Irkutsk Oblast - History

History

In the 13th century, the Lake Baikal area came under Mongol influence. Genghis Khan conquered the Merkits and Tatars who were settling in the area by 1227, before going on to expand into wider Central Asia, establishing the Mongol Empire. The Mongols were succeeded by the Northern Yuan in the 14th century.

Russian presence in the area dates to the 17th century, as the Russian Tsardom expanded eastward following the conquest of the Khanate of Sibir in 1582.

By the end of the 17th century Irkutsk was a small town, the monasteries were being built, the suburbs and agricultural settlements were being formed.

Since the 18th century in Irkutsk the trades and crafts began to develop, the gold and silver craftsmen, smiths appeared. In relation with the expansion of Russian state to the East from Irkutsk, the city became a capital of enormous territories from the Enisey to the Pacific, it played an important role in the exploration and securing vast Eastern-Siberian and Far-Eastern territories to Russia. Gradually Irkutsk gained more meaning as the main transportation and trade center of Eastern Siberia, it became a center of trade routes from Kamchatka, Chukotka to Yakutia, Mongolia, and China. The administrative meaning of the city increased: it became a center of one fifth of the provinces of Siberia; in 1764 it became a center of independent province.

The 18th century in the history of Irkutsk was a century of the research expeditions. In Irkutsk first and second expeditions of Vitus Bering to the shores of Kamchatka were organized.

The merchant class formed in a city. In the second half of the eighteenth century Irkutsk industrial and merchant companies of Golikov, Trapeznikov, Bechevin, Milinikov, Sibirakov began to explore the Aleutian Islands and later Alaska. In 1799 the merchant companies were united in Russian- American company “for the trades on the territory of the Aleutian and Kuril islands and the rest part of North-Eastern sea, belonging to Russia by the right of discovery.” Grigorii Ivanovich Shelikhov, an outstanding seafarer, played an important role in mastering enormous spaces of northern part of Pacific ocean. He founded first colonies of Russian America.

In 1727, the Irkutsk Eparchy was founded.

During the 18th century, educational school, professional-technical education, science, museums, library, theater, book-printing were developed in Irkutsk. Educational and cultural organizations were opened. In 1725 first school in Eastern Siberia, attached to Voznesensky monastery, was opened, in 1754 – sea (navigation) school and secondary schools were opened. The 1780s were marked by the opening of the second public library among province towns in Russia, regional museum and an amateur theater. In Irkutsk outstanding representatives appeared, still remembered by the people. These were an architect, geographer, historian A.I.Losev, a writer I.T.Kalashnikov, a teacher S.S.Schukin. Siberian science was created. A.G.Laxman, Lomonosov's apprentice, one of the first Siberian mineralogist, worked in Irkutsk.

The city landscape was changing. The Spassky church, the oldest stone building of Eastern Siberia, unique Krestovozdvizhenskaya church, “Prikaznaya izba” (order house), first stone construction, and the Triumph gate were built.

In the late eighteenth century – the early nineteenth century Irkutsk was gradually increasing its meaning as a trade, craft, cultural city. It became the center of trade with China and since the 1830s – a gold-manufacturing center of Eastern Siberia and. In 1803, Irkutsk became a center of Siberian general-governor unit, and in 1822 it became a center of Eastern Siberian general – governor unit. General- governors of Eastern Siberia influenced on the city fate greatly.

Irkutsk merchants explored the Yeniseysky and Leno-Vitimsky golden regions, they substantially increased their capitals, they became the richest merchants in Siberia. Irkutsk merchant class began to play remarkable role in a city development. Intensive city construction was being undertaken. Private residences, hospitals, orphanages, educational schools were built, significant funds were spent on education and the development of science.

An architectural look of the city was being changed. The White House, done in Russian classic style, Moscow Triumphal Gates – outstanding monument of the nineteenth century, were built in the honor of the tenth anniversary since the day of the beginning of Alexander I rule.

In the second half of the nineteenth century the book printing appeared in Irkutsk, first newspapers “Irkutsk province news”, “Amur” were released. The names of A.P.Schapov, M.B.Zagoskin, V.I.Vagin were connected with the newspaper “Siberia”. In 1851 first scientific organization of Eastern Siberia – the Siberian branch of Russian geographical society, was opened. In 1877 it was called Eastern-Siberian branch. V.I.Dybovskii, A.L.Chekanovskii, I.D.Cherskii, V.A.Obruchev, a geologist, geographer and researcher of Siberia, worked in Irkutsk on exploring Baikal and Lena.

The summer of 1879 could be considered to be a dramatic period in city history. In the July 22–24 fire of the almost all central part of the city was burnt, more than the two thirds of city constructions and 75 city districts were destroyed.The city began to revive, getting a new look. Stone and wooden constructions built after the fire have been preserved up to present days.

The arrival of the first train via the Trans Siberian main line to Irkutsk in 1898 could be marked as the most remarkable event in the late nineteenth century. The construction of Great Siberian main line contributed to the further city development.

The lives of the politically exiled were connected with Irkutsk city. First exiled, who lived in Irkutsk for more than 3 months, was A.N. Radischev. Since the 1830s the Decembrists lived in settlements and in the colonies near Irkutsk. Volkonsky and Trubetskoy houses became house-museums at the present time. N. A. Panov, I. V. Podzhio, A. Z. Muravyov, P. A. Mukhanov, A. P. Yushnevsky, V. A.Bechasnov, the wife of Trubetskoy and their children stayed in Irkutsk land forever. In the late 1850s, the Petrashevtzy appeared in Irkutsk. The exiled historian-democrat, A.P.Schapov, lived here till his last days, the Polish rebels and revolutionaries (including narodnik) lived here as well.

A well-known Russian publicist of the nineteenth century, N. Shelgunov, wrote about Irkutsk: “Irkutsk is the only Siberian city, which has the city character. ...As England created London, France - Paris, Siberia – created Irkutsk. Siberia is proud of Irkutsk, “not see this city” means “not to see Siberia”.

In the early nineteenth century the city was considerably changed, especially its center. Large building were being built, mason streets were being made, cab drivers and night light appeared. The water-supply and first electrification stations began to work. The Irkutsk Regional museum with stamped last names of famous researches of Siberia on its walls (1883), the building of the first public community, city theater (1897), Kazan' cathedral, made in new Byzantine style(1893), and the Roman Catholic cathedral (1895) completed an architectural style of the city. In 1908 a monument to Alexander III was opened on a picturesque place of Angara embankment.

The city was damaged and influenced by the political events of the twentieth century – the Russian revolution, the 1917 October revolution, the Civil war and the Great Patriotic War.

Since the 1930s industrial construction of the city has begun. Mechanical engineering plants, the air plant, brick and concrete plants, tea fabric,and plants of food industry were being built. Economic development of the city contributed to scientific, educational and cultural development. The first-born of the Higher education in Eastern Siberia, Irkutsk State University was founded in 1918. Its departments were developing as independent institutes: medical, pedagogical, finance-economical. In 1930 the metallurgic institute was opened, in 1934 agricultural institute was organized.

Since the 1950s a fast development of Irkutsk city began after the Great Patriotic War, modern industrious look of a city was being built up. In 1947 streetcar routes were opened in the city, trolleybus routes in 1972. In 1958 a TV center was established. The city large district and micro regions construction period began. New districts such as Baykalsky, Solnechny, Yubileyny, Primorsky, Akademgorodok and others were growing up.