Newbie
Hi there, I am an Italian teacher, I am going to Irkutsk to attend a course to brush up my Russian. I would like to meet people who can give me some useful information about the city and bajkal and living there as a foreigner. I would also like to know how I can find a Russian hosting family (I prefer it to hostels or living alone).
Filled with hatred and cruelty!®
There are enough Eng-speaking guides in both Irkutsk and Listvyanka (the closest settlement on Baikal Western bank, 70 km by car, bus or marshrutka from airport or railway station).
On the way there is the nice open air ethnographic museum:
http://talci-irkutsk.ru
In Listvyanka I'd recommend you to visit Museum of Baikal (division of Lymnological institute of Rus. Ac. Sci.) http://www.bm.isc.irk.ru , and their botanical garden, located on the hills around.
http://www.krugobaikalka.ru/weekend/express.php - one day trip around southern corner of Baikal bank via KBZhD - older railroad built in 190x, former piece of TransSib, with tunnels, galleries and other constructions. Don't take 1st class tickets, 2nd and 3rd are more fun with drinking/eating together with friends, playing guitar and singing songs
Don't forget Baikal is cold lake, and even if air temperature is +26, going by boat/ship/cutter always have a warm jacket with hoodie.
Also consider vaccination vs tick encephalitis at home or upon arrival.
Both Listvyanka and Slyudyanka (southern settlement) host open air markets with fish (dried, fresh, cold smoked, hot smoked) and touristic souvenirs, hotels and hostels, but Slyudyanka is cheaper.
Olkhon island, biggest in Baikal, also worth to visit, although not easy and longer time to reach - shamanic place, although you can meet also praying Buddhists and Christians there.
Irkutsk city is funny place itself, there still are a lot of wooden buildings in the center.
IAPO, one of biggest military airplanes production factories, is here, as well as hydroelectric power stations down by Angara river.
In winters you may try Baikal ice drifting:
...or downhill skiing: http://baikalski.net - in Baikal'sk, East from Slyudyanka.
Last edited by FatAndy; 13-07-2017 at 10:43.
All the world's Kremlin,
And all the men and women merely agents
Newbie
Hi FatAndy, thank you for your reply. Is the situation with tick encephalitis so serious in the Bajkal area? I had 2 shots done, which covers 90% of the risk, but my partner hasn't; would it be risky for him?
Can you advise anything about host families?
Russian Bot
Originally Posted by Tikiti
Will you be going very soon? I would assume that by mid August it will be a little too cold for ticks.
If you trust the government you obviously failed history class. " George Carlin"
Filled with hatred and cruelty!®
And not only there. Whole taiga is risky, as Ixodes sp. live there. I'd recommend him to do vaccination asap, if he'll go with you.
No ideas, I was visiting on business + vacation, not the long-living there. I'd recommend you to dig there:
https://www.irk.ru
http://forum.ngs38.ru/board/general38/
Also, in these your entornets there are "communities" and "publics" (well, our proletary Vkontakte, Odnoklassniki and bourgeois Facebook)...
End of Jun-beginning of July is still risky, while August is too hot for them. Usually. But we've got abnormally warm weather in Siberia this summer, Tomsk and Irkutsk have +30.
Last edited by FatAndy; 16-07-2017 at 15:33.
All the world's Kremlin,
And all the men and women merely agents
Uncle Wally (16-07-2017)
Jedi Knight
Use air b and b
https://www.airbnb.co.uk/s/Irkutsk--...s_tag=ua1Ul8uM
Jedi Knight
Alan....seriously , you are the last person on the planet .....universe ....I would have expected to respond to a thread about Irkutsk......seriously ......shut the front door
“You don't love someone for their looks, or their clothes, or for their fancy car, but because they sing a song only you can hear.”
― Oscar Wilde
Russian Bot
Hey just be thankful RL didn't.Alan....seriously , you are the last person on the planet .....universe ....I would have expected to respond to a thread about Irkutsk......seriously ......shut the front door
If you trust the government you obviously failed history class. " George Carlin"
vossy7 (17-07-2017)
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