Taltsy ethnographical museum

Architectural ethnographic museum "Taltsy" is a unique collection of monuments of history and architecture of peoples in Eastern Siberia in 17-20th centuries. This is one of 5 open-air museums in Russia. It was founded in 1966, and it was opened for visitors in July 1980. The territory of the museum occupies an area of 67 hectares. There are more than 40 historical-architectural monuments and about 9,000 items which are of significant historical value. The first wooden constructions were moved to this place from the flooded area of Ust-Ilimsk water reservoir. The exhibition gives an idea of conditions of life and cultural features of peoples who inhabited the Baikal region in 19th - beginning of 20th centuries. Rare items in the museum are restored architectural monuments of republican value. Among those is the Tower of the Saviour (1667) and Kazanskaya chapel of former Ilimsk fortress (1667-1679), which were built from larch tree more than 300 years ago without any nails. In the architectural complex of the museum there is Evenk summer and autumn campsite, a cascade with three watermills, the farms of Moskovskiy, Seryshev, Prokopyev, Nepomiluev peasants, also a common bread barn Mangazeya, a church-parish school, a cemetery complex, Troitskaya church and Buryat summer camp. Various public celebrations and holidays with folklore shows are held each year. In February-March - Maslenitsa (Mardi gras), in April - Easter, in June - Trinity, in July - Day of all Russian Saints, in August - Transfiguration Day.