Kirov

The population of Kirov is approximately 500,000 people. The city dates back to at least 1374 and was formerly known as Vyatka and Khlynov. It is named after Soviet leader Sergey Kirov who was assassinated on December 1, 1934.

See Russia#Get in for details of getting to Russia.

By train

• Kirov Rail StationThe main railway station. All Trans-Siberian trains stop at Kirov-I. Trains from this station connect the city to Moscow (12-14 hours), Saint Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Izhevsk, and the Russian Black Sea coast.

• Kirov Kotlassky Rail StationA minor station serving trains on the non-electrified railway to points north (Kotlas, Komi Republic).

By plane

• Pobedilovo Airport

  phone: +7 833 255-15-80
  There are regular to flights to Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Perm, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Samara, Ufa, and Simferopol.

By bus

Kirov Bus Terminal serves routes to Yoshkar-Ola, Kazan, Naberezhnye Chelny, Syktyvkar, Ufa, Cheboksary, Izhevsk, Ulyanovsk, as well as many towns in Kirov Oblast.

Public transport

Public transport includes a network of buses, trolleys and marshrutkas. A ride on public transport costs . Route maps can be found online .

Taxi

Taxis are plentiful.

Museums

• Chocolate History Museum

  address: Spasskaya 15

• Vyatka Vasnetsovs' Art Museum

  address: Karla Marksa 70

• Dymkovskaya Toy Museum

  address: Svobody 67

• Kirov Regional Local Lore Museum

  address: Spasskaya 6
• Museum of Paleontology
• Diorama Museum Exhibition Centre
• Regional Museum of History of Public Education
• The Aircraft and Astronautics Museum of K.E. Tsiolkovsky
• Vyatka Kunstkammer Museum
• Railroad Transportation Museum
• Vyatka Paleontological Museum
• Museum of Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin
• Modern Art Center 'Gallery Of Progress'
• Museum of Alexander S. Green

Religious buildings

• Holy Uspensky Trifonov Monastery
• The Church of Faith, Hope, Love and the Mother Sophia
• The Saviour Cathedral
• Church in Honor of the Mother of God of the Theodore
• Church of Christ the Saviour
• Kirov St. Seraphim Cathedral
• St John the Baptist Orthodox Church

Parks

• Alexander Garden
• Dendrologic Park
• Pond near Diorama
• Botanical Garden
• Dvorets Pionerov Memorial Park
• Zarechny Park

Monuments

• Monument of the Family
• Marshal Konev Monument
• Tank T-34: Monument to the Heroic Work of Residents of Kirov

Theatre

• A. Afanasyev Kirov Puppet Theater
• The Kirov Regional Drama Theater

Festivals and events

• Ice Climbing World CupAnnual competition.

• Igloo Building competition - a team competition for the best snow sculpture in different nominations. It is held in the Fairy-Tale Preserve site in the "Zarechniy "park across the Vyatka River usually in March.
• Greenlandia Festival - a 3-day russian bard music festival that takes place in July every year in Bosharovo not far from Kirov. Alcohol free, kids friendly festival with multiple concerts. Some people camp, some just come for selected concerts.

Local crafts are unique and beautiful:

• Dymkovo toys - a famous local ceramic toy can be found in big shopping centers, in specialized crafts shops (e.g. Vorovskogo 52 or Upita 13) or in the special Dymkovo toy shop on Svobodi 67.
• Matryoshka nesting doll - Kirov is one of the center of Matreshka production. Matreshka from this region (Vyatskaya Matreshka) is inlaid with straw and is exceptionally beautiful and unique.
• Kukarka Lace (aka Vyatka Lace or Kirov Lace) is a type of traditional handmade bobbin weaving and one of the well-known folk Kirov arts. Together with other local crafts made out of straw, woodknobs (nodule), skein, or juniper keep they can be found in the multiple crafts shops around the city.

• "Danar" ("Данар")- is a turkish doner concept. Fresh ingredients from the region, low prices. More than 20 locations around the city.

• Koleso

  address: Surikova 19

• McDonald's

  address: Vorovskogo 100A

• Symposium

  phone: +7 833 240-53-43
  address: Krasina 10
  Greek food.

• Tsarskoe Selo

  phone: +7 833 240-53-43
  address: Gertsena 78

• Jackie Brown Pub

  address: Karla Marksa 101

• Klever Irish Pub

  address: Gertsena 88
  Irish pub.

Budget

• Dostoevsky Hostel

  phone: +7 (8332) 74-68-40
  address: Karla Libknekhta St., 93-20
  Modern hostel with all usual hostel amenities.

• Vyatka Hostel

  phone: +7 (8332) 64-00-17
  address: Volodarskogo 209

Mid-range

• Hotel Kirov

  phone: +7 (8332) 54-89-90
  address: Krasin 10
  32 rooms. Opened in 2012.

Splurge

• Hilton Garden Inn Kirov

  phone: +7-8332-744-700
  address: Oktyabrskiy 145/1