Irkutsk Museum of Regional Studies. Museums of Irkutsk. Irkutsk museum.
MUSEUMS OF IRKUTSK
Irkutsk Museum of Regional Studies
Appeared in 1782, the second museum in Russia after the Museum, founded
by Peter the Great in St. Petersburg. Housed in a building in the
Mauritanian style with turrets, round windows with Oriental ornament,
crowned with the dome of Siberia's first observatory. Over 350,000
exhibits, 250,000 of them - rarities. The life of Siberia from
Prehistoric Age to present. Examples of primitive weapons and utensils
of the Paleolithic and Neolithic Ages. Vast collection of minerals.
Unique herbaria. Stuffed animals and birds. Old manuscripts. Logbooks of
geographical and geological expeditions. Samples of clothing of all
times. Handicrafts. Unique exhibits from China, Tibet and Mongolia of
priceless value: Buddha statues made of bronze and papier-mache, tanka
icons, masks and robes for Buddhist ceremonies, tambourines, drums,
copper cymbals.
Architect Heinrich Rozen built the museum for the East-Siberian Branch of the Russian Geographical Society in 1883 The building resembles a castle with four towers at the corners.
A frieze on the main building from 1883 bears names of scientists and researchers from eastern Russia
Bering, Wrangel, Georgy, Gmelin and others — 12 names in all. In 1901 six names were added, among them
Przhevalsky and Chersky. By the beginning of the 20th Century, the museum had built a good collection It now contains more than 300 000 objects. For example "The History of Irkutsk Area from the Paleolithic to Now» acquaints visitors with ethnographic objects of bone, wood, metal and clothes from practically all the Siberian nations.
The museum has an especially large collection of Russian Orthodox, Shamanist and Lamaist weapons and clothing Among the most interesting exhibits is a display of new Stone Age jade objects
The collection of coins is the largest in Siberia The museum also has rare documents from the 17th century relating to the development and reclamation of the local area.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT MUSEUM:
- The address: 13 Karl Marx Street and 2 Karl Marx Street
- Open: Tuesday through Sunday, from 10.00 am to 06.00 pm;
- Closed: on Monday.
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