The Trubetskoy House Museum, Irkutsk, is the memorial house of the Decembrist Prince Sergey Trubetskoy and his family, who lived in exile in the city. It stands on Dzerzhinskogo Street in the historic center, and it is one of the two houses of the Irkutsk Decembrists museum, together with the Volkonsky House.
The exhibition tells the Siberian fate of Trubetskoy and, through him, of a whole generation of Decembrists. Visitors see rooms arranged in a line on the residential floor, with recreated interiors of a mid-19th-century noble house, and a historical display in the semi-basement. Opening hours, tickets and access change, so check the official source before you go.
Quick Facts
| Russian name | Дом-музей Трубецких |
|---|---|
| Built / opened | 1970 |
| Address | улица Дзержинского, 64, Иркутск |
| District | Irkutsk (historic center, Znamenskoye suburb) |
| Opening hours | Open from 10:00 to 18:00 and closed on Tuesdays, according to travel sources; one listing gives different closing days, so check before you go. Hours can change on public holidays and during special events (as of October 2026 – check the official site). |
| Admission | Entry is paid. The price was not verified here, and rates for Russian citizens and concessions differ, so check the official site. |
| Best time to visit | Weekday mornings are quiet, and the museum is closed on Tuesdays, according to travel sources. Summer is comfortable for the yard, while winter suits indoor visits, and the house is warm inside. Tour groups can make late morning busier. |
| Recommended duration | 1 to 1.5 hours |
| Website | imd38.ru |
| Last updated | October 13, 2026 |
What Is (and Isn't) Part of a Visit to Trubetskoy House Museum, Irkutsk?
| Part | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| The residential floor with recreated interiors | Included in the standard ticket | The line of rooms with family belongings and Decembrist items. |
| The semi-basement exhibition | Included in the standard ticket | The historical display about the years of hard labor and settlement in Siberia. |
| The Volkonsky House Museum | Separate ticket or institution | The other house of the Decembrists museum, at a different address with different opening days. |
| The Znamensky Monastery graves | Outside / not part of it | The burial place of Ekaterina Trubetskaya and her children, covered in its own guide. |
| The Transfiguration Church | Outside / not part of it | A church near the Volkonsky House, not part of this museum. |
Why Visit Trubetskoy House Museum, Irkutsk?
The museum shows how an exiled noble family lived in a Siberian city. The residential floor recreates the typical interiors of a mid-19th-century noble house and displays memorial items of the Trubetskoy family and of other Decembrists, according to a travel source.
It is also the place where the Irkutsk Decembrists museum began. The exhibition moved into this house in 1970, and the Volkonsky House was added later. Seeing both houses gives two views of the same story: one family that lived in a large mansion in the center and one that lived on the edge of the Znamenskoye suburb, where the family is also remembered at the nearby convent.
How Trubetskoy House Museum, Irkutsk Is Laid Out
The museum occupies a single wooden house. The exhibition is spread across the semi-basement, also called the cellar, and the first floor, which was the residential floor, according to a travel source.
The rooms on the residential floor follow each other in a line, with recreated interiors, while the historical exhibition in the semi-basement covers the years of hard labor and the later settlement of the Decembrists in Siberia. A sensible route is to start on the residential floor, then go down to the semi-basement, or follow the signs, since the order can change.
Highlights of Trubetskoy House Museum, Irkutsk
The wooden house
The house of Sergey Trubetskoy was probably built between 1847 and 1854, according to a travel source, on a plot that he bought for one of his daughters, with the old small house taken down. It was a unique building for Irkutsk. The family lived in the Znamenskoye suburb until 1856, according to the same source, and the house has been called the Trubetskoy house since the 1940s.
Tip: Look at the wooden walls and the windows before you go in.
The recreated noble interiors
The rooms on the residential floor are arranged in a line, and they recreate the typical interiors of a mid-19th-century noble house, according to a travel source. Memorial items of the Trubetskoy family and of other Decembrists are displayed there. They show how an educated family set up a home in the Siberian city after years of hard labor.
Tip: Read the labels, since small objects carry the family's story.
The family belongings
The exhibition shows authentic things of the Trubetskoy family, according to a travel source, including two chairs, a porcelain vase, a bronze table, a landscape of Lake Baikal and a portrait painted by the daughter of the Decembrist, Alexandra Trubetskaya. There are also handicraft items of Princess Ekaterina Trubetskaya, including her embroidery. They make the story personal.
Tip: Look for the painting of Baikal, which links the house to the lake.
The memorial books and Decembrist items
Visitors can see memorial books of Decembrists, including one of Sergey Trubetskoy with his autograph, according to a travel source. Items belonging to other Decembrists, such as Muravyov, Gorbachevsky and Basargin, are also displayed. They show the network of exiles in Irkutsk and the way they kept in touch.
Tip: Allow time for the cases with the books, since they are easy to pass quickly.
The semi-basement exhibition
The historical exhibition in the semi-basement, or cellar, tells of the thirteen years of hard labor and the later settlement of the Decembrists in Siberia, according to a travel source. It gives the background to the family rooms upstairs, with the uprising of 1825 and the sentences. It is the best place to understand why the family lived in Irkutsk.
Tip: See it first if you do not know the story of the Decembrists.
The story of Ekaterina Trubetskaya
Princess Ekaterina Trubetskaya followed her husband to Siberia, and she and three of their children died in 1854 and were buried together in the yard of the Znamensky convent, according to a travel source. The museum gives particular attention to the wives of the Decembrists. The graves can be visited at the Znamensky Monastery, which has its own guide.
Tip: Combine the museum with the Znamensky Monastery to see where the family is buried.
Atmosphere
The Trubetskoy House feels like a quiet family house rather than a museum hall. A wooden building stands behind a small yard, the rooms follow each other in a line, and the floors and ceilings are wood. Inside, the light is soft, and the sounds are mostly footsteps and the voices of the staff.
It is calm on weekday mornings and busier when tour groups arrive. In summer the yard is green, and in winter snow lies on the roofs and the gate, so the house looks more severe, which suits the story of exile, while the rooms inside feel warm and domestic.
History of Trubetskoy House Museum, Irkutsk
After the failed Decembrist uprising in Saint Petersburg in December 1825, many of the participants were exiled to Siberia, and the first group arrived in Irkutsk in 1826 on the way to hard labor, according to a travel source. Prince Sergey Trubetskoy was one of the leaders of the movement.
After his hard labor sentence, Trubetskoy was allowed to settle in the Irkutsk region, together with his wife, Ekaterina Trubetskaya, who had followed him into exile. From 1839 to 1845 the family lived in a small settlement in the Irkutsk province, according to a travel source.
In 1845 the family moved to Irkutsk and lived in a spacious wooden house in the Znamenskoye suburb until 1856, according to a travel source. Historians say that Trubetskoy bought the plot with a small house for one of his daughters, and that the old building was taken down and a new house was built in its place, presumably between 1847 and 1854, according to the same source. It was a unique house for Irkutsk.
In 1854 Ekaterina Trubetskaya and three of her children died, and they were buried together in the yard of the Znamensky convent, according to a travel source.
The house has been known as the Trubetskoy house since the 1940s, according to a travel source. The Decembrists museum counts its history from 29 December 1970, when the exhibition opened in this house, according to a travel source, although the collection began to form as early as 1925. The Volkonsky House was added in 1985, and a separate Decembrists museum was formed in 2000, according to travel sources.
After extensive restoration, the museum reopened to the public in 2011, according to a travel source. Today the Trubetskoy House and the Volkonsky House form the Irkutsk Regional Historical and Memorial Museum of the Decembrists.
The events around the Decembrists, and especially the sacrifices of their wives, inspired many Russian poems, stories and films, according to a travel source, and the museums are among the highlights of a visit to Irkutsk.
The dates and details above come from travel sources and general knowledge, and they differ between sources, so they should be checked against official museum sources.
Tickets and Booking for Trubetskoy House Museum, Irkutsk
Where to buy. Tickets are normally sold at the museum on the day, and the museum also has an official website. The price was not verified here, and rates for Russian citizens and concessions differ, so check the official site.
Two houses, one museum. The Trubetskoy House and the Volkonsky House are separate buildings with different opening days, and a ticket covering both branches has been mentioned in travel sources, so ask at the ticket desk.
Rules. Photography inside may need a separate permission or ticket, so ask at the desk. A cloakroom may be available for coats and large bags.
Payment. Cash in rubles is the most reliable way to pay. Whether foreign Visa and Mastercard cards work was not verified and should not be assumed, and the sanctions rules of your own country may restrict some payment services, so check this yourself. Check the official website imd38.ru for current tickets and hours.
Plan and Book
Suggested itineraries Trubetskoy House Museum, Irkutsk
1 hour
Start on the residential floor with the family rooms, then go down to the semi-basement exhibition to see the story of the hard labor years and the settlement in Siberia.
2 hours
Visit the house in the morning, then walk or take a short ride to the Volkonsky House, which is on a different street, to compare the two families.
Half day
See both Decembrist houses, then go to the Znamensky Monastery to see the graves of Ekaterina Trubetskaya and her children, which completes the story.
How to Get to Trubetskoy House Museum, Irkutsk
The museum is at Dzerzhinskogo Street 64, in the historic center of Irkutsk, in the area known as the Znamenskoye suburb. Irkutsk has no Metro, so most visitors arrive on foot, by bus or by taxi.
- From the center: it is within reach of the center on foot or by a short ride, and it lies on a different street from the Volkonsky House; check a map before you go.
- By bus or taxi: city buses and taxis stop nearby; check the current route numbers locally, since they change.
- From the station or the airport: a taxi or a bus to the center is the usual way; see the Irkutsk guide for details.
Save the address in Latin letters and in Russian, and check a map on your phone before you go.
Accessibility
Accessibility was not verified. The house is a historic wooden building with a semi-basement and a residential floor, so visitors with reduced mobility should ask the museum about access in advance, and expect icy paths in the yard in winter.
Food Nearby
The center has many cafes and restaurants, including those of the 130th Quarter and the streets around Kirov Square. Specific venues were not verified here, so check opening hours before you go.
What to Bring
Bring comfortable shoes for wooden floors and stairs, a warm layer for older rooms and for the yard in winter, and cash in rubles for tickets. A phone with an offline map helps in finding the street.
Best Views and Photo Spots of Trubetskoy House Museum, Irkutsk
The house from the street
From the street you can frame the wooden walls and the windows of the house with the yard in front of it.
Best time: Morning or late afternoon, in soft light.
The yard
The yard gives a calmer view of the house with trees around it, and it shows the scale of the building.
Best time: Midday, in even light.
The house in winter
Snow on the roofs and the yard makes the wooden house stand out, and the scene suits the story of exile.
Best time: Winter mornings, after snow.
The interior rooms
The line of rooms with period furniture is the most atmospheric view, though photography may need permission.
Best time: Weekday mornings, when there are fewer visitors.
Photography Rules
Rules differ for photography inside the museum, and photography of the interiors may need a permission or a separate ticket, so ask at the desk. Avoid flash and tripods, and respect other visitors. Photography of the exterior is usually fine. Drone rules also apply in cities, so check the regulations with the official source before you use one.
Family Suitability
A short visit works for families with older children who are interested in history. The house has stairs and wooden floors, and strollers may be hard to use, so check access beforehand. It combines easily with the Volkonsky House and a walk in the center.
Russia Vibes Tips
- See the semi-basement exhibition first if you do not know the Decembrist story, since it gives the background for the rooms upstairs.
- Visit the Trubetskoy House and the Volkonsky House on different days if you can, since they have different closing days.
- Look for the painting of Lake Baikal by the Trubetskoy daughter, which links the house to the region.
- Follow the story to the Znamensky Monastery, where Ekaterina Trubetskaya and her children are buried.
- Check the museum's day off before you go, since the house is closed on Tuesdays.
- Compare the two houses: one belonged to a family in the Znamenskoye suburb and the other stood near the Transfiguration Church.
Explore Nearby Trubetskoy House Museum, Irkutsk
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Znamensky Monastery, Irkutsk · typical visit: 1 to 2 hoursMain image: AI-generated illustration. It may not show the place exactly as it looks.
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FAQ: Trubetskoy House Museum, Irkutsk
Who was Sergey Trubetskoy?
He was a Decembrist prince and one of the leaders of the uprising of December 1825. After hard labor he was allowed to settle in the Irkutsk region, where his wife had followed him.
Is this the same as the Volkonsky House Museum?
No, they are two houses of the same Decembrists museum with different addresses and closing days. A ticket covering both branches has been mentioned in travel sources.
When is the museum open?
It is open from 10:00 to 18:00 and closed on Tuesdays, according to travel sources. Check the official site, since hours change on holidays.
Is the house original?
It was probably built between 1847 and 1854 on the plot the family bought, according to a travel source. The interiors were recreated and include authentic family items.
How long do I need?
About an hour to an hour and a half is enough for the residential floor and the semi-basement exhibition. Add time if you also visit the Volkonsky House.
Where is the family buried?
Ekaterina Trubetskaya and three of her children were buried in the yard of the Znamensky convent, according to a travel source. See the Znamensky Monastery guide for details.
Where is it?
It stands on Dzerzhinskogo Street 64, in the historic center, in the area called the Znamenskoye suburb. It is on a different street from the Volkonsky House.
Can I take photos inside?
Rules differ, and photography of the interiors may need a permission or a separate ticket. Ask at the desk, and avoid flash.
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Last updated: October 13, 2026. Found an error or something out of date? Report it and we will check and fix it.
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