Irkutsk is a major scientific and cultural center. A branch of the USSR Academy of Sceinces was founded here in 1946. The city has ten academic research institutes and thirty scietific institutions.

Irkutsk is also a city of education. One in evry ten of its citizens is studying at the univrsity or one of the teachers' training, medical, polytechnic or agricultural institutes.

The area's largest book repositories are based here: the Irkutsk state Univrsity's Scientific Library (containing ovr one million items), the library of the Irkutsk Museum of Regional Studies with its unique collection of books about Siberis.

The city has many theatres - a drama theatre, a youth theatre, a musical comedy, a musical and a puppet theatre as well as a Philharmonic Society and circus.

Irkutsk is called "The Gates of the East" because it links Russia with many Asian countries.