Part 15: Second Day in Irkutsk
Due to still being jetlagged I slept much longer than I actually planned, which resulted in missing out on the hotel breakfast. There was thus only one option: dress up against the cold and start my city tour, hoping to find something along the way to eat and grab a decent coffee. It was a gorgeous day outside with mostly clear blue skies. But even though the sun was shining it was still quite cold and you definitely could not take your gloves off for longer than a minute.
My first stop was a market close to my hotel which I already spotted the day before. Unfortunately, there was no real food available besides frozen fish - although it was fun to walk along some of the stalls and see what is on sale. That I spotted two minibuses waiting with a sign in Cyrillic reading Листвя́нка (Listvyanka) was another big plus as I already found out where to take my transport to Lake Baikal the next day (bizarrely, the hotel staffers said I had to go to the faraway bus station for a Listvyanka minibus - but after double checking this later in Listvyanka I heard that none of the very frequent minibuses actually go there).
The outdoor market
A lot of frozen fish from Lake Baikal on sale
Lots of clothes on sale..
My walk continued along a street with lovely wooden houses in all kinds of states of repair. Although this typically Siberian architecture can be found in many more cities (Tomsk is very famous for it), there is plenty of it to see in Irkutsk as well. It gives a lovely impression of how the city once must have looked like in the days of the first Russian explorers and the Czars - although nowadays it is not uncommon to see big BMWs parked next to the houses.
Traditional Siberian wooden houses
On Karl Marx street I found a nice French bakery - which turned out to make decent coffee and pastries. I opted for a cappuccino and a croissant with cheese and ham as a light breakfast to get the day started.
Walking closer to the city centre, the buildings became more ornate in this typical Czarist Russian style of pastel-coloured, ornate houses along leafy boulevards. It definitely gives the city a bit of an European vibe, although the actual street scenes with lots of Asians on the street (ethnic Buryats or tourists/businessmen from relatively nearby China or Mongolia) sets it all apart. The many luxurious cars and shops coupled with derelict buildings and old Lada cars are also always an interesting side when venturing into provincial Russia (read: anywhere out of St Petersburg and Moscow).
Right in the heart of the city is Kirov Square – a nice park which had a couple of ice sculptures and even a slide made of ice, which was used quite intensively by playing kids on this gorgeous day.
Kirov Square and the ice slide
There were quite many ice sculptures, including a giant ice throne which seemed popular with Asian tourists for selfies, and quite a few sculptures of figures who I had no clue about who they are. One statue I did recognise however: Father Frost (Ded Moroz) and his granddaughter and helper Snegurochka (Snow Maiden) – which basically is the Russian Santa! (although dressed in Blue, and not in Coca Cola red).
Father Frost (Ded Moroz) and his granddaughter and helper Snegurochka (Snow Maiden)
At the far end of Kirov Square was some giant Soviet building – which seemed like the typical administrative headquarters or something similar. Behind it is however one of the nicer parts of the city, which include a war monument with eternal flame, a couple of Orthodox churches and a lovely riverside boardwalk along the Angara River. The riverside promenade made for a nice stroll as it gave gorgeous views over the river and the other side of the city, of the churches, and mostly of the actual river itself. Somehow I was fascinated just looking at it, as it was so cold that there was smoke coming from the water. With the wind blowing full in my face from the river it was icy cold, but it made for some gorgeous pics and I really had the feeling now that I indeed was in icy, wintery Siberia!
Fun detail: the Angara River never freezes, in sharp contrast to Lake Baikal where it originates.
Ugly Soviet-style building
War monument/eternal flame
The riverside promenade along the Angara River, just behind Kirov Square
An Orthodox church near Kirov Square
As I was freezing my *** off it was time to head back inland to continue the city tour. The rest of the city was pretty much the same: ornate Czarist buildings, wooden houses, churches and a few ugly Soviet constructions or nondescript buildings. Not complaining here, as it's actually my favourite activity inside a city. I rather stroll randomly through a city and sit down for a meal/drink to soak up the vibe than ticking off major landmarks, sights or museums.
Surprisingly, most street signs were bilingual Russian-English!
Yet more ice sculptures at another small square!
The Irkutsk State University building
Czar Alexander III
And while Czar Alexander III was obviously only placed at the waterfront after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (better known as Lenin) has survived the times since the USSR and is still standing a block away from the statue of one of his old Czarist enemies. Fun contrast!
The city opera/theatre
Walking a bit more in a park along the Angara River
Halfway along Ulitsa Lenina (Lenin Street) stands a statue of Babr, a kind of bizarre mix between a beaver and a tiger which is the symbol of the city. It marks the beginning of the Irkutsk Arbat, the Siberian answer to Moscow's famous pedestrianised street full of restaurants and bars. The Irkutsk Arbat feels brand new and does have very nice-looking restaurants. At the end of the street is also a brand new shopping mall.
On recommendation of a friend, I stopped for lunch at Rassol'nik, a basement restaurant which was cutely decorated and had good food.
Babr, half beaver/half tiger, and the symbol of the city of Irkutsk
Irkutsk Arbat
Rassol'nik restaurant
As a starter, I had a fish soup – which was excellent.
As a main, I had some Russian dumplings (pelmeni) which were decidedly average. A Russian store in my own neighbourhood in Bucharest sells much tastier ones frozen.
The highlight of the meal were however the waitresses – whom both seemed delighted (although initially a bit shy) to talk to a western tourist in the middle of winter. While we were talking about traditional soups, I mentioned that I grew up eating traditional Dutch pea soup (which I intensely dislike). One of the waitresses said that they also have some traditional pea soup in Russia, and later came back with a plate of it for me to taste complimentary. Of course, I could not refuse such a nice offer even if I was not really hungry anymore after the pelmeni. Luckily, I found Russian pea soup to be very tasty and I had no problems eating the entire soup.
The only thing I hate about Russian cuisine: the overuse of dill, which in my opinion is a demonic weed which overpowers and ruins all other tastes. For any frequent traveler to Russia, the examples in the link below are VERY recognisable (warning: might upset some foodies and traditionalists among us). Dill popcorn and dill cappuccino? OMG the horror!
https://www.buzzfeed.com/ellievhall/...dill-addiction
To finish the meal, I had some tea as well.
After the fun meal, I decided to walk a bit more on Arbat and head into a nearby park, which offered some nice vistas over the city as it was located on a small hill.
Irkutsk Arbat street
As the sun was setting, I decided to call it a day. On the way back to the hotel I headed to a local shopping mall to stock up on some snacks and a bottle of Chilean wine to eat/drink in the hotel as I had a bit of work to do and did not feel like going out again after the long, long walk. Just like the day before, Irkutsk gave me a beautiful sunset shortly before I arrived in my hotel.
Irkutsk definitely turned out to be a beautiful and fun city – and it did not disappoint at all.
Next up: Two days in Listvyanka at the frozen wonderland of Lake Baikal