Kirov or Kirovskaya Oblast is the subject of the Russian Federation.
It is part of the Volga Federal District. Refers to the Volga-Vyatka
Economic District. The territory of the region is 120 374 km². The
population is 1,138 112 people. (2023). The urban population is 78.7 %
(2022).
The administrative center is the city of Kirov.
Other large cities of the Kirov region-Kirovo-Chepetsk, Slobodskaya,
Vyatka Polyany, Kotelnich, Omutninsk, Sovetsk. The administrative
division of the region includes 24 municipal regions, as well as five
cities of regional subordination and one closed
administrative-territorial education of federal
subordination-Pervomaisky.
The Kirov region borders on nine
constituent entities of the Russian Federation (more than any other
subject of Russia): in the east with the Perm Territory and Udmurtia, in
the north - with the Republic of Komi and the Arkhangelsk region, in the
west - with the Vologda, Kostroma and Nizhny Novgorod regions, in the
south - in the south with the republics of Mari El and Tatarstan.
It was formed on December 7, 1934 as the Kirov Territory by
separation of the Gorky Territory, and from December 5, 1936 in
accordance with the new Constitution of the USSR - as the Kirov region.
Historically, the region was preceded by the Vyatka province, formed in
1780.
Kirov (Vyatka) - the administrative center
of the region.
Slobodskaya - an old merchant city with a holistic
preserved historical environment.
Kotelnich
is a small city on the Trans -Siberian Highway with a cathedral, the
starting point for traveling to the Nurgush Reserve, in the vicinity
there is one of the world's largest location of the remains of fossil
pariazaurs.
Kirovo-Chepetsk is an
industrial city founded under the Soviet Union. Along the city there is
one of the few narrow -blade railways preserved in Russia. On it you can
get to the Museum of the Railway.
Yaransk is a small city with
interesting architecture, including Temple.
Urzhum is the birthplace
of the Soviet political figure Sergei Kirov, the Holy Trinity Cathedral
should be seen in the city. The people are called the "capital of South
Vyatka."
Nolinsk is a city of interesting county architecture. The
wealth of the local merchants made it possible to build a large number
of unique mansions. The birthplace of the oldest industries - Nolin
gingerbread and lemonade.
Sovetsk (Kukarka) - the birthplace of many
crafts known in Russia and abroad: Kukar lace, caps of cap, felting
valenkov, chill.
Vyatka Polyans - the place of work of the designer
of automatic weapons George Shpagin, you can visit museums and see the
temple architecture.
Zuevka is a small city
on the Trans -Siberian Autonomous Okrug with a memorial museum dedicated
to the great Russian artist Viktor Vasnetsov, who was born in these
places.
Lalsk is a historical merchant city with a well-preserved
architectural ensemble of the XVIII-XIX centuries.
State natural reserve "Nurgush"
Nizhnevka resort area
The
village of Istobensk - the cucumber "capital" of Russia
1. Visa and Entry Requirements (Critical for International Travelers)
Russia requires a visa for most foreigners. As of 2026:
US citizens
(relevant for users in places like Illinois) are not eligible for the
simplified e-visa (available to citizens of ~64 other countries for up
to 16 days' stay). You need a traditional tourist visa (single- or
multiple-entry, valid up to 6 months or longer multi-year options in
some cases).
Process: Obtain a Letter of Invitation (LOI) (from a
hotel, tour operator, or services like Visatorussia). Submit passport,
photo, application form, and LOI at a Russian Visa Center or consulate.
Processing takes 4–20+ days (rush options available). Apply well in
advance.
Passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond your
planned departure from Russia.
Customs/immigration: Declare cash over
certain limits; no special permits needed for standard tourist visits,
but check for any updates on sanctions-related restrictions.
Health/insurance: Travel insurance is strongly recommended (medical
evacuation coverage essential). No specific vaccine requirements beyond
standard international norms, but confirm via official Russian sources.
Important safety note for US travelers: The US State Department
maintains a high-level travel advisory for Russia (historically Level 4:
Do Not Travel due to risks like arbitrary enforcement of laws, limited
consular access, and security concerns). Travel only if essential, and
register with your embassy's Smart Traveler program. Conditions can
change rapidly—verify current advisories before booking.
2.
International Arrival into Russia
There are no direct international
flights to Kirov Pobedilovo Airport (KVX). You must enter Russia via a
major hub and connect domestically.
Primary gateways: Moscow
(Sheremetyevo SVO, Domodedovo DME, or Vnukovo VKO) or Saint Petersburg
(Pulkovo LED). These have the most connections.
From the US (e.g.,
Chicago O'Hare, near Waukegan): No direct US–Russia flights. Common
routes involve a layover in a third country like Istanbul (Turkish
Airlines), Dubai, Belgrade, or Doha, then onward to Moscow. Total travel
time: 18–30+ hours depending on connections.
Other origins
(Europe/Asia): Easier direct or one-stop flights to Moscow/SPb.
Upon
arrival in Moscow/SPb: Clear immigration, then proceed to domestic
terminal or train station (transfers via Aeroexpress train or taxi).
3. Domestic Connections to Kirov Oblast
By Air (Fastest Option)
Kirov Pobedilovo Airport (KVX): The main gateway, 22–26 km (14–16 miles)
southwest of Kirov city center. Small regional airport with domestic
flights only.
Airlines: Pobeda, RusLine, Nordwind, Azimut, UVT Aero,
and others.
Direct flights from: Moscow (multiple daily, ~1.5–2
hours), Saint Petersburg, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Perm, Samara, Ufa,
Simferopol, and a few others (e.g., Yekaterinburg, Naryan-Mar
seasonally).
Alternatives if no direct KVX flight: Fly to Kazan (KZN)
or Yoshkar-Ola and take a bus/train onward (Kazan–Kirov bus ~8 hours).
Airport to city:
Taxi/private transfer: 30–40 minutes, ~3,000+
RUB (comfort class). Book via Yandex Go app, hotel, or services like
Intui.travel.
Public options: Limited shuttles/buses (e.g., possible
route 116 or equivalents—confirm locally; ~30 RUB, 40+ minutes).
Pros: Quickest (total from Moscow: ~2–3 hours door-to-door). Cons:
Domestic-only; book in advance for best fares.
By Train (Scenic
and Reliable)
Kirov is a major stop on the Trans-Siberian Railway,
making it highly accessible by rail.
Main station: Kirov-Passazhirsky
(central location). All long-distance Trans-Sib trains stop here.
From Moscow (Yaroslavsky station): 12–14 hours, 5–7 trains daily
(including comfortable "Vyatka" services). Tickets from ~2,500–5,500 RUB
(3rd/2nd class). Book via RZD.ru, Tutu.ru, or RailRussia.
From Saint
Petersburg: ~20–21 hours.
Other connections: Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod,
Izhevsk, Ufa, Black Sea coast cities, and beyond (full Trans-Sib
network).
Pros: Comfortable (platskartny, kupe, or SV classes with
meals/bedding options), scenic views, reliable. Cons: Long duration;
book upper bunks for better sleep.
There's a secondary station
(Kirov-Kotlassky) for some northern regional routes.
By Bus
(Budget Option from Nearby Regions)
Kirov Bus Terminal serves
intercity routes from Yoshkar-Ola (~300 km, 4 hours), Izhevsk (~418 km,
6 hours), Kazan, Naberezhnye Chelny, Syktyvkar, Ufa, Cheboksary,
Ulyanovsk, and towns within the oblast.
Affordable but slower and
less comfortable for long hauls. Schedules vary seasonally—check locally
or via apps/sites.
By Car / Road (Flexible but Demanding)
From
Moscow: ~945–960 km (587–597 miles), 12–14 hours driving time via
federal highways (e.g., the Vyatka route and connections to P243
Kostroma–Sharya–Kirov–Perm).
Good road network in the region; fuel
available. International Driving Permit recommended alongside your
license.
Pros: Freedom to explore the oblast's forests, rivers, and
rural areas. Cons: Long drive, winter hazards, tolls/fuel costs.
Intercity taxis or rental cars possible from nearby cities.
4.
Once in Kirov Oblast: Local Transport and Exploration
In Kirov city:
Extensive public network of buses, trolleys, and marshrutkas (minivans).
Single ride ~30 RUB. Use apps or online maps for routes.
Taxis:
Plentiful and cheap—use the Yandex Go app (essential in Russia).
Wider oblast: Buses connect smaller towns; car rental or organized tours
best for remote areas (taiga forests, rivers, historical sites).
The
oblast borders 9 other Russian regions, so day trips or onward travel to
Kazan, Perm, etc., are feasible.
5. Practical Tips and
Considerations
Currency and payments: Rubles (RUB) only for most
transactions. Due to international sanctions, Western cards often don't
work—bring cash (USD/EUR exchanged locally) or use Mir card-compatible
options. ATMs available.
Language: Russian dominant; Google Translate
or Yandex Translate helps. English limited outside hotels/stations.
Apps: Yandex Go (taxi/transport/maps), 2GIS (offline maps), RZD for
trains.
Seasonal advice: Summer (June–August) best for travel; winter
brings snow/ice—pack accordingly. Trains/buses run year-round.
Costs:
Budget-friendly compared to Western Europe. Domestic flight
Moscow–Kirov: often under $100 one-way. Train: similar or less.
Health/Safety: Standard precautions; tap water may need boiling.
Download offline maps and translation tools.
Booking: Use official
sites (RZD for trains, airline sites/Google Flights for air). Tickets go
on sale 90+ days ahead for trains.
Location, Size, and Borders
The oblast covers an area of 120,374
km² (about 46,477 sq mi), ranking it roughly 30th among Russia’s federal
subjects. It stretches about 570 km from north to south (latitudes
56°03′N to 61°04′N) and 440 km from west to east (longitudes 46°E to
53°09′E).
Kirov Oblast is notable for bordering nine other Russian
federal subjects—the highest number of any region in the country:
North: Arkhangelsk Oblast and the Komi Republic
West: Vologda
Oblast, Kostroma Oblast, and Nizhny Novgorod Oblast
South: Mari El
Republic and Tatarstan Republic
East: Udmurtia Republic and Perm Krai
It has no access to the sea or international borders.
Topography and Relief
The terrain is a rolling morainic plain with a
general gentle slope from northeast to southwest. Elevations are modest:
the average is around 160 m (528 ft), with a minimum of about 56 m and a
maximum of roughly 337–357 m. Key features include:
Central part:
The Vyatsky Uval (Vyatsky Hills or Ridges), a low elevation running
through the middle.
North: The Northern Uvals (Severnye Uvaly or
Severnye Hills).
Northeast/east: The Verkhnekamskaya Upland (Upper
Kama Upland).
Lowlands: Broad valleys along the Vyatka River,
including the Verkhnevyatskaya and Chepetskaya lowlands.
The
landscape includes dissected limestone uplands, karst features (caves,
sinkholes, and karst lakes), and extensive flat or gently undulating
areas. Most of the population and agriculture concentrates in the
central Vyatka River valley, while the rest is dominated by forests and
wetlands.
Hydrography
Kirov Oblast lies almost entirely within
the Vyatka River basin (a major tributary of the Kama, which joins the
Volga). The northern Uvals form the watershed divide between the Volga
basin (south) and the Northern Dvina basin (north).
Rivers: Over
19,000–20,000 rivers and streams with a combined length of approximately
66,650 km. The Vyatka River is the primary waterway (total length ~1,314
km; significant portion within the oblast). Other important rivers
include the Cheptsa, Moloma, Kama (upper reaches), Pizhma, Luza, and
Kobra.
Lakes and wetlands: Around 4,500 lakes (many of glacial
origin) plus additional ponds, for a total of about 5,500 closed water
bodies. Lakes are generally small; notable examples include Akshuben (85
ha), Orlovskoye (63 ha), and the unique karst lake Shaytan in Urzhumsky
District. The deepest is Lezhnikhskoye (36.6 m). Northern and central
areas are heavily bogged (e.g., Verkhnekamsky District is ~40% swamp).
Major bogs include Volmensky, Salamatayevsky, and Kaysinsky.
Rivers and lakes support transportation, fisheries, agriculture, and
recreation, while wetlands contribute to high biodiversity.
Climate
The climate is temperate continental (Köppen Dfb), influenced
by the region’s inland position and occasional Arctic air intrusions
from the north.
Winters: Long, cold, and snowy. Average January
temperatures range from −13.5°C to −15°C (can drop to −45°C to −50°C).
Summers: Short and relatively mild. Average July temperatures are +18°C
to +20°C (occasional highs of +38°C to +40°C).
Precipitation: 500–680
mm annually (higher in the north at 590–680 mm; south 500–550 mm), with
60–70% falling during the warm season. Humidity is high year-round
(75–89%).
Winds: Prevailing southwesterly and southerly; average
speed 3–5 m/s, with occasional strong gusts.
Snow cover lasts for
months, and the growing season is limited, affecting agriculture.
Vegetation, Soils, Flora, and Fauna
Forests cover a large portion
of the oblast (estimates range from ~50–63% or higher in some areas),
primarily taiga (boreal forest). Dominant species are conifers—pine,
fir, and spruce—mixed with birch. In the extreme south, deciduous trees
like oak begin to appear. The landscape is often described as “swampy
forest” or taiga with extensive peat bogs, marshes, and meadows. Soils
are predominantly podzolic and sod-podzolic, which are acidic and not
highly fertile for large-scale farming.
Fauna includes typical boreal
species: brown bears, wolves, moose (elk), beavers, squirrels, and
numerous fur-bearing animals. The region supports diverse birdlife, fish
in rivers/lakes, and wetland species.
Natural Resources
Kirov
Oblast is rich in natural resources tied to its forests and geology:
Timber: Vast coniferous forests are a major economic asset.
Peat:
Widespread deposits, historically used for fuel and now in various
applications.
Minerals: Europe’s largest phosphorite deposit
(Vyatsko-Kama in Verkhnekamsky District); non-metallic minerals
including limestone, marl, clay, sand, gravel; iron ore (historically
mined near Omutninsk); rare volkonskoite; minor oil reserves and
bentonite clays in the east; phosphorites and other deposits.
Water
and springs: Abundant rivers, lakes, and mineral springs (e.g., the
resort area of Nizhneivkino in Kumyonsky District with therapeutic
muds).
Protected Areas and Unique Features
The oblast has
around 177–197 specially protected natural territories totaling over
375,000 ha. These include:
The federal Nurgush Nature Reserve
(zapovednik) in Kotelnichsky District—one of the few intact northern
European Russian forest landscapes.
Regional zakazniks (e.g.,
Pizhemsky, Bylina) and numerous nature monuments.
Karst
landscapes, unique lakes (such as Shaitan), and extensive peatlands add
ecological value. The region’s position in the Vyatka basin and its mix
of taiga, wetlands, and low hills create a distinctive transitional
landscape between the northern forests and more southern
steppe-influenced areas.
The state of atmospheric air in the Kirov region is stable. The most
intensive pollution is noted on the territory of the concentration of
industrial enterprises and the intensive movement of vehicles.
The water in the Vyatka River, whose pool occupies most of the region,
is characterized by an increased iron content of natural in nature. The
highest concentrations of harmful substances are concentrated on the
site from the city of Slobodsky to the city of Kirov.
In 2007, a
“list of potentially hazardous and critical objects of the Kirov region”
was approved, which includes 65 objects, of which 3 chemically hazardous
objects of the 3rd class of hazard: a mineral fertilizer factory of the
Kirovo-Chepetsk Chemical Culture, a polymers of the Kirovo-Chepetsk
chemical plant and a set of objects for the storage and destruction of
chemical weapons "Maradykovsky" in the Orichevsky district.
Early period
Archaeological sites of the Mesolithic, Neolithic,
and Bronze Ages are known in the Kirov region. The Iron Age began in the
Vyatka basin in the 7th century BC. The early Iron Age is represented
here by sites of the Ananyino culture (Nagovitsynskoye settlement
(Kirov), Pizhemskoye (near Sovetsk), Krivoborskoye (near Prosnitsa),
etc.).
The Azelinsky burial ground near the village of Azelino
gave its name to the Azelinsky culture of the 3rd-5th centuries. The
Suvorovsky burial ground, belonging to the Azelinsky culture, is located
in the Urzhumsky district, 1.5 km west of the village of Suvorovo.
The first nationalities formed in the Vyatka land in the 7th-10th
centuries. By the beginning of the 2nd millennium AD, the Mari, Udmurt,
and Komi tribes had formed. A network of Udmurt settlements appeared
throughout the Upper Kama interfluve, concentrated around two centers -
first the southern (the right bank of the middle Kama), and then the
northern (the area between the Cheptsa River and the middle Vyatka),
where the Udmurts moved, which later became the basis for the future
city of Khlynov.
Home crafts were significantly developed in the
settlements: woodworking, production of woolen and linen fabrics, fur
products, iron and copper tools and weapons, pottery, bone products,
women's jewelry, etc. The first craftsmen-specialists appeared,
including metallurgists, foundry workers, jewelers, blacksmiths,
potters, furriers.
Trade relations began to develop, trade links
were established with Russia, the Khazar Khaganate and the
Volga-Bulgarian Khanate. However, this trade was one-sided: foreign
merchants, using the trade route along the Kama and Vyatka known to
them, connecting the Volga region with the Urals and the lands of the
North, penetrated into the settlements of the Udmurts and Mari and
bought honey, furs, skins, wax and other goods from them in exchange for
gold and silver products, weapons, silk fabrics and other valuables.
In the socio-political sense, the process of disintegration of the
patriarchal-clan system began in these territories, a clan-tribal
nobility began to form, property inequality arose, which laid the
foundation for the formation of classes of feudal lords, peasants and
serfs. Volga Bulgaria and Rus' had a great economic and cultural
influence on the Mari and Udmurts.
The penetration of the Slavs into the Vyatka basin began in the
second half of the 12th century. The Yemanaevsky burial ground stands
out for its archaic burial rite and the preservation of pagan remnants.
The oldest Slavic settlements are found on the Vyatka between Kotelnich
and Slobodskoy, where several settlements are known: Kotelnichskoye,
Kovrovskoye, Orlovskoye, Nikulitskoye, Khlynovskoye, etc. The influx of
Slavs especially increased in connection with the Mongol-Tatar invasion
in the middle of the 13th century. According to archaeological data,
they were immigrants from the southwest of Kievan Rus and, possibly, Rus
from the territory of Volga Bulgaria and Vyatichi from the Oka. A little
later, settlers from the Novgorod lands appeared on the Vyatka, they
came along the Northern Dvina, Moloma, and also from the Vladimir-Suzdal
Principality along the Volga, Unzha, Vetluga to Moloma. Both streams of
settlers came to the middle Vyatka, and populated its banks from Moloma
to Letka.
Local written legends tell of the arrival of two
detachments of Novgorodians to Vyatka. According to legend, in 1181 a
detachment of Novgorodians captured the "Bolvansky town", which was
inhabited by "Otyaks and Chud", standing on the right bank of the Vyatka
near the Cheptsa River, settled in it, and renamed it Nikulitsyn.
Another detachment captured the town of Koksharov, renaming it
Kotelnich. After an unspecified time, both detachments united and
created a common city of Khlynov.
And having chosen a beautiful
place above the Vyatka River near the mouth of the Khlynovitsa River on
a high mountain, which is now called Kikimorskaya, for it is a
convenient place for common settlement and from that mountain there are
glorious springs of water flowing many.
And by common consent, at
the appointed time, many Novgorod people came together on that mountain
and began to build a place for the city and to prepare trees for the
construction of the city. And when they arose in the morning, they found
that by God's providence all the preparations had been moved down the
Vyatka River to a higher, more spacious place and a wide field, which at
that time was called Balyaskove Pole. The Novgorodians with all their
retinue prayed to the Lord God and His Mother of God, the Most Holy
Theotokos, for the indication of a place for the construction of the
city, sending up praise and singing prayers.
"And at that place
they first built a church in the name of the Exaltation of the Holy and
Life-Giving Cross of the Lord and built a city and called it Khlynov
City for the sake of the Khlynovitsa River."
Mass migration to
the territory of the Vyatka region began after the Tatar-Mongol
invasion: people, fleeing from the destructive invasion, moved further
north. Soon, a large number of people from the Novgorod, Ustyug, Suzdal
and Nizhny Novgorod lands were concentrated in the region. Craftsmen and
warriors, they settled mainly in large cities and villages.
In
1374, a detachment of Novgorod ushkuiniks on 90 ushkuis (large river
vessels) made a campaign against Volga Bulgaria, which was part of the
Golden Horde at that time. After a successful raid on the capital, the
city of Bulgar, the detachment split into two groups, one on 50 ships
went down the Kama to the capital of the Golden Horde, the other moved
up, plundering local Mari and Chuvash settlements along the way, reached
the mouth of the Vetluga River, here the Novgorodians burned their ships
and rode on horseback along the bank of the Vetluga to Vyatka, reached
Khlynov, where they remained:
In the summer of 6882 (1374) the
Ushkuynians went down the Vyatka River, 90 Ushkuynians, and plundered
Vyatka and took the Bulgars on their way.
There is much evidence
that some of the Ushkuynians settled on Vyatka, although there is no
reason to attribute the beginning of the Slavic colonization of the
region to them.
In 1378, with the mediation of the Vyatka diocese, under an agreement
between the Vyatka nobility and the Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod prince Dmitry
Konstantinovich, the Vyatka land formally became his patrimony. In 1383,
after the prince's death, an internecine war for the inheritance broke
out in the Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod principality between the sons of the
deceased prince, Semyon and Vasily (nicknamed Kirdyapa), on the one
hand, and their uncle, Prince Boris Konstantinovich, who owned Nizhny
Novgorod as a vassal of his brother, on the other. Ultimately, Boris
Konstantinovich got the Nizhny Novgorod principality, and Semyon and
Vasily retained the Suzdal principality and the Vyatka land. In 1391,
the Grand Duke of Moscow Vasily I obtained a yarlyk from the Khan of the
Golden Horde Tokhtamysh for reigning in the Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod
Principality and annexed its territory to Moscow. And if Nizhny Novgorod
itself gave up its leader Boris Konstantinovich, unpopular with the
people, then the Suzdal princes put up stubborn resistance to Moscow.
They managed to get help from the new Khan of the Golden Horde, who
replaced Tokhtamysh, expelled from there by the famous conqueror
Tamerlane. The Khan sent them a Tatar regiment led by Khan Eityak.
Despite this, the Suzdal princes suffered a complete defeat, and by
agreement with Vasily I, the Suzdal Principality was annexed to Moscow,
and Semyon Dmitrievich and Vasily Kirdyapa retained the Vyatka land.
Soon they both died. Vasily I annexed Vyatka to Moscow and handed it
over to his brother Yuri Dmitrievich, who owned the Galician
Principality.
After the death of Vasily I in 1425, his son Vasily
II inherited the Moscow throne, although by right of ancestral
seniority, Moscow should have been given to the deceased's brother Yuri
Dmitrievich Galitsky, a conflict was brewing between the Galician and
Moscow princes. Military actions continued for 20 years (from 1432 to
1453). After the death of Yuri Dmitrievich in 1434, his sons Vasily
Kosoy and Dmitry Shemyaka continued his work. The Vyatka regiments were
the main support of the Galician princes (campaign of 1436).
In
1452, the Galician group was defeated, the city of Galich was destroyed
by Moscow troops, Vasily and Dmitry Yuryevich died. The Vyatka boyars
and merchants took power in Vyatka, the zemstvo (elected) governor Yakov
became the mayor, in 1455 a wooden Kremlin with wide earthen ramparts
and a moat was built in Vyatka, named Khlynov after the Khlynovitsa
River flowing nearby. The construction was completed two years later.
In 1457, Grand Duke Vasily II sent his army against Khlynov, but
failed to take the new fortified Kremlin, and after two months the army
retreated back to Moscow. In 1459, Vasily made a second attempt to take
the city, after a long siege, the Khlynovites decided to surrender. The
Vyatka land became part of the Moscow Principality, but retained a local
elected administration under the supervision of the Moscow governor.
In 1489, a huge 60,000-strong army was sent to Vyatka, independence
was liquidated, and part of the population (the best people) was taken
to Moscow. The region, divided into counties, was governed by sent
governors: Slobodskoy, Khlynovsky, Orlovsky and Kotelnichsky. However,
for about another hundred years, Vyatka partially retained its former
freedoms. Vyatka residents participated in military campaigns against
Kazan and other opponents of Moscow.
In 1727, the Khlynovskaya province was transferred from the Siberian
province of the Moscow district to the Kazan province. On December 18,
1780, by decree of Empress Catherine II, the Khlynovsky viceroyalty was
formed, which in 1796 was transformed into the Vyatka province, and the
city of Khlynov was renamed the city of Vyatka.
Vyatka province
was among 17 regions recognized as having suffered severely during the
famine of 1891-1892.
In 1918, the Soviet district was formed in the Vyatka province.
In
1919, the North-Vyatka mining district was formed, which existed for 1
year.
In 1920, the Yelabuga, Sarapul and Glazovsky districts, as well
as parts of the Malmyzhsky, Urzhumsky and Yaransky districts, went to
the Perm province, the Tatar ASSR, the Votsk and Mari Autonomous Okrugs.
In 1921, the Omutninsky district was formed.
In 1923, the Oryol
district was renamed the Khalturinsky district.
In 1924, the Soviet
district was abolished, and in 1928, the Urzhumsky district, with its
territory transferred to the Nolinsky and Malmyzhsky districts.
In
1929, the Vyatka Governorate and all its districts were abolished, and
their territory became part of the Nizhny Novgorod Region of the RSFSR.
On July 15, 1929, the territory of the Nizhny Novgorod Region became
part of the newly created Nizhny Novgorod Region with the administrative
center in Nizhny Novgorod.
On October 7, 1932, in connection with the
renaming of Nizhny Novgorod to Gorky, the Nizhny Novgorod Region was
renamed the Gorky Region.
On December 5, 1934, the All-Russian
Central Executive Committee decided to rename the then district center
of Vyatka to Kirov.
On December 7, 1934, a new Kirov Region was
separated from the eastern and northeastern regions of the Gorky Region
and the western regions of the Sverdlovsk Region (Sarapul and Votkinsk
Districts), including the Udmurt Autonomous Okrug.
On December 28,
1934, the Udmurt Autonomous Okrug, which was part of the Kirov region,
was transformed into the Udmurt ASSR. On December 5, 1936, the Udmurt
ASSR was separated from the Kirov region, and the Kirov region itself
was transformed into the Kirov Oblast.
The system of state authorities of the Kirov region is formed
(according to the charter of the region):
Governor of the Kirov
region - the highest official of the region;
The Legislative Assembly
of the Kirov Region is the highest and only legislative (representative)
body of state power of the region;
The Government of the Kirov Region
is the highest executive body of state power of the Kirov region;
Other executive bodies of the Kirov region, formed by the Legislative
Assembly and the Government of the region in accordance with the charter
and laws of the region.
In accordance with the Charter, justice
in the Kirov region is carried out:
Kirov Regional Court;
Arbitration court of the Kirov region;
district (city) courts;
The
authorized court of the Kirov region (was not formed);
other courts
created in the region in accordance with federal law;
magistrate.
Over the XX and XXI centuries, the share of the population of the
Vyatka Territory in the population of Russia, which was 4.2 %at the end
of the 19th century, decreased to less than 0.8 %. The population of the
region according to Rosstat is 1,138,112 people. (2023). The population
density is 9.45 people/km2 (2023). The urban population is 78.7 %
(2022).
The national composition of the population
According
to the 2010 population census:
Russians - 1 199 691 people,
Tatars
- 36,457 people,
Mari - 29 598 people,
Udmurts - 13,639 people,
Ukrainians - 7718 people,
Persons who did not indicate nationality -
35,585 people.
The main industries: mechanical engineering and metalworking; non-ferrous and ferrous metallurgy, chemical, microbiological, forest, woodworking and pulp-paper, light, food industry, peat.
As of the beginning of 2020, 5 thermal power plants and one small hydroelectric power station with a total capacity of 972.55 MW were operated in the Kirov region. In 2019, they produced 4309.1 million kWh of electricity.
As of January 1, 2021, the rural population was 272,610 people, or 22
% of the population of the Kirov region.
The leading commodity
industry in agricultural production is livestock, mainly a
dairy-and-subject direction. The main agricultural crops grown: grain,
potatoes, linen and vegetables. In the structure of grain, winter rye
and faraway crops prevail. Agricultural production provides the food
security of the region. Up to 20 % of livestock products are exported
outside the region, mainly to the northern regions of the country.
The leading direction of the industry remains milk cattle breeding.
Gross milk yield in 2020 750 thousand tons or 104 % to the level of
2019. On average, 7950 kg of milk is necessary from a cow in
agricultural surgives of the region. 85 thousand tons were slaughter and
poultry, 619 million eggs were obtained, which is 14 % more than a year
earlier. The number of breeding cows of the dairy direction of
productivity is 67 % of the total number of livestock in agricultural
explosions of the region (34 % in Russia). Implemented 4.8 thousand
heads of milk breeding young animals, 65 % outside the Kirov region.
As of June 1, 2021, there were 246.8 thousand heads of cattle (-0.3
%) in farms of all categories, including 101.8 thousand cows (+1.6 %),
238.4 thousand heads of pigs ( +14.6 %), 52.2 thousand sheep and goats
(+0.1 %), 2844.1 thousand bird heads (+6.8 %).
In 2021, 733.6
thousand tons of cow's milk were produced in the agricultural expenses
of the Kirov region, which is 3.4%higher than 2020. In the production of
milk in agricultural exploration, fifth place in the Russian Federation.
In 2021, 8040 kilograms of milk from one cow were needed in agricultural
experts (in 2010 - 4820, in 2015 - 6536 kilograms).
In 2022, farmers gathered a record crop of grain. 309.2 thousand
hectares of grain and grain -combat crops are threshed, 825.8 thousand
tons of grain were pounded, with a yield of 26.7 kg/ha.
In 2020,
the gross harvest of grain and grain -combat crops amounted to 740
thousand tons, with a yield of 24.7 kg/ha (in 2019 730 thousand tons,
yield of 26.1 c/ha). 299 thousand hectares are threshed.
In Kirov, there is a civilian airport Problovo. 25 km from Kirov is
the landing site of Kuchana, designed to receive and issue aircraft of
small aircraft. Airline Vyatkaavia is based on the landing site
The main passenger move of the Trans -Siberian Railway passes through
the Kirov region, also a line connecting the northern regions with
Central Russia Kirov - Kotlas. The total length of the railways is 1098
km.
A network of roads with solid coating with a length of 9086
km. The territory of the Kirov region pass the federal roads of the P176
and P243, which have access to the Komi Republic, the Kostroma region,
the Perm Territory, the Republic of Chuvashia and Mari El. The A123
highway connects the region with the Arkhangelsk and Vologda regions. At
the same time, there is a need to build roads connecting the Kirov
region with other subjects of the Federation. So, there is still no road
surface on the border of the Kirov region and Udmurtia along the road of
Kirov-Glazov-Perm, which is why the profitable transport road is
practically not used.
The main water line is the Vyatka River.
The length of the operated waterways along Vyatka and its tributaries is
1800 km.
In connection with the development of peat domestic, in
the region a network of narrow -gauge railways was built:
In the region there are 3.5 thousand monuments of history, culture
and architecture, 883 monuments of archeology, urban planning and
architecture, history and art were placed on state protection.
In
the region there are 817 public (publicly accessible) libraries, 40
museums (literary houses-museums by A. S. Green and M.
Saltykov-Shchedrin, local history, ethnographic, natural scientific,
memorial and industry), several exhibition halls, more than 800 cultural
institutions .
In Kirov and the regions are regularly held:
All -Russian dance
holiday for the prize of the People's Artist of the Russian Federation,
professor, academician V. M. Zakharov,
All -Russian competition of
masters of the artistic word "My Russia",
Interregional festival of
national cultures "Firebird",
International Musical Festival "Vyatka
Spring"
Open festival of social film and television programs
"Vyatka",
All -Russian festival of modern man -made toy,
All
-Russian Vasnetsovsky openier,
The festival of the author's song
"Greenland",
Festival of folk crafts and crafts "Vyatka bastard",
"Istobensky cucumber" - a festival of folk art and humor.
The region is famous for artistic folk crafts: Dymkovo painted clay toy, kapornya products, straws, pine root, wood, vine, Vyatka lace, flax products with traditional embroidery, ceramics.
Belong to the North Russian dialect. Vyatka dialects are
heterogeneous, which is explained by the different time of the
settlements of the Vyatka land by the Russians and the nature of
interaction with local non -Slavic dialects. The massive settlement of
the Vyatka River basin began relatively late, in the second half of the
XIV century, although the penetration of a few groups of Slavs into this
territory could be much earlier. The main core of Russian immigrants on
Vyatka during its early development was made up by Novgorodians and
immigrants from the Novgorod northern colonies. The indigenous
population of the Vyatka lands were various Finno-Ugric tribes-the
ancestors of the Udmurts, Komi, Marie, and in the south-Turkic. Thus,
the Russian dialects of the Vyatka Territory were formed in interaction
with local Finno-Ugric, as well as Turkic languages (primarily Tatar).
The ancient Novgorod dialect on Vyatka was changed and began to differ
significantly from the maternal. The originality of the formation of
Vyatka dialects lies in the fact that for a long time they almost did
not interact with the Russian dialects of other areas, which is
explained by historical conditions. In the pre -revolutionary period,
the influence of the literary language was insignificant on peasant
dialects. The combination of these two factors explains the originality
of many phonetic, morphological and syntactic features of local
dialects, and some of these features are very ancient, inherent in the
Old Russian language.
In the field of phonetics have the
following features:
The opposition (contrast) of brief and long
sounds (both vowels and consonants) as a result of simplification of the
groups of consonants and the loss of the iot (for example, “Delaiat” -
“Makes,“ Kh. ” - tail);
The pronunciation of the soft “p” in front of
the posterior consonants (quarters, cf. Russian lit. “Thursday”);
the
presence of primordially soft hissing (w, w, h) and c (in other North
Russian dialects they hardened);
The pronunciation e, as well as
between the soft consonants in the place of the place (Nidil, cf. the
Russian lit. "Week").
Vyatka dialects have the following
morphological features:
a mixture of the ends of the dative and
creative cases of plural nouns and adjectives;
a mixture of the ends
of adjective and local cases in the male and middle gender of the only
number;
The presence of postpositive particles consistent with the
kind, number and case with nouns.
The largest religious community of the region is the Orthodox (Vyatka
diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church). There is a noticeable number of
Old Believers, especially in the northeast (Omutninsky, Afanasyevsky
districts) and in the south of the region.
In the southern
regions of the region, bordering the Republic of Tatarstan, the Sunni
Islam (the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Kirov Region) was
distributed. Bright also include Armenian and Jewish religious
communities.
The new religious movements are represented by the
communities of witnesses of Jehovah, Christian gospel (Pentecostals),
Christian-baptists.
In the region there are 11 institutions (together with branches) of higher professional education (data as of August 16, 2016), 97 institutions of primary and secondary vocational education, 755 schools, 530 institutions of preschool education, 135 institutions of additional education of children.
Personalities of the Kirov Region
Heads of the Kirov Region
Honorary Citizens of the Kirov Region
List of Kirov Residents —
Heroes of the Soviet Union
List of Kirov Residents — Heroes of the
Russian Federation
List of Kirov Residents — Full Cavaliers of the
Order of Glory
Heroes of Socialist Labor of the Kirov Region
About Famous Natives of the Vyatka Province:
Natives of the Kirov
Region
Bakulev Alexander Nikolaevich — Academician of the USSR
Academy of Sciences, cardiac surgeon. The National Medical Research
Center for Cardiovascular Surgery named after A.N. Bakulev bears his
name.
Balakhnicheva Natalia Gennadyevna (born 1974) — Russian
ballerina, prima of the Kremlin Ballet Theater, People's Artist of the
Russian Federation.
The Vasnetsov brothers: Viktor Mikhailovich
(1848-1926) and Apollinary Mikhailovich (1856-1933) are famous artists
and painters, masters of historical and folklore painting. Viktor
Mikhailovich created the paintings: "The Knight at the Crossroads"
(1882), "After the Battle of Igor Svyatoslavich with the Polovtsians"
(1880), "Alyonushka" (1881), "Ivan Tsarevich on the Gray Wolf" (1889),
"Bogatyrs" (1881-1898), "Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible" (1897).
Belyaev Evgeny Prokopyevich (1954-2003) - skier, Olympic champion,
winner of gold and silver medals at the World Championship
Butorin
Tikhon Ivanovich (1896-1958) - Soviet military leader, Major General of
Aviation (1940).
Vershinin Konstantin Andreevich (1900-1973) -
Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force - Deputy Minister of Defense of the
USSR.
Govorov Leonid Aleksandrovich (1897-1955) - Marshal of the
Soviet Union, 1st Commander-in-Chief of the Air Defense Forces of the
USSR.
Green Alexander Stepanovich (1880-1932) - Russian and Soviet
writer, poet. Author of the famous extravaganza "Scarlet Sails".
Domnina Oksana Aleksandrovna (born 1984) - Russian figure skater (ice
dancing), world champion.
Dorofeev Anatoly Vasilyevich (1920-2000) -
Colonel, Hero of Russia.
Zagarskikh Aleksey Vladimirovich (born 1975)
- Russian and Kazakhstani bandy player, Master of Sports of the Republic
of Kazakhstan of international class, midfielder of the Kazakhstan
national team and Ulyanovsk "Volga", bronze medalist of the World
Championship (2003, 2005, 2013).
Popshoi Mikhail Ivanovich (born
1987) - Moldovan politician and statesman. Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova since January 29,
2024.
Kirov (Kostrikov) Sergey Mironovich (1886-1934) - Soviet
statesman, First Secretary of the Leningrad Regional Committee of the
CPSU, whose murder was the beginning of the "Great Terror" of the 1930s.
in the Soviet Union, born in Urzhum.
Vladimir Nikolaevich Krupin
(born 1941) - Russian and Soviet writer, secretary of the board of the
Union of Writers of Russia, editor-in-chief of the literary and
journalistic magazine "Moscow".
Ivan Stepanovich Konev (1897-1973) -
Marshal of the Soviet Union, 1st Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR.
Albert Anatolyevich Likhanov (1935-2021) - Russian and Soviet children's
writer, chairman of the board of the Russian Children's Fund.
Ovidy
Mikhailovich Lyubovikov (1924-1995) - front-line poet, writer and
journalist, member of the Union of Writers of the USSR, chairman of the
regional organization of the Union of Writers (1966-1988).
Maltsev
Aleksandr Nikolaevich (born 1949) — Soviet hockey player, forward,
Honored Master of Sports of the USSR, 2-time Olympic champion, 9-time
world champion, one of the most technical hockey players in the history
of world hockey.
Mashkovtsev Nikolai Georgievich (1887-1962) —
Russian and Soviet art critic, deputy director of the State Tretyakov
Gallery.
Molotov Vyacheslav Mikhailovich (1890-1986) — Soviet
politician and statesman, Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars
of the USSR, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR.
Muminova Farida
Shamilevna (born 1957) — film and theater actress, Honored Artist of the
Russian Federation (2002), leading actress of the Magnitogorsk Drama
Theater named after A.S. Pushkin, A. Dzhigarkhanyan Studio Theater
(Moscow).
Myshkin Vladimir Semenovich (born 1955) - Soviet ice hockey
player, goalkeeper, Honored Master of Sports of the USSR, Olympic
champion, 6-time world champion.
Obukhov Sergey Gennadyevich (born
1974) - Russian ice hockey player (bandy), Honored Master of Sports of
the Russian Federation, 5-time world champion, 5-time World Cup winner.
Savinykh Viktor Petrovich (born 1940) - Soviet cosmonaut, 50th cosmonaut
of the USSR and 100th - of the Earth.
Samsonov Alexey Mikhailovich
(born 1957) - prosecutor of the Kaliningrad region, prosecutor of the
Republic of Kalmykia.
Sannikov Grigory Alexandrovich (1899-1969) -
Soviet poet, friend of Andrei Bely.
Sitnikov Vladimir Arsentyevich
(born 1949) - Russian Soviet writer. Chairman of the Board of the Kirov
Regional Branch of the Union of Writers of Russia (since 1988).
Yuri
Georgievich Skobov (born 1930) — Soviet skier, Olympic champion, silver
medalist of the World Championship.
Andrei Viktorovich Trefilov (born
1969) — Russian hockey player, goalkeeper, Honored Master of Sports of
the Russian Federation, Olympic champion, world champion.
Margarita
Petrovna Chebysheva (1932-2014) — Russian Soviet and Russian poet,
teacher, member of the Union of Writers of the USSR.
Ancharov Arkady Aleksandrovich — member of the Socialist
Revolutionary Party, Russian revolutionary. In Vyatka exile in
1923-1926.
Bauman Nikolay Ernestovich — Russian revolutionary,
activist of the Bolshevik wing of the RSDLP, in Vyatka exile in 1899.
Borovoy Aleksey Alekseevich — Russian philosopher, economist, theorist
of anarchism. In Vyatka exile in 1929-1932.
Vitberg Aleksandr
Lavrentyevich — creator of the propylaeum of the Alexander Garden,
architect of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Vyatka.
Herzen
Aleksandr Ivanovich — writer, publicist, philosopher, revolutionary. In
Vyatka exile in 1835-1837.
Ginzburg Aleksandr Ilyich — journalist,
publisher. Served his term in the "mixed zone" in Vyatlag.
Dzerzhinsky Felix Edmundovich - Polish-Russian revolutionary, served his
exile in 1898-1899, first in Nolinsk, and then in the village of Kai,
from where he escaped.
Kibrik Boris Samoilovich - member of the RSDLP
since 1903, participant in the Ufa Conference and Komuch (in 1923-1924
he was in exile in Vyatka and in the city of Slobodskoy in the Vyatka
province).
Lokerman Alexander Samoilovich - member of the RSDLP since
1898, Menshevik, sent into exile to Vyatka in December 1923, where he
remained until June 1926. Nikiforov-Volgin Vasily Akimovich -
Russian-Estonian writer, after the annexation of Estonia in 1940, he was
sent into exile on May 24, 1941, and on December 14, 1941, he was
sentenced to death.
Okada Yoshiko - Japanese actress, prisoner of
Vyatlag.
Archimandrite Pavel (Gruzdev) - Archimandrite of the Russian
Orthodox Church, elder. From 1941 to 1947, he was in Vyatlag (Kaisky
District, Volosnitsa settlement).
Pavlenkov Florenty Fyodorovich - a
major book publisher (in exile in Vyatka from 1869 to 1877). While in
exile in Vyatka, he compiled the "Visual ABC for Teaching and
Self-Teaching Literacy" (22 editions were published), which received an
honorable mention at the International Pedagogical Conference in Vienna
in 1873.
Janis Rainis - Latvian poet and playwright. He was in exile
in Slobodskoy in 1899-1903.
Romanov Vasily Nikitich - brother of
Patriarch Filaret Romanov and uncle of the first tsar of the Romanov
dynasty, Mikhail Fedorovich. He was exiled to the city of Yaransk in
1601.
Saltykov-Shchedrin Mikhail Evgrafovich - Russian writer.
Streltsov Eduard Anatolyevich - Soviet football player, Olympic
champion. He served his sentence in penal colony No. 5 in
Kirovo-Chepetsk.
Chaikin Vadim Afanasyevich - politician, member of
the Socialist Revolutionary Party. In Vyatka exile from June to December
1928.
Upit Andrey Martynovich - Latvian prose writer. Was in Kirov
during evacuation in 1941-1944.