The Znamensky Monastery in Irkutsk is one of the oldest monasteries in Siberia and a significant pre-revolutionary monument of the city. Founded in 1689, it is located on the right bank of the Angara River, which later became known due to the execution of the last Supreme Ruler of Russia, Admiral Kolchak. Initially, the monastery consisted of wooden structures, but over time they deteriorated. As a result, a decision was made to build a new complex. In 1757, the construction of the first stone church, the Znamenskaya Church, began. The funds for its construction were provided by the Siberian merchant Ivan Bichevin, and by 1762 the church was consecrated, and services commenced.

After the reconstruction, the monastery was headed by Abbess Iraida, under whom the monastery became one of the most prosperous in Siberia in just 13 years. The history of the Znamensky Monastery is complex and difficult to fully restore, but the names of many abbesses are known, including Abbess Illaria from the merchant family Nechaevs. The monastery is also known for housing and burying members of the Decembrist families, such as Princess Ekaterina Trubetskaya and her children. The outstanding Russian explorer Grigory Ivanovich Shelikhov is also buried here. During the Soviet years, the necropolis suffered greatly, but some tombstones have survived.

In 1920, the monastery entered history when the bodies of Alexander Vasilyevich Kolchak and Viktor Nikolayevich Pepelyaev were lowered under the ice near its walls after their execution. Soon, the monastery was closed, leaving only the Znamenskaya Church for the faithful, which became a cathedral in 1929. Later, the church was also closed and reopened for believers only in 1945. The monastery was fully returned to the faithful in our time, and on November 2, 2004, a monument to Admiral Kolchak was erected near its walls.