The Babr Sculpture marks the entrance to Irkutsk's restored 130th Quarter with a creature that looks part tiger, part local legend. The babr comes from the city's coat of arms, where an old Siberian word and later heraldic confusion produced the distinctive beast carrying a sable.
It is a quick photo stop, but a good one because it says something specific about Irkutsk rather than offering generic street decoration. Use it as the starting point for a stroll through the quarter's wooden architecture, cafes, and rebuilt historic streets.