Irkutsk Population: 650,000 Ethnic Groups: Russian; Buryats; Eenki; Yakuts; Tofa Founded: 1652 Industry: Gold; Mining Machinery; Fur; Tea Packing
Location Climate Longitude Latitude Altitude Time Zone Temperature Precipitation 104° 20' E 52° 16'N 1447 ft. 467 m GMT +14 hours Moscow +5 hours January -20° C July +17° C 15 inches 37cm

Some of the most famous names in Russian history were exiled to Irkutsk, where in the late 19th century up to a third of the city's population was comprised of exiles. Alexander Radishchev, Josef Stalin, Felix Dzerzhinsky, Sergei Kirov, Mikhail Frunze and Vyacheslav Molotov were all exiled to the area for varying amounts of time, as were participants in the Decembrists' uprising of 1825.

In the late 19th century, gold was discovered in the nearby Lena Basin, and the Siberian Gold Rush began. People came to the region hoping to strike it rich, and those who were successful built sprawling classical mansions and financed public buildings, some of which still stand today.

Irkutsk is in many ways the heart of Siberia, with its proximity to Lake Baikal, status as a major transportation hub on the trans-Siberian railway, and a plethora of scientific and research institutes, including a branch of the Siberian Academy of Sciences. As a local writer once noted, "To miss seeing Irkutsk is to miss Siberia."