The present House of Europe, so-called “lacy house”, is one of trademarks of Irkutsk that is renowned for its well-preserved wooden houses decorated with carving. The building called the House of Europe now was the house of the Shastins, the family of merchants, built in 1907. The house of the Shastins was put on the list of protected world heritage on initiative of a French association for preservation of world monuments. There are small cafés and a hotel under the House of Europe. Officials meetings, conferences and art exhibitions are held in the house.