"Children" and mysterious signs have appeared at Simakov's fissure.

      It has been seven months since the end of March this year, when the foundation of the central rotunda became covered with a scatter of small cracks and one large crack, later dubbed "Simakov's crack" by locals. Despite the fact that on April 8 the head of the city administration took the crack under his control, its condition has worsened with each passing month.

      After Simakov's "palpation" the crack, undeterred, kept growing — both in depth and in length. In the second half of May they tried to "quiet" it with spackling compound, filling the cavity and carelessly slapping bulky "patches" on top and bottom.

      Unfortunately, by the eighth month the situation had only worsened: the plaster at the edges of the cavity had completely fallen away, exposing the attraction's "inner world" — the brickwork. Our attention was also drawn to an open electrical panel, as if inviting every passerby to look inside and learn how to cut power to the cultural heritage site, so that in the dusk that now falls early it looks particularly creepy. Perhaps this "opportunity" appeared in honor of the "Pumpkin Savior" — as did distinct handprints, whose origin raises many questions and prompts reflection: could the sight of the rotunda really so disturb visitors? Or did a portal open somewhere nearby, from which ghosts flew out and, following the example of Vyacheslav Simakov, decided to palpate the crack themselves?

      Note that besides the main crack, which has been nicknamed Simakov's crack, "children" have appeared at the base of the rotunda: we counted four new cracks, one of which is probably the "eldest child," since it is larger than the other three.

      It is unknown when (or even if) work will begin to restore the crumbling landmark, but perhaps by the ninth month of the crack's existence — at the end of December — a handy contractor or a new head of the city administration will appear to take on the repair of the long-suffering rotunda. Or else the residents of Kirov will have to fill the hole themselves with the first snowfall — so that the rotunda at least lasts until spring.