Ir. = Ingenieur. Roughly equivalent to M.Sc. Engineering. Awarded to graduates of a Technische Hoogeschool (Eindhoven, Delft or Enschede Universities of Technology).

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Note added at 1 hr (2008-12-24 19:37:49 GMT)
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My husband is an Ir. from the TH Eindhoven. Nobody outside NL understands Ir. It is impractical to constantly explain it so we use M.Sc. Electrical Engineering unless the Dutch connection is significant. See my note added above. If the Dutch connection is significant in a particular context, then we use Ir. Elektrotechniek TH Eindhoven (equivalent M.Sc. Electrical Engineering) but that is really rather a mouthful.

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Note added at 16 hrs (2008-12-25 10:37:20 GMT)
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The main thing to keep in mind if translating into Russian is that Ir. is an academic degree at university level and not a diploma issued by a vocational school or polytechnic. I do not know whether this distinction exists in the Russian Federation but if it does, you need to select whichever equivalent approximates the university level of engineering education.

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Note added at 1 day1 hr (2008-12-25 19:08:59 GMT)
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The following extract clearly shows that the Ir. title is NOT equivalent to Dr. but is **equivalent** to the internationally recognised term "Master", i.e. an Ir. is entitled to call him/herself Master. This is not an approximation (Cf). It is an equivalency.

Degrees and Titles
The doctorate is the highest degree awarded, with only one degree preceding this, the doctoraal. Graduates of doctoraal programmes may use the title **ingenieur (ir)**, for engineers, meester (mr), for those studying law, or doctorandus (drs), for all other courses. Graduates can also use the internationally recognised term, **'Master'**. University titles are legally protected in the Netherlands, conferred only by recognized institutions that meet the correct standards. ***The nearest equivalent to a doctoraal degree are the master's degree in Britain, the Diplom in Germany, and the Maîtrise/DEA in France.***

Most academic careers end with the doctoraal, but there are many opportunities for further study, including post-doctoraal training that leads to the doctorate, the highest academic degree in the Netherlands. Candidates conduct independent research and report the results in a dissertation, which must be publicly defended. If successful, they may use the title doctor (comparable to a British PhD). For foreign students with a degree equivalent to a doctoraal, universities offer the possibility of obtaining the doctor's degree immediately.
http://www.studyoverseas.com/europe/euroed/nuffic2.htm