A 1978 Soviet collectible postcard capturing a winter scene in the historic center of Irkutsk, featuring a traditional wooden house decorated with intricate carvings.
What is shown on the postcard
The foreground shows a snow-covered sidewalk lined with bare trees. On the right stands a single-story wooden residential house made of dark logs on a stone foundation, decorated with detailed fretwork on the cornice, frieze, and window frames with shutters. Near the corner of the house, a Soviet telephone booth is installed, with the silhouette of a pedestrian nearby. The background shows the perspective of a snowy street.
Historical note
Irkutsk is renowned for its unique wooden architecture dating from the late 19th to the early 20th centuries. Siberian wooden building traditions blended elements of Classicism, Baroque, and folk motifs in the ornamentation of window casings and cornices. This photograph illustrates the typical urban environment of Irkutsk in the 1970s, where wooden architectural monuments coexisted with Soviet everyday objects like street payphones.
Present day
In the following decades, many historic wooden buildings in Irkutsk were restored or included in protected heritage zones. However, a significant portion of the ordinary wooden housing stock was lost due to modern urban redevelopment.
Questions and answers
- What is depicted on the 1978 postcard? The postcard depicts a wooden residential house in Irkutsk, adorned with traditional fretwork, set against a winter city street.
- What are the architectural features of this house? The building is a single-story log structure on a stone base, featuring rich carved decor on the cornice, frieze, and window casings with shutters.
- What detail of Soviet everyday life is visible in the photo? A typical Soviet telephone booth (payphone) is installed on the corner of the building near the sidewalk.
See also
The «Old Postcards» archive includes other views of Irkutsk from 1978.
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