The city of Irkutsk

Irkutsk

Irkutsk is a city and the administrative center of Irkutsk Oblast, Russia, one of the largest cities in Siberia. Population: .-History:In 1652, Ivan Pokhabov built a zimovye near the site of Irkutsk for gold trading and for the collection of fur taxes from the Buryats. In 1661, Yakov Pokhabov...

 is the administrative center of Irkutsk Oblast

Irkutsk Oblast

Irkutsk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , located in southeastern Siberia in the basins of Angara River, Lena, and Nizhnyaya Tunguska Rivers. The administrative center is the city of Irkutsk. Population: -History:...

, both of which produced several famous popular musicians and have a number of styles of folk music. Musicians from Irkutsk include the rock bands Bely Ostrog, Printsip Neopredelyonnosti, and Chyorno-Belye Snimki http://www.icc.ru/fed/culture.html. The city of Irkutsk has long been a center for musical development in Siberia

Siberia

Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...

.

Music institutions

The Irkutsk Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in the 1850s. The first major school of musical education was founded in 1899, followed a few years later by the opening of the Irkutsk branch of the Imperial Russian Musical Society. Other music institutions include the Irkutsk Chamber Orchestra http://www.manus.baikal.ru/eng/es20.htm.

Musicians

The bass singer Leonid Mikhailovich Kharitonov

Leonid Mikhailovich Kharitonov

Leonid Mikhailovich Kharitonov is a Russian bass-baritone singer, born 18 September 1933 in the village of Golumet, Irkutsk Oblast. He has been honoured with: People's Artist of Russia and Honoured Artist of Russia. In the West he is noted for his 1965 video of the Song of the Volga Boatmen.-...

 was born in the village of Golumet in the Irkutsk Oblast

Irkutsk Oblast

Irkutsk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , located in southeastern Siberia in the basins of Angara River, Lena, and Nizhnyaya Tunguska Rivers. The administrative center is the city of Irkutsk. Population: -History:...

in 1933.