A new fountain was officially opened in Kirov.

      As we wrote earlier, for unknown reasons the start of today’s celebration was delayed by almost half an hour. Then a violinist, Anastasia Lapteva, performed for roughly the same amount of time. She played several pieces. The music delighted the audience, but some noted that the musical segment dragged on, whereas people had mainly come for the fountain.

      Next, opera singer Polina Kulikova took the stage. Kirov residents were also able to see the Firebird (which, incidentally, turned out to be a real person) and a performance by stand-up paddleboarders.

      Then Governor Alexander Sokolov and the chairman of the Volga-Vyatka Bank of PJSC Sberbank, Alexander Anashchenko, addressed the city’s residents and guests. They can be seen in one of the videos.

      Finally, after all the performances and congratulatory speeches, the fountain was turned on at around half past eight. Our correspondent noted that it looks, of course, impressive; however, the spray reaches people, and there is a smell of pond scum around that has not disappeared after the park and pond makeover. And when a performer with fiery wings soared into the air, the smoke immediately drifted into the crowd, making it hard to enjoy the spectacle.

      In addition, Kirov residents listened to a lecture about Tchaikovsky that was projected onto the water screen (incidentally, it was rather hard to see), and a song about Kirov performed by ODNT choirmaster Marina Mashkina and the “Heavenly Swallows.” The finale featured the group 5sta Family.

      Recall that the new fountain has a design reminiscent of Kukar lace. It is equipped with 166 dynamic jets, the tallest of which reaches 35 meters. The fountain measures 76 by 16 meters. It is accompanied by a video projector, a laser installation and a sound system. Lighting is provided by 228 underwater LED fixtures.