The White House in Irkutsk, a monument of architecture and culture, is known to every local resident. This three-story mansion at the intersection of Karl Marx Street and Gagarin Boulevard has been a symbol of the city for over two centuries. Walking through its halls and ascending the grand staircase of the former "Siberian Palace," one feels the rich history that these walls hold.

A document preserved in the State Archive of Irkutsk Region clarifies the date of construction of this building. The publication "Collection for the Irkutsk City Duma for 1800" contains a petition from merchant M.V. Sibiryakov for the allocation of a plot at the corner of Bolshaya Perspectivnaya Street (now Karl Marx) and Naberezhnaya (now Gagarin Boulevard) for the construction of a "three-story stone house" on the site of the old wooden house of Professor Laksman. During a trip to St. Petersburg to obtain permission for a textile factory, Sibiryakov found an architect.

The 19th-century architect D. Kvarengi, known for his palace projects for Russian nobles, agreed to work with the Siberian merchant. According to his design, the Sibiryakov Palace was built. In 1804, the building became one of the first constructions in the style of Russian classicism of the first quarter of the 19th century. The Irkutsk Regional Museum holds a watercolor by P.I. Pezhemsky depicting the building, originally painted yellow, which became white after reconstruction in 1906. Traveler A. Martos described the interior of the house in detail in "Letters about Eastern Siberia" in 1827.

Irkutsk old-timers left many memories of the life of the merchant dynasty of Sibiryakovs, who experienced ups and downs. One of the representatives, a fan of poetry G.D. Derzhavin, gifted a fur coat to the poet and received a portrait in return, which adorned the central hall of the White House for almost a century. In October 1917, during the siege of the White Fortress, the portrait was pierced by a bullet. The building has undergone numerous reconstructions, including with the participation of architects V.P. Stasov and L. Ruska.

The White House did not suffer from numerous Irkutsk fires, including the fire of 1879 that destroyed many wooden structures. At that time, 105 stone and 3,418 wooden buildings burned down, turning the city center into a desert.

The lion figures at the entrance witnessed the decline of the Sibiryakov dynasty. In 1825, K. Sibiryakov died, and his wife N.D. Sibiryakova became the heir to the house. In 1837, the building was purchased by the treasury and became the residence of the Governor-General of Eastern Siberia, the center of official and public life in the region. Official receptions were held here, plans for the development of the Amur were developed, and notable figures such as Rear Admiral G.I. Nevelskoy visited.

Muravyov-Amursky, who was sympathetic to the Decembrists, often hosted A.V. Podzhio, S.P. Trubetskoy, and I.D. Yakushkin here. The son of Decembrist Volkonsky, Mikhail, served in the house. When M.A. Sibiryakov tried to buy back the house, he was refused, as no suitable building for the residence was found.

M.M. Speransky visited the White House, and in 1891, Nicholas II stayed here. In this palace, the fates of many famous people were decided, decrees on execution and pardon were signed. In 1883, Governor-General Anuchin achieved the execution of K.G. Neustruev. M.A. Bakunin, M.V. Petrashevsky, and other participants in the revolutionary movement visited here.

The events of 1917 and the subsequent White Guard intervention turned the house into the "White Fortress." After the February Revolution, the last owner left the building, and it remained vacant until October, when it housed TsentrSibir and the headquarters of the Red Guard. In 1918, the Irkutsk State University opened in the White House, becoming the first higher educational institution in Eastern Siberia.

Since 2001, the university has conducted research and restoration of the building. In 2006, a decision was made to restore the facade to its historical appearance: ochre walls with white details.