Rich legacy of culture in such a savage land

Newly weds outside the Ephiphany Cathedral. Picture / Jim Eagles

It was like a journey 175 years back in time to a soiree in the home of one of the most famous Russians to be exiled to Siberia. We sat in the elegant salon of the home Prince SergeVolkonsky built for his family in the city of Irkutsk, and listened to the music of Schubert and Tchaikovsky, and the poetry of Pushkin and Tolstoy, while sipping on sweet Russian champagne.

As the pianists and singers poured forth a torrent of artistic passion for Mother Russia it was easy to imagine we were the guests of Volkonsky's wife, Maria, often called the Princess of Siberia, at one of the many functions she organised to bring some culture into a barren and brutal land.

When we think of Siberia we automatically think of exiles and gulags - something that annoys Siberians for whom there's a lot more to their land than prisons - but there is a positive side to all that.

One of the reasons Siberia is called the Paris of Russia is the marvellous cultural scene which owes a lot to exiles like the Volkonskys, who brought art and music to a savage land.

The other reason is that at its height Irkutsk was also the centre of a trading empire, with settlements in Alaska and California, and the wealth this earned was reflected in impressive homes, churches and public buildings.

Modern Irkutsk may try to ignore the gulags once found in its hinterland but it is beginning to celebrate the earlier generations of exiles, like the Volkonskys, who were sent to Siberia by the Tsar for the prince's part in the failed Decembrist uprising of December 14, 1825, an attempt by a group of noblemen to create a more liberal society.

Life for them was not as harsh as for those exiled by the Soviets a century later - though many of the Decembrist families were decimated by disease - and they were able to bring with them many of the trappings of civilisation.

Their house may have been small compared with the palaces they were used to in St Petersburg but it was big enough to be divided into 20 apartments following the Bolshevik revolution.

After a 16-year restoration project it has now opened as a delightful museum, furnished fairly much as when the Volkonskys lived there, and from time to time echoing with the music and poetry they enjoyed as well, providing a snapshot of what life was like for the upper class 150 years ago.

You can also get a taste of the Irkutsk of yesteryear by strolling around the attractive centre with its walks along the banks of the Angara River, tree-lined streets and beautiful parks, in one of which is a daily flower market.

The beautiful old wooden houses built by noble exiles or wealthy merchants, some looking a bit dilapidated, have intriguing designs, superb woodwork and the brightly painted shutters found throughout the region.

It's an ideal place for our first real experience of Russian Orthodox churches which previously we've only been able to admire from a distance through the windows of of railway carriage.

These not only have different architecture from the European-style churches we are used to, with their spiky steeples and grey walls, but a different atmosphere.

Inside there is no seating, the churches are extremely dark, which makes the impact of the candles lit by worshippers all the more striking, and they are full of beautiful icons, the most special of which are the subject of particular veneration.

While we were in Irkutsk the church was celebrating the feast of the Holy Trinity, so the floors were strewn with rushes, and local women were arranging flowers and greenery, making the atmosphere even more moving.

The oldest of the city's churches, Christ the Saviour, started in 1725 and finished 50 years later, is most European-looking, with its tall black steeple, though the interior with its wall of gloomy icons is very Russian.

The Epiphany Cathedral, with its brightly painted onion domes, is a classic Russian church. Sitting in a spectacular site on the banks of the river it is a popular place for newlyweds to pose for photos but unfortunately it also appears to be a popular spot for a gang of aggressive gipsy beggars to target tourists.

The Church of the Omen, with a magnificent white dome, was one of only two churches not closed in Soviet times, possibly because it houses the relics of a sanctified local bishop, St Nikitin, which can be seen through a glass plate in his casket, though his face has been covered with a veil to prevent prurient staring.

Intriguingly, outside the church stands a huge memorial marking the spot where Admiral Aleksandr Kolchak, commander of the last of the White Russian forces, was executed by the Red Army in 1918.

Kolchak, a fairly brutal operator, is a somewhat controversial figure, and the memorial, erected two years after the fall of Communism, is still under armed guard to prevent it being attacked.

But, as we discovered, this Russian version of Paris also caters for more modern tastes than those of the Volkonskys.

After the sophistication of the recital at the home of the Princess of Siberia we had dinner at a grill bar underneath the local sports stadium where they were holding a contest - with judges flown in from Moscow - to decide who had the loudest car sound system. Things don't get more modern than that. Then we went to see England play Paraguay in the World Cup on the big screen in a seedy dive called - what else? - Maradonna.

It didn't matter that it was a scrappy game because plenty of other entertainment was provided by the clientele of stunningly beautiful Russian women, some extraordinarily sleazy looking pimps, the brazenly open dealing in drugs - we stuck to pints of fine local beer, thank you - and a shaven-headed local Mafia boss covered in chains who held court at a nearby table.

Very Parisienne and very much the face of modern Russia.

Checklist

Siberia by air
Singapore Airlines flies 19 times a week from New Zealand direct to Singapore. From Singapore, passengers can choose from 22 weekly flights to Seoul, then travel to Irkutsk with Siberia Airlines. For the latest fares to Seoul and for further information see link below.

By Train
Perth-based Travel Directors runs regular tours from Beijing to Helsinki, entitled Beyond the Trans-Siberian, including time in China, Mongolia and Russia. Tours are almost fully inclusive and cost A$10,847 (just over $13,000).

Further information
Email info@traveldirectors.com.au or see link below.

Alternatively, contact Travel Directors' New Zealand representatives, Go Holidays, on 0800 464646 or see link below.

* Jim Eagles' trip was assisted by Singapore Airlines and Travel Directors.