souvenir shops of Baikal and Siberian themes, flower and interior shops, clothing boutiques. At the top of the block is a huge shopping center "Fashion Quarter", where you can walk through branded stores, go to the cinema or have a bite to eat at the food court. Despite the lack of historical connection, each store is designed in a style that does not stand out from the general architectural ensemble.
Restaurants and cafes of Irkutsk Sloboda
In addition to shopping and entertainment, the streets of the old quarter have a huge number of various restaurants, cafes, eateries, pubs, bars, nightclubs. Their diversity is amazing: from cozy fashionable restaurants with European cuisine, like in the Lucky people restaurant, to small student coffee houses of the Castro Cafe franchise. You can try hereCuisine with exceptional local flair, such as the Mamai Club-Restaurant, which serves Mongolian and Buryat cuisine. In these institutions, business meetings, dates are scheduled, holidays are celebrated in noisy companies, and family evenings are held. The words "130 quarter", "Irkutsk", "cafe" can be quite called synonyms within this area.
Exhibitions and events
In addition to permanent exhibitions in existing museums, brought exhibits are periodically exhibited in the Irkutsk Sloboda. Exhibitions are held in the exhibition halls of museums, in the "Fashion Quarter", in the warm season on the street. For a long time there was an exhibition of monkeys, which delighted everyone who visited the 130 quarter, Irkutsk. The exhibition of fish "Underwater World" is also interesting. Residents of the city could see with their own eyes bloodthirsty piranhas, fish that suddenly puff up like a balloon, and other exotic fish. As part of the exhibition, a live shark of small size visited Irkutsk "Kvartal 130".
