The article considers the biography of I. I. Popov (1862–1942), revolutionist, member of the “Narodnaya volya”, writer and publicist. The citizens of Irkutsk knew his name well. He was elected to the city council. He published and edited the newspaper «Vostochnoye Obozreniye» (Eastern review). He actively participated in the cross-party debates and supported «Siberian society». Despite his great popularity and a considerable contribution to the political history of Irkutsk, there are no any scientific researches on his biography, apart from several short articles in the reference books and encyclopedias. The article attempts to fill such an evident gap in Russian historiography.