We say goodbye to Listvyanka and Lake Baikal after breakfast and catch our transfer back to Irkutsk where we will once again continue our journey across Siberia. Our train doesn’t depart until 4:30ish so we’ve got the whole day to explore the city.
Our guide has provided us with a simple map and points out a few places of interest for us before dropping us off in Kirov Square. We are close to the river Alva and there are 2 churches near by.
Spasskaya Church (2 Sukhe-Batora street) built between 1706 and 1710, architect Moisey Dolgikh.
It is the oldest stone church in Eastern Siberia. You can’t see it very well from the above photo but the church has paintings on its external walls — a rare feature which is not found anywhere else between the Urals and the Pacific Ocean. In 1960 under the direction of Moscow architect G. Oranskoi restoration work was begun although it doesn’t really look it from the worn and weathered exterior.
The sanctuary is very small but the surrounding walls and iconosis are full of beautiful paintings of gold and vibrant colours. Again is strikes me that this is a way for the people to speak out against the bleak colourless landscape they are surrounded by.
Across the street is Bogoyavlensky Cathedral (2 Nizhnyaya Naberezhnaya street) built between 1718 to 1746. The cathedral’s decoration is a mix of old Russian motifs and baroque elements This style of construction was eventually named Sibenan Baroque. It is unique for its multicultural tiles, presenting flowers and mythological animals. Between 1967 and 1985 it was restored by the architect Oranskaya.
The inside is much smaller than what the outside seems so I’m guessing there are more rooms hidden in the back somewhere. There is scaffolding everywhere and the main sanctuary bit is roped off as it is going through another restoration.
I do find it a bit strange that in these churches there is always the wee shop either off to the side or in a back corner where you can purchase your own icon, candles, crucifix etc. I am reminded of the scene of Jesus throwing out the money lenders from the temple but maybe if its selling religious iconography is ok as long as the profit is furthering the work of the church? No idea, but the ladies that work behind the counter have so far been what I would sterotipically call babushkas with their kerchief on their heads and aprons over their dress looking very serious and sombre.
When coming out of the church there is some kind of procession that goes by with men in uniform on horses. Very impressive.
No real idea where we are at this point but have a vague idea of what direction we need to go. On our way we came across the Irkutsk state gallery and decide to give that a look as it will get us out of the cold.
I should say at this point that it is a beautiful sunny day with no wind (I had forgotten that days like that can exist after living in Scotland for 3.5 years). But the temp is cold, the river is still about 50% frozen so it is warming up, but not enough to crack out the shorts.
The gallery is selling a photography permit for 100 rubles so I pay this and take my Nikon with my trusty nifty 50mm f1.8 lens. It is a good combination for taking photos in what I am going to assume will be low lighting conditions.
I’ve got a bit of an ongoing project in the works as when I wander through museums and galleries often I am more taken with the space the art is hung rather than the art itself. Don’t get me wrong, I love looking at paintings, sculpture etc but I’m intrigued by the space itself. Sometimes museums are purpose built, other times the building used to be something else. How a space is utilized is something I find fascinating and interesting to document.
Having said that my taking photos of this strange subject matter has resulted in me getting some strange looks, the odd reprimand or in this case my being followed the whole time. After this particular shot I could tell the little old lady that was the room attendant really had no clue what I was up to and had a look of worry and concern on her face so I walked up to her and showed her the shot (the joy of digital). I’m not sure if this helped my cause or if she now just thinks I’m seriously deranged J
After the museum we continue to make our way in the direction of the train station. We stop for a snack break in a park where a human teapot comes over and tries to make friends. It was a bit of a surreal experience. The teapot was very enthusiastic. in a country that does not have a strong economy you often find that you will not get proper change back as they won’t have any small currency denominations. So it’s hit and miss as to if you come out of it a little ahead or a little behind. I figure it all evens out in the end. For the record I enjoyed a lovely bowl of beet borscht and something that I’ve no idea what it was. It was mince, rice and herbs in a filoish pastry. Very yummy indeed and cheap cheap cheap , always a bonus.
Continuing we make our way to the river where there is a park with two seperate wedding parties were getting photos. They do like lots of frills and flounce in their dresses here. The park had a path that followed the river and it seems everyone was out enjoying the sunshine. I was happy to find an abandoned chair to add to my photography collection.
Before we board the train again lunch is on the list of things to do. The snack with the teapot wasn’t all that substantial. Our dining experience occurs in what looks like a generic fast food joint. It was a buffet type place and we managed to order by pointing to what we wanted but paying the bill was more of a challenge.
Anytime you are Anytime you’re in a country that does not have a strong economy you’ll often find that you will not get proper change back as they won’t have any small currency denominations. So it’s hit and miss as to if you come out of it a little ahead or a little behind. I figure it all evens out in the end.
For the record I enjoyed a lovely bowl of beet borscht and something that I’ve no idea what it was. It was mince, rice and herbs in a filoish pastry. Very yummy indeed and cheap cheap cheap , always a bonus.
Back on the train again for the next leg which will be 2 nights.
