The 10 Best Churches & Cathedrals in Irkutsk, Siberian District

Reviewed By Kanbaatar - Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Icon .. Noun : a picture, image, or other representation. Kazan .. A city in Russia, 820 kilometers almost due-East of Moscow, on the Volga River. The original icon of Our Lady of Kazan / Mother-of-God of Kazan, dates back to the 13th century. I am not sure we know if the original icon has survived centuries of mystery including being stolen in 1904. It is doubtful. The two most famous, or most noted, Russian Orthodox Cathedrals consecrated to Our Lady of Kazan are in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia. As I write this review, currently on the Trip Advisor listing of Things to do here in Irkutsk, The Cathedral of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God stands as the number one, top-of-the-list attraction. This makes it a good reason not to pay it a visit due to it being crowded with sight-seers and somewhat, just a little, hard to find. My wife and I no choice in the decision to visit the Cathedral. Friends who live here in Irkutsk (unbeknown to us) simply took us to see it (along with a slew of other major attractions I must add). Bottom Line : IF churches / cathedrals / religious sites are of interest to you, this is an absolute must-do, must-see, attraction to visit. Yes there were many other visitors. No they did not detract in anyway whatsoever from our enjoying our visit. The ice sculptures alone were worth seeing. It is beautiful, gorgeous, fascinating, wonderful to see.