Over the past century, the city of Kirov has not lost its significance. Albeit under a new name, it still remains the very settlement that was founded by our distant ancestors many centuries ago. Since then, it has grown pretty much and became home to a huge number of people, and also significantly added to the level of comfort of life.
Dymov handmade toys, known throughout the world, are made by craftsmen in the Kirov region. The original flag of the cruiser Aurora, which played a prominent role in the revolution, is kept in Kirov, because most of the cruiser’s crew were from the Kirov region, then called the Vyatka province. It is not known for certain when Kirov was founded. Its first mention in the annals dates from 1174. Kirov is one of the 100 most populous cities in Europe. Water supply of houses and enterprises of Kirov is highly dependent on the Vyatka River. Because of this, a number of problems arise – the environmental situation in Vyatka leaves much to be desired, since the river is very polluted. The temperature differences are very high. So, in the winter there was once a frost of -53.4 degrees Celsius, and in the summer the temperature sometimes rises above +30 degrees.
More than half a million people live in Kirov. This is more than the population of several European countries. In the 14th century, this city at one time served as a stronghold of the Suzdal princes, expelled from Suzdal at that time. Vyatichi, the indigenous inhabitants of Vyatka (Kirov), as part of the army of Ivan the Terrible, took part in a military campaign, as a result of which the Kazan Khanate was annexed to Russia. Since important defense enterprises are located here, entry into Kirov was closed to foreign citizens in the Soviet Union. Many ancient Christian churches here were destroyed by the Bolsheviks during the Soviet era.
Initially, this city was called Vyatka. It received its name in honor of the river of the same name, on the banks of which it stands. The first settlers who founded Vyatka arrived here from Veliky Novgorod. For centuries, called Vyatkov, the city then bore the name “Khlynov”, but for about a century it has been called “Kirov”. In the Kirov region, Volkonskoite, one of the rarest minerals on Earth, was discovered. For a long time, the priceless icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands was kept in Vyatka. Later it was transported to Moscow, and it was in her honor that the Spasskaya Tower in the Moscow Kremlin was named.
