The Epiphany Cathedral of Irkutsk is one of the oldest religious buildings in Eastern Siberia and the Far East. The temple was built almost together with the city, so the year of its construction is considered to be 1693. The church was wooden and named Peter and Paul, in honor of the famous apostles. However, a fire in 1716 destroyed the building. Two years passed before the city residents decided to build a new cathedral, but with stone walls. However, due to a royal decree prohibiting the construction of stone buildings, construction was postponed until better times. The chapel in the name of the apostles Peter and Paul was built over six years using donations from parishioners. Records from the church ledger indicate that work was still ongoing in 1727. A new side altar in honor of John the Warrior was consecrated in 1729. In the same year, the construction of the cathedral bell tower was completed. The style in which the cathedral was built can be called Russian classicism with elements of Siberian baroque. Local residents often compare the appearance of the temple with a fairy-tale gingerbread manor. And it’s hard to disagree with this; there is something from folk tales in the building. The exterior decoration of the cathedral was made of ceramic tiles.