IRKUTSK

MUSEUMS. Ethnographical Museum of Wooden Architecture "Taltzy"

When you enter the museum you enter a real Siberian village! You'll see unique monuments of the Russian wooden architecture of the XVII - XIX centuries: the passing tower and the church of the Mother of God of Kazan from Ilimsky Burg (the exhibit of the 17th c), the parish school, farmsteads of peasants with plank bed, Russian oven and the "red corner" with icons in it. 

The museum is located in a picturesque place on the right bank of the Angara river in the Talzy area. The museum is famous for its rich natural landscapes and an opportunity of acquaintance with the materials and spiritual culture of the Pribaikalye peoples - the Russians, the Buryats, the Evenks. The museum expositions tell us about life and life features, customs and traditions of the Pribaikalye peoples of the XIX - early XX centuries. 

Everything is impressive here really! A yurt settlement is located behind the peasant village. In the middle of every yurt you see a hollow in the ground for the hearth. Here are the Buryat traditions, culture and way of living. 

Tophalar and Evenk settlements are currently under construction in this unusual museum. 

Drop in to the gift shop. Something will surely catch your eye as a souvenir for you or your friends: whistles, matreshkas, beads made of Baikal stones and wood, icons, kerchiefs, wattled baskets and many other interesting objects. The potter's and birch crafts are reconstructed in the museum. You can model in clay small "masterpiece" with your own hands and take it with you as the memory of the museum.

Do you wish to ride a horse? Here you go - ladies can get in to an old lordly carriage and gentlemen are free to prance astride. But if you need conquer the heart of your beloved you have to climb the stilts. And one more attraction is Russian swing up to the sky!

Traditional Russian national holidays are organized for many years in the museum. Mass festivals are held on Christmas, Saint days (between Christmas and Epiphany), Shrovetide, Trinity, a Holiday of Crafts. The museum employees have research work on the culture of the Pribaikalye peoples. The results are published in a magazine "Taltzy", which has been issued in the museum since 1988.