Official Kirov (Vyatka) is the administrative center of the Kirov region, located 896 km northeast of Moscow, with a population of more than half a million people, one of the hundred largest cities in Europe, the birthplace of the Dymkovo toy, the place of exile of Herzen and Saltykov-Shchedrin, the Vasnetsov brothers, Tsiolkovsky and Green, lived here, the city is famous for its unique temple complexes and fossil pareiasaurs, characteristic of “so-and-so”, “wake up” and “why”, “Vyatka has its own order” and “Vyatka are grasping men.” But all this is not enough for Kirov residents to create an urban identity. They are creating their own, alternative Kirov.
theatre square
And yes, our journey begins from here. Theater Square is a place where every passerby takes a photo at the fountain, a place where teenagers hang out in the evenings and a place where parents accompany their children to country camps.
All jokes aside, this square has an interesting history. For some time, the square was called not Teatralnaya, but Khlebnaya, because previously there were bread shops and barns here. Several decades later, the first theater was built here, which is why, in fact, the name Theater Square or “Teatralka”, as the people call it, appeared. Parades take place on the square, and on New Year's Day people hold festivities here. And although this square is the central square of the city, the most interesting thing awaits tourists further.
The fountain on Teatralnaya Square is the most beautiful in the city.
After taking photos at the fountain, you can head to the historical center of the city - the Alexander Garden. It only takes 15-20 minutes to walk there from Theater Square, but tourists can stop by local shops along the way.
By the way, just on the way to the Alexander Garden there is a Globus cookery. They prepare simply delicious pastries: chebureki, pies with jam, belyashi, donuts, etc. They are very cheap, literally up to 30 rubles, so I advise everyone to go there. In addition to baked goods, they sell rolls, drinks, sweets and snacks.
By the way, if you come to Kirov in winter, then on the way to the next place there is a Dynamo skating rink. It’s paid, but it has a huge area and high-quality ice, and on New Year’s Eve there’s just a magical atmosphere.
Kirovskaya haze
The first thing they will tell you in Vyatka, show you in museums and what you will probably take with you as a souvenir is, of course, the Dymkovo toy, the symbol of the Kirov region.
The Dymkovo craft appeared in Vyatka in the 15th century, the secret of sculpting toys was passed down through the female line, and entire dynasties of craftswomen who mastered the craft arose.
The process of making a symbol of the region is as follows: a toy (rooster, lady, horse or lamb) is molded from red clay from the village of Dymkovo, dried, fired, whitened, painted and decorated with gold leaf. Of course, the Dymkovo toy is handmade, each is the creation of one craftswoman; no two toys are identical.
If you want to buy not a fake souvenir, but a real one, then it is better to go to the Kirov branch of the Union of Artists on the street. Svobody, 67. Cost - from 1,500 to 12,000 rubles. There you can stay for an excursion, meet the craftswoman, take a training master class and make a Dymkovo toy yourself.
There is a lot of haze in Kirov: houses are painted with Dymkovo ornaments, sculptures of Dymkovo toys are installed, contemporary music festivals are named after haze, chocolate Dymkovo ladies are prepared, which are sold in the “Museum of Chocolate” (price - from 60 rubles).
There are also opponents of total haze in Kirov who publicly oppose such branding - they do not like the cheapness and clumsiness of the patterns, which offend their aesthetic feelings. Most city dwellers love the haze and sometimes indulge in it.
Alexander Garden
So, we reached the Alexander Garden. Why is this place called the historical center? Firstly, it was built in 1825 and is one of the oldest structures in the city. Secondly, it received its name with the permission of Emperor Alexander the First, and was named in honor of the heir to the throne, Alexander the Second. The park was erected according to the model of the provincial architect A.E. Timofeeva.
There is a children's amusement park on the territory of the Alexander Garden. Nearby there is an open-air food court, so when traveling with children, the children can be sent to have fun in the park, and adults can try local snacks, as well as delicious barbecue and coffee.
Children's attractions in the Alexander Garden look cute and safe even in a thunderstorm.
While walking through the park, a tourist may come across two gazebos - rotundas. These are one of the few buildings that have been preserved in the city in their original form. There is no exact version of why they decided to build such rotunda gazebos in Kirov. They say that the architect was inspired by the same gazebos that were built in Perm. From here you have a view of the Embankment and the Vyatka River. There is also a piano here that anyone can play.
A sign at the entrance to the park, looking at which you feel as if you are going back in time
The columns at the entrance - you can’t help but take a photo with them.
What to see first in Kirov
Spasskaya street
It is often called the Kirov Arbat and the Kirov Museum of Architecture, because residential buildings, merchant mansions and bank buildings of past centuries have been preserved on Spasskaya. Here you can take photos with unusual sculptures and street art objects. On New Year's Day, an open-air skating rink is opened. Excursions for those with a sweet tooth are held at the Museum of the History of Ice Cream and the Museum of the History of Chocolate in the pedestrian part of Spasskaya.
Address: Spasskaya st.
Art Museum>
It is named after the Vasnetsov brothers, natives of Vyatka. In addition to their works, the gallery presents paintings by Levitan, Kuindzhi, Serov, Korovin and other Russian painters, there are rooms with ancient icons and Dymkovo toys. The museum hosts creative master classes, for example, on sand painting and paper-making, as well as thematic excursions. Before visiting on your own, you can download the StreetArt43 app.
Address: st. Karla Marksa, 70
Museum of Local Lore
Here they talk about the history of Vyatka-Khlynov, the famous Vyatichi and those who were sent into exile here. It won’t be so interesting to go without a tour, but you will look at the model of Khlynov and see the skeleton of a primitive bison.
Address: Spasskaya st., 6
Assumption Trifonov Monastery
The monastery has remained the spiritual center of the Vyatka region since 1580. Visit the Assumption Cathedral, and after examining its decoration, draw water from the holy spring or take a dip in the font.
Address: st. Gorbacheva, 4A
Bulychev's mansion
The building, which combines details of Moorish architecture with Gothic architecture, was commissioned by a local merchant and philanthropist. You can’t get inside it, but you should learn about Bulychev’s amazing life and work on a sightseeing tour of Kirov.
Address: Lenina st., 96A
Green embankment
The promenade along Vyatka was named after the writer Alexander Green, who was born in the Vyatka province. This quiet green area is good for walking, and since it is located on a high bank, it offers the best views of the river. The Eternal Flame burns on the embankment, and it leads to another recreation area - the Alexander Garden.
Address: emb. Greena
Alexander Garden
A landscaped park with shady alleys and observation platforms with rotundas is suitable for leisurely walks or gatherings in a summer cafe. An amusement park operates next to the garden in the summer, and in winter people go sledding from the steep banks of the Vyatka.
Address: Alexandrovsky Garden
Green embankment
And of course, every tourist should visit Green Embankment - a street located along the bank of the Vyatka River. This place has become a kind of symbol of the city. There is a tradition here. On the day of their graduation, city graduates always go to the Embankment at night to watch the sunrise here. This is the very place where tourists take pictures at every step. Indeed, it is very beautiful here.
Tourists can sit on a bench and admire the view of the city. On the Embankment there is a playground with exercise equipment, and nearby there is a special skate area where teenagers usually have fun. There is also a staircase on the Embankment that leads to the shore of Vyatka. Tourists have the opportunity to take a boat ride along the river.
On the opposite bank there is a beach where crowds of people gather in hot weather. There is also a paid beach nearby, for which you need to pay 50 rubles to enter. But this beach will replace any water park, because there are water slides there. On the embankment there are stalls with ice cream and drinks. In general, Green Embankment is a place where tourists have everything they need. You get very beautiful photos here. And of course, every tourist needs to take a photo with the inscription “I love Kirov” as a souvenir.
Benches on the Embankment - it’s better to take them in advance, because they offer a beautiful view!
And this is what the square looks like if you go up.
What to see in Kirov with children
Dymkovo Toy Museum
Here they not only talk about the history of folk crafts, but also hold meetings with craftswomen. The girls sculpt and then paint colorful dolls with their own hands right before your eyes. They offer to buy a toy as a souvenir in the souvenir shop at the museum.
Address: st. Svobody, 67
Tip: between the Paleontological and Dymkovo Toy Museums there is a sculptural group “Family” with cute and funny characters, which is worth taking a photo with as a souvenir for everyone together.
Vyatka Paleontological Museum
Children's excursions in Kirov do not bypass this museum. It presents archaeological finds and rarities discovered in the Vyatka region, as well as dinosaur figures and skeletons of prehistoric creatures, including the skeleton of a 6-meter Tabrosaurus. Archaeological excavations and other themed events are organized here for children.
Address: Spasskaya st., 22
Air and Space Museum
Cartoons and films about space are shown in the dome cinema, and the main exhibition includes a return capsule to Earth, rock samples from the Moon and Mars and other unusual objects. They offer to stand on special scales and find out how much you would weigh on other planets. The vending machine in the lobby sells space food, and there is a robot nearby that you can talk to and dance with.
Address: Preobrazhenskaya st., 14
Diorama
The city of the early 20th century is described in more detail in the Diorama Museum. The diorama itself represents the streets of Vyatka in 1917, and in the halls of the museum you can find ancient artifacts like a hermit’s chain or a fireman’s helmet from the last century. In winter, people from all over the city come to Diorama to go sledding down the hills.
Address: st. Gorky, 32
"Floating Stone"
Not far from the Embankment there is another interesting structure - a fountain with a floating stone. It was built quite recently, namely in 2018. This fountain was erected by Kirov Utility Systems in honor of the 15th anniversary of its work in the city. The stone moves under the stream of water, which creates the illusion of flight. This fountain looks very impressive.
“The Floating Stone” is the most interesting construction of Kirov residents!
But no matter what anyone says, the main attraction of Kirov is its sunsets. As soon as a tourist enters any courtyard on a summer evening, he will see these beautiful landscapes in the sky. Again, the most wonderful sunset views are from the Promenade Green. You can climb onto the bridge, and there will also be a beautiful view from there.
Dinosaurs from Kotelnich
Another official brand of Vyatka is dinosaurs.
In the Kirov region, in the city of Kotelnich, there is a large-scale location of fossil animals of the Permian period - pareiasaurs. Almost 20 species of ancient animals were unearthed there, some were found for the first time, and there are no others similar to them in the world.
The finds are 260 million years old, but they are perfectly preserved: entire skeletons stand on their limbs right in the dense clay rock. Excavations were carried out for many years and collected a huge collection for the Vyatka Paleontological Museum in Kirov. If you wander into this museum, look at the skeletons of herbivorous reptiles pareiasaurs, insectivorous tiny emerolethers, turtle-like dicynodonts, predatory reptiles therocephalians and gorgonopsians.
If the theme of dinosaurs has hooked you, go on vacation to Yurkin Park, it takes 20-30 minutes to get there from the city center, you can get there by bus for 22 rubles or by taxi for one and a half to two hundred.
A ticket to the park costs 200 rubles (for adults), 100 rubles (for children over three years old). This park is the largest in Russia in terms of the number of huge moving dinosaurs. If you wish, you can hang out there for the whole day: ride a roller coaster (150 rubles) and regular roller coasters, ice skate, go fishing, climb on a climbing wall (100 rubles), eat delicious food and buy dinosaur souvenirs; children can dig for dinosaurs and mine gold on a miniature mines (100–200 rubles).
By the way, tourists with children like to buy dolls from the famous Kirov factory “Vesna” as a souvenir. They are valued for being Made in Russia; they are indeed of high quality and inexpensive (from 100 to 3,500 rubles). Toys from the Vesna factory are in great demand throughout the country; more than a million of them are produced per year; more than five hundred types of dolls are made there.
There are amazing tours at the factory, be sure to check them out. It’s terribly funny to watch how hundreds of doll heads, arms and legs are boiled, how eyes are inserted into them and hairs are sewn on. If you also turn on horror mix in your headphones, then suspense is guaranteed.
Victory Park
One of the most significant parks in the history of the city is Victory Park. It received this name because... This site used to be a village whose inhabitants tragically died in battles during the Second World War.
There is a stele with an eternal flame, as well as old tanks and cannons. The park has a memory lane with memorials and bas-reliefs to the heroes of World War II. There are also 4 busts of such great marshals as Sokolov, Konev, Vershinin and Govorov. The park has rides and stands selling popcorn and drinks.
The city of Kirov is not as popular as Moscow or St. Petersburg. But not a single person has ever regretted a trip to this city. Kirov is rich in buildings that are cultural heritage. It is in this city that you can feel peace and tranquility.
Anastasia, 18 years old
Cultural attractions
The city of Kirov is not only an Orthodox, but also a cultural center. There are many museums, exhibitions, and theaters. There is something for tourists to visit.
Kirov Drama Theater
The theater stage was founded in 1877. The main repertoire is classical works by writers. The stone theater was erected in 1930. A museum was opened at the establishment.
Location: st. Moskovskaya, 37.
Open: 9.30-19.00, break – 13.00-13.30.
Get there by buses 29, 90 and trolleybus 1.
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Kirov Puppet Theater
The theater was founded by enthusiasts in 1935. Local residents loved the productions, and a separate cottage was allocated. In 2009, the theater was located in a new building, two halls for spectators and improved puppet workshops were equipped, where you can go with children.
Address: st. Spasskaya, 22.
Open: 9.00-18.00, break – 14.00-15.00.
Get there by buses 23, 90 and trolleybus 1.
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Vyatka Paleontological Museum
Most of the exhibits are made of steel, which was found in the 1990s. There are also skeletons of pareiasaurs that are not found anywhere else. The museum has introduced interactive technologies.
Location: st. Spasskaya, 22, 3rd floor.
Open: 10.00-18.00, Tuesday – until 18.00, Sunday – until 17.00, Monday – closed.
Get there by buses 90, 23 and trolleybus 1.
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Vyatka Museum named after. Vasnetsov
Instead of opening an art circle, the exhibits were first located in the mansion of the merchant I. Repin. But then a separate building was built. Tourists admire sculptures, paintings, and graphics. There are paintings by I.K. Aivazovsky and K.P. Bryullov.
Address: st. Karl Marx, 70.
Open: 10.00-18.00, Thursday - 12.00-20.00, Monday, Tuesday - closed.
Get there by bus 23.
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Gallery of Progress
Paintings by artists of the 20th-21st centuries are exhibited. The collection includes musical exhibits, paintings, and videos. Tourists get acquainted with famous performers. They hold themed evenings, concerts or lectures for visitors.
Location: st. Gorky, no. 5.
Opening hours: 11.00-19.00, closed – 11.00-18.00.
Get there by buses 53, 61 and trolleybus 3.
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Kirov Regional Museum of Local Lore
Founded in the 1860s, Alexander II was at the first exhibition. The Kirov authorities decided to create a collection, and the emperor donated some exhibits to the museum.
Address: st. Kazanskaya, 79.
Open: 10.00-18.00.
Get there by buses 90, 23.
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Museum and exhibition
Opened for the anniversary in honor of the October Revolution. The facade of the building is decorated with flags and bas-reliefs. Tourists come to see the panoramic picture reflecting the events of 1917.
Location: st. Gorky, 32.
Open: 10.00-18.00, Thursday – until 20.00.
Get there by buses 53, 61 and trolleybus 3.
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Museum "Dymovskaya Toy"
The collection includes 700 items: ancient and modern exhibits. The museum organizes exhibitions for tourists and local residents - this is the main attraction of Kirov.
Address: st. Svobody, 67.
Open: 10.00-18.00.
Get there by buses 5, 3 and trolleybus 4.
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Museum "Vyatka Artistic Folk Crafts"
Located on the site of a historic mansion built in the 18th century. During the Soviet era, the building was restored. The exhibition includes exhibits of folk art. These are collections made of textiles, lace, wood and burl. Master classes are held for tourists.
Location: st. Spasskaya, 4B.
Opening hours: Tue. and Wed 10:00-18:00; Thurs. 12:00-20:00; Fri.-Sun. 10:00-18:00.
Get there by buses 3 and 5.
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A. S. Green Museum
The exhibitions, opened in 1980, are dedicated to the work and life of the writer. Tourists will learn about Green's hobbies, difficult years and path to fame. Vyatka land is the place where the writer was born.
Address: st. Volodarskogo, 44.
Open: 10.00-17.30, Thursday: 12.00-19.30, closed Monday.
Get there by buses 47, 10, 51, 56.
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Museum of K. E. Tsiolkovsky, Cosmonautics and Aviation
An exhibition was organized on the site of the mansion, where the family of the famous scientist previously lived. Tourists are given lectures about Space, about Tsiolkovsky himself. There is a children's space center nearby.
Address: st. Preobrazhenskaya, 16.
Open: 10.00-18.00, Thursday: 12.00-20.00, Monday, Tuesday – closed.
Get there by trolleybus 4.
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Museum of M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin
The writer was in exile for many years. Shchedrin's house was built of wood; restoration was carried out in 1968. After updating the collection, antique items appeared. The museum exhibits include works of art, books and interior elements.
Location: st. Lenina, 93.
Open: 10.00-18.00, Thursday - 12.00-20.00, Monday - closed.
Get there by buses 90, 23, 67.
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Mansion of the merchant T. F. Bulychev
The building looks like a Moorish palace. It was erected by the architect I. A. Charushin. The mansion stands out from other houses. Decorated in Arabic style with Manueline, Art Nouveau and Gothic elements.
Location: st. Lenina, 96A.
Get there by buses 3, 5 and trolleybus 4.
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Museum of gunsmith designer G. S. Shpagin
Located near Vyatskiye Polyany. In the building, elements of the furnishings of a gunsmith’s home have been preserved to this day. The exhibits are models of his inventions and weapons.
Address: st. Lenina, 1, Vyatskie Polyany.
Opening hours: 11.00-16.00, Thursday – 16.00-20.00, closed on Monday, Saturday.
They get there by car.
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