While in Irkutsk, the American kids participated alongside the Russians in an archaeological excavation at the site of the Voznesensky Monastery. The monastery was founded 300 years ago, and was closed following the Communist Revolution. Many church structures were destroyed in the 1930s. In the 1960s, apartment buildings were built atop much of the monastery’s former grounds. Today, archaeologists and the members of the Irkutsk-Fort Ross Club (IFRC) are excavating to discover the foundations of the original buildings.

From Irkutsk, the Expedition traveled to Lake Baikal along with our Russian hosts for a unique camping experience in Pribaikal National Park, located near the center of the lake’s western shore. An archaeological excavation was underway only a few miles walk from our camp. The international project involved students from both Irkutsk National University and the University of Alberta, under the direction of Dr. Olga Gorunova. The site consisted of a 4000-year-old cemetery belonging to the Evenk, an indigenous group who had occupied the area prior to the appearance of the Buryat. The archaeologists had exposed numerous burials, many with rich grave offerings such as beads and pendants made of nephrite, stone arrowheads, and bone needles. There were also petroglyph sites in the area.