Kirov (08.2011)

Located in the north-eastern part of European Russia, Kirov (city) has a population of approximately 460,000. Founded in 1174, the city was originally known as Khlynov and was the center of a then-independent republic. Annexed to Moscow by Ivan III in 1489, the city was subsequently renamed Vyatka by Catherine the Great in 1780. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it was a place of exile for opponents of the tsarist regime, including many prominent revolutionary figures. The city was given its present name, Kirov, after Bolshevik leader, Sergey Kirov, following Kirov's assassination in 1934. The city is home to Russia's oldest library, the Gertsen Regional Science Library, and Russia's traditional, beloved clay figurines known as Dymkovo or Vyatka toys which have been made here for more than 400 years.