The newspaper featured the development of public thought, the activities of many famous personalities from the history of Irkutsk, its region and the neighbouring territories that entered the East Siberian Governorate General (Krasnoyarsk Region, Yakutia, Buryatia, Chita Region). It was launched on May 16, 1857. Its main employees were exiled members of Petrashevsky Circle: N. A. Speshnev (editor), F. N. Lvov, M. V. Butashevich-Petrashevsky, as well as Siberian writers M. V. Zagoskin, S. S. Shashkov, V. I. Vagin, N. S. Schukin.
Presented issues: 1858, 1859, 1864, 1865, 1870-1872, 1875, 1877, 1879, 1880, 1884-1886, 1889-1890, 1892-1895, 1897-1901, 1904, 1905, 1909, 1911-1914, 1916