The Paris of Siberia, According to Chekov

While on a year-plus sojourn around the world, photographer Marianna Jamadi found herself in the Russian city of Irkutsk. Though Chekov referred to it as the Paris of Siberia, Jamadi found it a far cry from the French capital. (To be fair, he was talking about the 1825 version of the city.) Nevertheless, she found beauty in the architecture that had fallen into disrepair.

Structures of Another Time

So we got to Irkutsk, Russia. The city is an architectural mix of wooden buildings (that look like they could be from New Orleans) and Soviet-style block housing.

Ornate Carvings

The wood buildings are a relic from the 19th century, when the city flourished. Most were destroyed during the era of Industrialization, but a few remain standing. 

The Blues

Plenty of buildings remain in a state of disrepair.

Monumental

But they stand in stark contrast to the Soviet-style block buildings prominent everywhere in Russia.

The Main Drag

The city has been called the “Paris of Siberia,” but the only thing Parisian about it is a small replica of an Eiffel Tower on the main shopping strip. Shopkeepers like to stand in front of their storefronts making announcements on megaphones.

This is no Avenue des Champs-Élysées.

Shutters

The window treatments are a highlight: colorful, lovely, and photogenic.

This post originally appeared on Nomadic Habit and is republished here with permission.