Irkutsk & Lake Baikal

Lake Baikal from the railway line through the difficult terrain near Irkutsk. Ice was melting in the early Spring (9th May) but was still thick enough here for people to fish through holes cut in the ice. This enormous lake holding about 1/5th of the world's fresh water, freezes over in the winter.

Museum of wooden architecture near Lake Baikal	Our guide Stass at a well in a village on Lake Baikal

Revolutionaries who led and unsuccessful uprising on Dec. 14, 1825, the "Decembists", were  exiled to Siberia.  Some belonged to wealthy families and , towards the end of their exile, were able to move to Ikursk and purchase impressive houses, now preserved as historic monuments. Other houses are not so well preserved. The mines and Gulags where thousands slaved and died under appalling conditions, were  located north and east of Irkutsk, not on the usual tourist route.

A picnic area with prayer flags tied to bushes at Lake Baikal. This enormous Lake with maximum dimensions 621 km length, 80 km width and 1.6 km depth , has many endemic species including these fresh water seals (nerpas). It is fed by more than 300 rivers and mountain streams and the only outlet is the Angara River which flows 1,700 km past Irkutsk to the Arctic Ocean.

Return

(1) Vladivostok  Photos from the 3 day train trip to Irkutsk

(2) Irkutsk  Eastern Siberia city close to Lake Baikal and exile location for dissidents, criminals

(3) Novosibirsk  The largest city in Siberia with a famous Opera House

(4) Ekaterinburg  Site of the execution of the royal family in 1918 and of the "exile" of Marshall Zhukov in 1946.

(5) Moscow  The usual tourist attractions.

(6) St Petersburg  and Petrodvorets