Regions of Russia: Ilimsk stockade town reconstruction began in Irkutsk region

The architectural-ethnographic museum "Taltsy" near Irkutsk began the reconstruction of the world's only wooden stockade of Ilimsk. This wooden fortress of the 17th century was built by pioneers-Cossacks by hand, using just axes.

In the first place on the main tower of a fortress was set up a double-headed eagle, restored according to old pictures. According to the restorers, it will intact for 200 years, since Taltsy has a special microclimate.

The reconstruction project was based on an inventory dating to 1702. It was a real town, with its trading stalls, guard huts and clerks, a prison and a shopping arcade, surrounded by a huge fence. In the archives there are numerous descriptions of the fort and the buildings within it. It was pretty big - 200 feet long and consisted of eight towers.

The only surviving Spasskaya tower of Ilimsk stockade was transferred to "Taltsy" from the flooded area of Ust-Ilimsk hydroelectric station in 1984. Part of the fortress wall and two towers were restored on the site. The stockade will be restored in full. The reconstruction is planned to be completed by the end of the year.