Seasonal Travel 1 min read
Day of Baikal 2026: scientists’ lectures at the Sukachev Estate and “Melodies of Baikal” on Yunost Island
On 6 September the estate hosted themed venues, a free VR cinema and the master class “Baikal Loaf”.
The city and the lake in writing
Articles
History, architecture, Baikal, food and the seasons — writing that helps you see more than meets the eye.
Nature & Wildlife 1 min read
Omul fishing on Baikal is banned during the spawning season
The ban periods differ by area, from 1 August to 15 November. Commercial omul fishing has been closed since 2017.
Food & Local Cuisine 1 min read
“Taigastro 2026”: 23 Irkutsk restaurants serve set menus of local produce
The festival, conceived in Krasnoyarsk to popularise Siberian cuisine, has brought together more than 500 restaurants in four countries.
Long Reads 1 min read
Slyudyanka: a marble station, a steam locomotive and a water tower
One of the most beautiful stations in Russia is getting a locomotive as a neighbour, and the tower built by exiled Poles may become a Circum-Baikal Railway museum.
Lake Baikal 1 min read
A 1950 “Lebedyanka” steam locomotive is being installed at Slyudyanka station
The freight locomotive L-4046 will become a new monument by the marble station. The unveiling is planned for the autumn.
Long Reads 1 min read
For the diocese’s 300th anniversary: how Irkutsk’s oldest churches are being restored
The Church of the Saviour, the Epiphany Cathedral and the Kharlampievsky Church — three monuments of federal significance, three different restoration stories.
Architecture & Heritage 1 min read
Church of the Saviour: façades renewed and historic finish restored
The old plaster was removed completely, the walls were primed twice and the historic finish was restored.
Food & Local Cuisine 1 min read
Following the Great Tea Road: Chinese tour operators travel through Irkutsk
An international rail tour covered 5,600 km in 11 days. In 2025 the Irkutsk Region won with the route “Baikal — the Heart of the Great Tea Road”.
Lake Baikal 1 min read
A museum of the Circum-Baikal Railway may open in Slyudyanka’s water tower
It is proposed to turn the brick tower of 1911–1913, built by exiled Poles, into a visitor centre.