Museum-icebreaker "Angara" is one of the most fascinating and unique museums in Irkutsk. Steam icebreaker "Angara" - one of the first icebreakers in the world and probably the oldest of this type of vessels, preserved to our days.

Back in 1898, the Russian government had issued an order for the construction of ice-breaker. Orders are fulfilled English shipbuilding company "Sir VG Armstrong" in Newcastle. The icebreaker was completed in 1899 and in parts delivered to lake Baikal, where under the guidance of an engineer-shipbuilder V. Zabolotsky was assembled. The crew of the vessel, with a displacement of 1,400 tons and a capacity of 1250 HP, accounted for 50 people. "Angara", launched in late July, 1900, together with the ferry "Baikal" was intended to ferry rail cars across lake Baikal, paving the way in the ice. In the period 1907-16, the ship was laid up. With the adoption of the decree On the nationalization of the merchant fleet" icebreaker "Angara" was also nationalized.

During the Civil war, a ship armed with cannons and machine guns, participated in hostilities on the shores of lake Baikal. From 1922 until 1960, the icebreaker "Angara" was making flights across lake Baikal, delivering cargo and passengers, towing in the winter barges. In connection with the improper care and moral wear and tear, the ship was deleted from the fleet and transferred to the Irkutsk reservoir for the needs of DOSAAF. In 1975 it was decommissioned and sent for recycling, but it ran aground when going into port, where he remained until 1987 it was when the decision on the restoration of the breaker and turning it into a Museum.

In November 1990, "Angara" was staged at the pier across from Irkutsk solar neighborhood. The Museum exposition is represented by two complexes: History of navigation on lake Baikal and the History of the icebreaker "Angara". Leading is considered to be the first complex.

Currently the icebreaker "Angara" needed restoration. By the decision of Arbitration court of the icebreaker was transferred into the possession of the emergency rescue service of the Irkutsk region, which had planned to conduct a survey of the technical condition of the icebreaker and the necessary repairs.