Monument to the Founder of Irkutsk, Bronze monument near Cathedral of the Epiphany in Irkutsk, Russia
The Monument to the Founder of Irkutsk is a bronze standing figure of Yakov Pokhabov placed on a stone pedestal on the embankment of the Angara River. It stands close to the Cathedral of the Epiphany in the historic center of the city.
Yakov Pokhabov led the expedition in the 17th century that resulted in the construction of a Russian fort on the Angara, which eventually grew into the city of Irkutsk. The monument was unveiled in September 2011, when the city marked 350 years since its founding.
The statue shows Yakov Pokhabov dressed in 17th-century explorer clothing, standing with authority on a stone pedestal near the river that shaped the city. Locals often gather around it on city anniversaries, treating the spot as a natural meeting point tied to the founding story.
The statue sits along the embankment and is easy to reach on foot from most parts of the historic center. From here, several other sites in the area are within a short walk, making it a convenient starting point for exploring the neighborhood.
Although the statue celebrates a Siberian city, the bronze figure was cast in a foundry in Zhukovsky, a town near Moscow, far from Irkutsk. The funding came from a mix of city budget money, corporate contributions, and donations gathered from ordinary residents.
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