By Irkutsks 350th anniversary, the Angara embankment should change noticeably. Five kilometers of the waterfront are planned for improvement and it will become two tiered. The project includes granite stairs, natural stone, park sculptures, fountains and facilities for people with limited mobility, and after the work the promenade will become much wider. However, the project has a serious obstacle. It needs 5 billion rubles, and the city is now counting on Moscows help.

The 350th anniversary of Irkutsk is approaching. And more and more is being done to ensure that the city meets its holiday in all its glory.
One of the places most loved by city residents — the Angara embankment — is expected to undergo significant changes by 2011.
It has been decided to improve 5 km of the coastal zone. For several months now, a team of architects has been developing a project to renovate the embankment. The project architects have no doubt — after the renovation, the embankment will be unrecognizable. In addition, it will become two-tiered.
Larisa Kibireva, chief architect of the project for bank reinforcement and improvement of the Angara River embankment: «We propose to preserve the sloping embankment on 60% of the occupied territory, and on 40% of the territory we propose constructing a vertical embankment wall. What is good about it is that the useful area for city residents to walk increases; on average, we gain about 5 meters of territory. And the construction of the lower tier of the embankment within 20-30 meters also increases the useful area — the part where city residents can walk».
If some sections, such as the section from Kozhova Street to the old Angara bridge, are to be reconstructed, then in some places construction will be carried out practically from scratch. Thus, after all the work on the lower tier of the embankment is completed, it will be possible to take walks from the Ushakovka River to the Dynamo sports complex.
Andrey Luchkin, head of the Department of Industrial and Civil Construction of OAO Irkutskgiprodornii: «In general, the project turned out to be unique from the point of view of the city’s residents. At last, we will get those spaces where we can relax, celebrate, and also engage in various sports: cycling, skateboarding, and others»
According to the project, the stairs on the embankment will be paved with granite, and the walls with natural stone. The area will be landscaped, park sculptures and fountains will be installed. For people with limited mobility, special handrails and ramps are provided. Hundreds of people and dozens of organizations will have to work on implementing the project.
Yevgeny Kharitonov, chairman of the Committee on Urban Planning Policy of the Irkutsk city administration: «There are also specific types of work there: hydraulic engineering — that is bank reinforcement, there is a lot of work on landscaping, a lot on utilities, so the very scope implies the participation of several contracting firms. And given the limited time frame, of course, everything will be divided into sections in order both to support our builders in the conditions of the crisis and to meet the planned deadline»
The deadlines are indeed limited. It is assumed that the new embankment should become a gift to the people of Irkutsk for the city’s 350th anniversary. This anniversary will be celebrated in 2011.
For now, the new appearance of the Angara Embankment can only be seen on paper. But already on Friday, the mayor of Irkutsk will present this project to the country’s Minister of Transport, Igor Levitin — it is planned that he will come to the opening of the terminal of Irkutsk Airport. The project will have to be defended both in the Government of the country and, most likely, more than once, because its implementation requires 5 billion rubles. Neither the city nor the region has such money, so for now the only hope is for help from Moscow.