Why Irkutsk is Selling Its First Post Office Building
The historic mansion in Irkutsk that once housed the first post office is now for sale.
In Irkutsk, a mansion built in the late 18th century, which previously housed the oldest post office, has been put up for auction. The real estate complex is valued at 47.7 million rubles (about $530,000 at current rates), according to data on a free classifieds website.
This refers, of course, to the building at 23 Stepan Razin Street. It is a stone mansion of merchant Kiselev, built between 1794 and 1799 based on the design of Irkutsk«s first architect, Anton Losev. The merchant»s widow could not settle her debts, and the building was transferred to the state treasury. In 1803, the first post office opened here.
Currently, it is owned by Russian Post. In 2019, a scandal erupted when the luxurious wooden entrance group was replaced with plastic doors and a ramp. Russian Post clarified that the doors were not historical, having been made by an Irkutsk carpenter in the 1990s. The entrance group was replaced to ensure access for people with limited mobility. The cultural heritage protection service filed a lawsuit, and Russian Post was fined 50,000 rubles (about $550 at current rates). The wooden doors were not restored. And in 2022, post office No. 25, which was located in the mansion, moved to Rossiyskaya Street.
Now, a property complex is being offered for sale: a land plot of 0.3 hectares, a one-story wing of 71 square meters (removed from the list of identified monuments in 2025), and a two-story brick building of 1,200 square meters, which has been a cultural heritage site since 1990.
As the portal «IrCity» was told by the regional management of the Federal Postal Service (FPS), the building was mothballed several years ago.
«The building is a cultural heritage site of regional significance. Its adaptation to modern needs requires significant investment and involves compliance with strict requirements for preserving the historical appearance. The maintenance and reconstruction of the historical complex are not core activities of the company,» the FPS commented on the property auction announcement.
The management also expressed confidence that «the new owner will be able to effectively invest in reconstruction and find the best use for this landmark place.»
