Kirov Square lies right in front of Irkutsk Regional administration. It is lined up by the Angara hotel, the building of Irkutsk city hall and the Irkutsk State Linguistic University. Once the square was called Tichvinskaya, and it was a popular place for crowded fairs and markets. From the moment of the foundation Irkutsk has developed as a major trading center. Occupying a favorable geographical position it successfully carried out a role of the trade intermediary between the European Russia and the Far East. Trade waves to Kamchatka, Yakutia, Transbaikalia, Mongolia, China and even to Alaska were passing through Irkutsk. Irkutsk merchants exchanged here furs for gold, China furniture, textiles and tea. In 1935 the square was renamed to Kirov after the Soviet leader and revolutionary.