THE CITY OF IRKUTSK HOLDS 350-YEARS ANYVERSARY PARTY

Most of the people, travelling through Siberia, come to the city of Irkutsk. In 2011 this charming city once called 'The Paris of Siberia' will celebrate 350 year's jubilee.

Originally Irkutsk was established by cossacks as a trading settlement in 1661. By 19 century Irkutsk grew to become the capital of the whole Eastern Siberia. Many of the Russian intellectuals, officers and nobles who where not in line with the official policies of the Russian Empire where exiled there, including the members of the famous Decembrist revolt against Tsar Nicholas I. Activity and prowess of those people helped to establish the city as a major centre of cultural and social life. The streets of Irkutsk where lined with beautiful wooden houses, adorned with ornate, hand-carved decorations, many of them still survive today. By the beginning of XX century, the city had earned the nickname "The Paris of Siberia."

Today Irkutsk is remaining a major cultural and industrial centre of Eastern Russia. It's a major hub on Trans-Siberian Railway. The railway was built between 1896 and 1902, and remains to this day the world's longest railway line. From the cars the passengers can enjoy scenic views of Lake Baikal and other parts of Siberia.

Irkutsk makes an ideal base for the tourist exploration of the area of Lake Baikal - the deepest lake of the planet. Lake Baikal is also among the clearest of all lakes in the world. It is the world's oldest lake, more than 25 million years old. Baikal is home to hundreds species of plants and animals, two thirds of which can be found nowhere else in the world. The lake was declared an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.

The program of the tour: 11 Days/ 10 Nights (8 Days / 7 Nights if done by plane).

Day 1	Arrival to Moscow, transfer to the hotel.
Day 2	Breakfast. Moscow city tour, including stops at the most famous landmarks of the Russian capital such as The Red Square, The Christ the Savior Cathedral, New Maiden Convent and the Sparrow Hills. Guided tour of the Kremlin. In the evening we take a plane or train to Irkutsk. With the plane we go strait to day 6 itinerary.
Day 3 to 5	Going along the famous Trans-Siberian route - the longest and one of the most famous railways of the world. The vast spaces of Siberia are endless as well as the beauty of its landscapes. The train journey in Russia is more then just means of transportation. It's an essential part of culture and quite comfortable. The ordinary Russian travellers are quite sociable, so you can make some new friends, even if the language seems to be a problem initially.
Day 6	Arrival to Irkutsk. Guided tour of the city. The tour starts on the Angara river shore, where in 1661 the cossacks founded the original fort. This place is marked with a monument to the founders of Irkutsk. Nearby there is the 18-century church - the first brick building in the city, still preserved in its original state. Wooden houses, churches, theatres of Irkutsk built at different times and in different styles give the city a special unique charm. In the afternoon the group visits celebration cites: folk-shows, festivals, fairs, exhibitions. Concert in the evening.
Day 7	After the breakfast the group visits the Decembrists' museum. Decembrists, as were later called the officers of the Russian army, who brought their regiments to the Senate Square in St.Petersburg, on the day of Tzar Nicolas I's ascension on the throne, tried to protest against the absolutist monarchy. The uprising took place in December of 1825 - hence the name. After the uprising was brutally suppressed, the participants, many of them the cream of the Russian society, where exiled to Siberia. They brought with them culture, spirituality and humanism to that then frontier world. There is another historical territory of Irkutsk, connected to the Decembrists, that we visit this day. There are houses where they lived with their families and a chapel that they attended. The evening is free to visit festival events
Day 8	Trip to Baikal Lake. On the way to the Asia's biggest lake we are visiting 'Tal'tsy' museum of architecture and ethnography. In the traditional wooden Siberian houses you can see how the peoples of Siberia and the Russian settlers lived, studied and prayed. Arrival to Listvyanka - a village near the point where the Angara River leaves Lake Baikal, frequented by the travellers coming to Baikal. Sightseeing. Visiting a souvenir and fish market, where you can buy some delicious 'omul' (Baikal fish).
Day 9	Train journey along Baikal. We take a train along Old-Baikal railway that connects Eastern and Western parts of Trans-Siberian railway. The journey starts with the ferry crossing Angara river to Port Baikal, where we board the comfortable train. Most of the trip goes along the Baikal shore, providing majestic views of one of the Earth's greatest lakes. Baikal is may be not the biggest lake in the world in therms of the surface, but it's certainly the deepest and biggest in terms of the volume of the water in it. It is one of the oldest as well, preserving hundreds of species of plants and animals peculiar only to Baikal. After the lunch on the train, when you can sample some excellent Siberian vodka, the train stops and tourists can get out of the car, and walk on the lake shore, take photos and possibly swim. Return to Listvyanka on a boat across the lake, enjoying some more views
Day 10	Breakfast. After that in the Museum of the Natural History of Baikal you can see some aquariums with the most interesting flora and fauna of the lake. Via Irkutsk we go to Ust-Orda - traditional village of native Buryat people of Siberia. Here you can see folk show, shamanic rituals, taste some typical Buryat cuisine.
Day 11	We fly back to Moscow early to get flights back home.

The price of the tour is quoted by request.