Irkutsk is the largest city in Eastern Siberia. The deepest and cleanest lake on the planet – Lake Baikal is located just 60 km from it.
Its population is about 625 000 people.
The flight time to Moscow is 5.5 hours, to St. Petersburg - 8 hours. The flight to Seoul will take less than 4 hours, and to Beijing - only 2.5 hours.
Irkutsk's climate is sharply continental with a real Russian winter, sparkling white snow and legendary Siberian frosts. At the same time, the summer is very warm and dry. Sharply continental climate is distinguished by it – it’s cold in winter, and it’s hot in summer.
Interesting fact:
In the 1870s, Jules Verne, a famous French writer, wrote “Michael Strogoff”, a novel, the scene of the story is laid in Irkutsk, although the writer himself did not visit this city.
ARCHITECTURE
It is nice to walk around the city; there are preserved wooden houses in the unique style of "Siberian Baroque" in the historical center. These old houses are perfectly combined with new modern buildings and with numerous squares and parks - it is not without reason that the city center is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
A favorite place for walking is the embankments, where various events, concerts and holidays are regularly held.
RELIGIONS
Irkutsk treats all faiths with respect. There is an Islamic mosque, a Jewish synagogue, a Roman Catholic Church, and many Orthodox churches here.
THINGS TO DO
The students’ favorite pastime in summer is a boat trip along the Angara River and trips to Lake Baikal. The purest and untouched nature is the main advantage of this region.
A trip to Lake Baikal in winter will be especially memorable. After all, only in winter you can ski on the completely transparent ice of the lake, ride quad bikes, horses and... even have a dog-sleigh ride.
In summer, students like to go hiking or horseback riding, fishing, and boating.
There is a Philharmonic Hall, theaters and museums for art lovers in Irkutsk. The most popular places are the street art museum, a drive-in theater, numerous trendy clubs, bars and restaurants.
Interesting fact:
Do you know that the area of Lake Baikal is comparable to the area of such countries as Belgium or the Netherlands?
Studying in Irkutsk will give you the opportunity to get not only a high-quality education, but also to visit one of the most interesting and unusual corners of our planet!
