Irkutsk Tour. Day Schedule

➤Breakfast

➤Transfer to Irkutsk

➤Taltsy Museum

➤Matryoshka painting master class and interactive program "Tea in Russia & Great Tea Way" with tea degustation

➤Guided tour in Irkutsk: St. Epiphany Cathedral, Kirov Square

➤Transfer to the train station

➤Departure for Yekaterinburg

Taltsy

The open-air museum Taltsy is located 20 kilometres away from Listvyanka. The exposition features wooden buildings brought from all over Siberia. Right now, 40 landmarked buildings and 8000 artefacts dated by XVII-XIX centuries are presented as part of the exhibition.

The museum looks like an ancient village with long streets, wooden houses, water mills and even a small school. It should be noted, that in the past real village “Taltsy” was located here. However, with the construction of the Ust-Ilimskaya hydroelectric power station, a part of the village came under the threat of flooding. Authorities decided to preserve the unique village and turned it into the museum.

Sights of Irkutsk: Epiphany Cathedral

The Epiphany Cathedral was built in 1693. The Cathedral was burned down during the fire in 1716. In 1718 the construction of a stone Cathedral was started. The works were finished only in 1729. The Epiphany Cathedral was listed among the landmarks of federal significance in 1960.

The building’s tiered composition is crowned with a hipped bell tower. The Cathedral’s decor is incredible, bizarre, and unique. The combination of the Old Russian decor, Baroque elements, and indigenous Siberia motifs make the Cathedral look graceful. More than 300 tiles were used for the interior finish. At the night time, the Cathedral is beautifully illuminated.