Irkutsk is a
city and the
administrative center of
Irkutsk Oblast,
Russia, and one of the largest cities in
Siberia. Population:
History
In 1652, Ivan Pokhabov built a
zimovyo (winter quarters) near the site of Irkutsk for gold trading and for the collection of
fur taxes from the
Buryats. In 1661, Yakov Pokhabov built an
ostrog nearby. The ostrog gained official town rights from the government in 1686. The first road connection between
Moscow and Irkutsk, the Siberian Road, was built in 1760, and benefited the town economy. Many new products, often imported from
China via
Kyakhta, became widely available in Irkutsk for the first time, including
gold,
diamonds,
fur,
wood,
silk, and
tea. In 1821, as part of the
Speransky reforms, Siberia was administratively divided at the
Yenisei River and Irkutsk became the seat of the Governor-General of East Siberia.