Irkutsk region > Kazan Church of Saint Virgin

Thoroughfare Tower Spasskaya of Ilimsk Jail

The thoroughfare tower Spasskaya of Ilimsk jail (XVII century) is the unique wooden memorial of defence architecture of federal significance. It was removed into museum from the village Ilimsk of Bratsk district of Irkutsk region being found in flooded area of Ust-Ilimsk reservoir. The author of restoration project is the architect G.G. Oranskaya.

The winter hut of Ilimsk was founded in 1630 on the river Ilim by the first Cossacks firstly passing through this area. By the time Ilimsk becomes the center of the vast voivode region between the rivers Angara and Ilim. Here the agriculture was prospering, the handcrafts were progressing. Ilimsk furnished the victuals for the sea expeditions of Vitus Bering and Semen Dezhnev. Many of the explorers studying the Siberia and the Asia continent were passing through Ilimsk.

The increased significance of Irkutsk in XVIII century and the construction of high road Moskovsky provoke the recession in trade, handcraft and agriculture activity of Ilimsk. Since 1718 the Ilimsk voivode region is abolished, Ilimsk losses its significance and progressively becomes the provincial town.

The wooden thoroughfare tower Spasskaya of Ilimsk installed by the voivode Sila Osipovich Onichkov remains the witness of the former power of Ilimsk. It was built by the traditional Siberian architecture scheme based on serfdom: square framework in plan with projections covered with the tent roof and crown with the watch-tower. The severe outward of the fortress structure is allayed by the fine chapel beetling over the thoroughfare gates.