Kirov is the largest city and administrative center of Kirov Oblast, Russia. It is located on the Vyatka River in European Russia, 896 km northeast of Moscow. Its population is 518,348 . Kirov is a historical, cultural, industrial, and scientific center of Priural'e ; place of origin for Dymkovo toys; the most eastern city founded during the times of Kievan Rus'.
The city also had the names of Khlynov , and Vyatka .
