By the time we reached the hostel in Irkutsk, we were hot and exhausted. Our rooms were downstairs with almost no natural light, and we quickly discovered there was no hot water at all. The staff casually told us this was a regular occurrence in Russia. After two weeks in Mongolia, we weren’t expecting third-world conditions in Russia — but a very cold shower it was. Sadly, the hot water never returned during our two-night stay.

On our first afternoon we went in search of a bank and food. The bank was easy, but finding an open restaurant on a Sunday proved difficult. We ended up in District 130, a tourist precinct featuring several newly built replica wooden Irkutsk-style houses. While they looked nice, it felt strange that so much effort went into replicas when many original historic wooden houses across the city were crumbling and in desperate need of restoration.

Hot, tired, and hungry, we eventually navigated the Russian bus system back toward our hostel and found a nice bar around the corner for much-needed cold drinks. Dinner at a small nearby restaurant was excellent — hearty pelmeni, pancakes, and big mugs of tea.

The next morning we explored the unique architecture that makes Irkutsk special. The city is full of traditional wooden houses, some beautifully restored while many others are dilapidated and weathered. We spent hours wandering the streets, captivated by the distinctive style and charm.

Irkutsk also has a strong connection to the Decembrists — wealthy revolutionaries exiled to Siberia after their failed uprising in 1825. We visited the Trubetskoy House Museum, the former home of one of these exiles, and learned about their fascinating history and influence on the city.

We also dropped into the Regional Museum, which was interesting but almost entirely in Russian. After being politely encouraged to watch a video we couldn’t understand, we made a quiet escape and headed straight to our new favourite spot, The Library bar, for evening drinks.

Our final dinner was at a lively restaurant serving delicious shashliks (Russian kebabs) while people around us smoked water pipes. On the way home we explored a local supermarket where you could buy caviar by the scoop — a classic Siberian touch.