Card Angara River, 1978

This 1978 Soviet postcard depicts a winter landscape of Irkutsk, showing the Angara River and the city embankment.

What is shown on the postcard

The photograph captures two women in winter coats and knitted hats leaning against the concrete parapet of the embankment. They are looking out over the ice-covered and mist-shrouded Angara River. In the background on the left, the silhouettes of trees along the pedestrian path and a streetlamp are visible. The horizon is obscured by heavy fog.

Historical note

The Angara is the only river that flows out of Lake Baikal. Within Irkutsk, it does not freeze completely even during severe frosts due to its swift current and the discharge of relatively warm water from the Irkutsk Reservoir, which frequently causes dense winter fog. The development of the Angara embankments was actively carried out during the Soviet era, particularly in the 1960s and 1970s, when the banks were reinforced and popular pedestrian zones were established.

Present day

Today, the Angara embankments (the Lower Embankment and Gagarin Boulevard) remain the primary public spaces in Irkutsk. They have undergone modern reconstruction, featuring new landscaping, lighting, and monuments, though the classic winter scenery of the misty river remains unchanged.

Questions and answers

• Which river is shown on the postcard? The postcard depicts the Angara River within the city of Irkutsk.
• Why is there fog over the river? The dense winter fog over the Angara occurs because the river does not freeze completely within the city due to its swift current and water release from the reservoir.
• What year is this postcard from? The photograph used for the postcard dates back to 1978.

See also

• Irkutsk postcards
• 1978 postcards

The «Old Postcards» archive includes other views of Irkutsk from 1978.