Russia Day in Kirov: the main hero of the celebration is the trampoline at the "gray house"

      The festive program covered the entire city — parks, squares, embankments, and pedestrian Spasskaya. But the main intrigue was not where and who was performing, but how people were distributed. And, of course, why a trampoline the size of a small house was set up in the main square.

      Two holidays in one day, but one was moved

      Let’s remind readers who might have forgotten or not noticed: before June 12, Kirov celebrated not only Russia Day but also City Day. This tradition lasted for decades. But in 2024, Governor Alexander Sokolov moved the celebration to September 22. As Newsler.ru wrote at the time, officially — “for the convenience of Kirov residents and taking into account weather conditions.” As a result, this year, June 12 remained exclusively a state holiday. And City Day, apparently, will be celebrated already in the midst of the school year and the first frosts. Therefore, this year's celebration turned out to be slightly more official than usual — without the usual city party, but with the same set of fairs and concerts.

      During the day, strollers chose Spasskaya

      The majority of people gathered during the day on pedestrian Spasskaya. By noon, it was crowded here, but without the usual weekend hustle. Residents mainly wandered between the stalls of the fair — food, jewelry, knitted toys, souvenirs. There were few people near the stage. Much more people were on the move, with ice cream and coffee. On the section of Spasskaya after Lenin, a children's group performed, which attracted a very modest audience — mainly parents and random passersby.

      The S.M. Kirov Park at 11 o'clock did not look very lively. In fact, nothing had started yet — only the registration of participants had begun. The promised festival "Ready for Labor and Defense" and the scooter sports contest were preparing to start. In Gagarin Park, grandmothers from the veterans' choir sang on stage. There were fewer spectators here than anywhere else. Although right there, a street sports festival was taking place — it continued into the evening when the audience increased slightly.

      People were distributed unevenly: a small part — at Theater Square, the majority — on pedestrian Spasskaya. It created the impression that Kirov residents chose the format of "just walking and eating," rather than "participating in an event."

      A trampoline against the backdrop of a dwindling city

      By the evening, the picture began to change, and not quite logically. On Spasskaya, where the core of the celebration was during the day, the crowd noticeably diminished. Surprisingly, as the weather became more pleasant — the sun went away, the heat subsided, it was perfect for walking. But people, apparently, had already had their fun. A likely explanation: the long weekend (June 12–14) played its role. Residents attended the main events, realized that the entertainment options were limited, and left for the countryside — to their dachas, for barbecues, to nature. Nothing was keeping them in the city anymore.

      At Theater Square, on the contrary, there were slightly more people than during the day. The concert continued there, but it couldn't be called a crowd — rather, a local revival. This square rarely empties, but this time the program apparently couldn't override Kirov residents' desire to spend the weekend in the countryside. It was as if the organizers did everything "for show," and people voted for barbecues and silence in gardening associations.

      In Gagarin Park, by the evening, there were even more people compared to the day. The street sports festival, which had started during the day, finally found its audience by the evening. Children and teenagers were riding skateboards and scooters, while parents stood aside. Intimate, but lively.

      The main character of the holiday

      But the strongest impression of the entire day was the trampoline at Theater Square. It was not a standard inflatable slide for five-year-olds. It was a huge inflatable trampoline. The kind usually set up at large city fairs in parks, but not in the main square of the city. It stood right by the Lenin monument — with its back to Ilyich and the Kirov region government. The sight was surreal. Such a thing had never happened before. And frankly, it's scary to imagine what was going through the officials' minds when they approved this structure.

      Ironically, one could say that the trampoline became the best thing that happened that day. Because it at least evoked emotions — bewilderment, laughter, a desire to take a photo and send it to friends. The rest — concerts, fairs, festivals — was flat, predictable, "for the report." And the trampoline — that was pure surrealism that would be remembered for a long time.

      Instead of a conclusion

      Russia Day in Kirov went according to the standard scenario: many venues, but people still crowd on one Spasskaya; parks are empty because the program is uninteresting; by evening, people disperse to their dachas. But the main discovery of this year is the inflatable trampoline at the Gray House. What will happen next year, to be honest, is even scary to imagine.