Drawing Frozen Baikal

Arrival in Irkutsk (Plein air). Meeting in the city of Irkutsk. The city was founded in the middle of the 17th century and is famous for its wooden houses and beautiful shutters. From here, if you are cheerful and thirsty for adventure after a night flight, we can move to the Ethnographic Museum of Wooden Architecture "TALTSY" (50 km). A tour of the museum involves visiting the Evenk camp, a cascade of water mills, the Angarsk village, the Ilim fortress, the Buryat ulus and the exhibition halls of the museum.

Then we will go to Listvyanka (20 km), making a stop on the way at the source of the Angara River - the only river flowing from Baikal. In Listvyanka we will check into a hotel and after a short rest we will have our first Plein Air.

If we have time in the evening, we will definitely visit the Baikal Museum, which is a unique collection of information about the history of research and the nature of the lake.

Overnight at the hotel.

Meals - lunch, dinner

Listvyanka - Olkhon. Today we will be moving from Listvyanka to Olkhon Island (via Irkutsk by car). The road will take about 7 hours. Lunch will be on the way. Usually starting from April one can get to the island by ferry, but in our case, at the beginning of March, there will be no ferry yet, and therefore we will be taken to the ice crossing, where we will be picked up by an UAZ-soviet car and taken to to the place of accommodation in Khuzhir, the tourist center of the island.

Overnight at the hotel.

Meals - breakfast, lunch, dinner

Olkhon (Plein air). This day will start slow as we will have a whole day ahead of us to enjoy the creative process. For those who want to feel the place with their soul, we suggest meditating in the morning, soaking up the ancient energy of Baikal, its air, its beauty. Or you can just get a good night's sleep, which also makes for good meditation.

We will have a hearty breakfast, and when neither our brain nor our stomach will distract us, we will take care of beauty. The task for today is to capture the lake on canvas with oil paints and don’t be afraid, because under the guidance of Zhanna, even if you hold a brush for the first time, you will be surprised of what your hands and your vision of beauty are capable of! If there is time left, after lunch we will make an excursion close to our hotel.

Overnight at the hotel.

Meals - breakfast, lunch, dinner

Olkhon. This day will be dedicated to Olkhon. Our tour will pass through the most beautiful and picturesque places of the island. We will spend maximum time on the ice and if the whole group agrees on a professional photographer, he will arrange for a breathtaking photo session on the ice for you and will definitely capture your admiration for the winter splendor of the heart of Siberia - Lake Baikal.

In the morning we will go on the most popular excursion around Olkhon Island - Cape Khoboy.

Beautiful panoramic views of Lake Baikal opens from there, and in good weather you can see the Svyatoy Nos peninsula and the Ushkany Islands from the cape. Then we will go to the island of Ogoy. A Buddhist Stupa of Enlightenment is installed on the island, dedicated to the dakina Tromo Nagmo - the Buddhist goddess, which suppresses all negative throughout the World. According to legend, if you go around the Stupa clockwise three times and make a wish, it will surely come true.

We will also see the Grottoes, Sail and Shamanka Rocks, and all roads will be on ice, which will also be an amazing discovery and a unique experience, because in winter Baikal turns into the world's largest ice rink.

Overnight at the hotel.

Meals - breakfast, lunch, dinner

Olkhon – Irkutsk. On this day, after breakfast, we will return to Irkutsk. Upon arrival, we will visit the art gallery where an interesting meeting with the artist painting Baikal will be organized for us.

Overnight at the hotel.

Meals – breakfast

Departure. Today, the car will take you to the airport or railway station in Irkutsk, from where you will go home full of energy of a mysterious and amazing place, full of new ideas, strength and of course incredible emotions from visiting the unique Lake Baikal.