«IZVESTIYA IRKUTSKOGO GOSUDARSTVENNOGO UNIVERSITETA». SERIYA «ISTORIYA»
«THE BULLETIN OF IRKUTSK STATE UNIVERSITY». SERIES «HISTORY»
ISSN 2222-9124 (Print)

List of issues > Series «History». 2026. Vol 57

The Administrative Factorand Its Significance in the History of Irkutsk During the Imperial Era (19th–20th Centuries)

Author(s)

L. M. Dameshek

Baikal State University, Irkutsk, Russian Federation

Abstract
This article analyzes the significance of the administrative factor in the history of Irkutsk’s formation and development–from its inception to its emergence as the administrative and political center of Siberia as a whole. Key contributing factors included the city’s advantageous geographical location and the presence and interaction of three levels of authority–the Governor-General, the Governor, and the Irkutsk Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church. This dynamic led to a high concentration of officials in the city–many of whom held university degrees–and the establishment of a provincial press. The article also presents observations regarding Irkutsk and other Siberian cities made by prominent public figures and literary figures from both Siberia and Russia at large.
About the Authors
Dameshek Lev Mikhailovich, Doctor of Sciences (History), Professor, Director of the Research Center for Russian History Baikal State University 11, Lenin st., Irkutsk, 664003, Russian Federation e-mail: levdameshek @gmail.com
For citation
Dameshek L.M. The Administrative Factorand Its Significance in the History of Irkutsk During the Imperial Era (19th– 20th Centuries). The Bulletin of Irkutsk State University. Series History, 2026, vol. 57, pp. 6-13. https://doi.org/10.26516/2222-9124.2026.57.6 (in Russian)
Keywords
Empire, Siberia, Irkutsk, governance, administrative factor, history, significance.
UDC
94(571.53).07
DOI
https://doi.org/10.26516/2222-9124.2026.57.6
References
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  4. Chekhov A.P. Sobr. Sochineniy. T. 11. Pisma [Collected Works. Vol. 1. Letters]. Moscow, 1956, 711 р. (in Russian) 

Full text (russian)