Kirov Oblast.

History

Slavic settlers moved into the Vyatka lands in earnest from the 14th century, and people from Novgorod left a clear mark on the local dialects. The town of Khlynov, today's Kirov, was first mentioned in 1374. In the 19th and early 20th centuries Vyatka was a place of exile for figures such as Alexander Herzen, the architect Alexander Vitberg and Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin. In December 1934 Vyatka was renamed Kirov and Kirov Krai was created; in 1936, after Udmurtia was separated, it became Kirov Oblast.

Culture & traditions

The region's best-known emblem is the Dymkovo clay toy, with simple patterns and a bright palette; its motifs even appeared at the opening ceremony of the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Other crafts live on too: Vyatka lace and linen with traditional embroidery. The oblast has around forty museums, including house-museums of Alexander Grin and Saltykov-Shchedrin. The painters Viktor and Apollinary Vasnetsov came from here; a plein-air event bears their name, and every spring brings the Vyatskaya Vesna music festival.

Nature

Water is everywhere here: more than 19,000 rivers and streams and about 4,500 lakes, with the Vyatka and its tributaries as the main artery. Most of the land is covered by coniferous forest, with extensive peat bogs and marshes. Bears, moose, beavers and wolves live in the woods. The best-known protected area is the Nurgush Nature Reserve; the climate is temperate continental, with harsh winters and warm summers.

Sport

Kirov is one of the homes of bandy, the Russian game of hockey with a ball: the Rodina club plays here. The city also has a ski-jumping complex. Natives of the region include Olympic skiers and ice-hockey players. Hand-to-hand combat tournaments and youth military-sports competitions are popular as well.

Food & drink

Farming in the oblast rests on dairy and beef cattle, so local dairy products are well worth trying. The fields grow rye and other grains, potatoes, flax and vegetables.

Practical information

Kirov Oblast runs on Moscow time (UTC+3). Flights land at Pobedilovo Airport in Kirov, the Trans-Siberian Railway passes through the city, and the Kirov–Kotlas line links the region with the North. The climate is temperate continental: January averages around −14 °C, July 17–19 °C. Summer is the easiest time to visit, when rivers and forests are at their best, while winters bring plenty of snow.

What to see

• Alexander Garden in Kirov — its white rotundas have become a symbol of the city
• Trifonov Monastery — a monastery founded in 1580
• Dymkovo toys — see the famous Vyatka craft up close
• Grin and Saltykov-Shchedrin house-museums — the region's literary heritage
• Nurgush Nature Reserve — the oblast's federal nature reserve

Cities on the map

• Kirov 475,871