Editing Kirov, Kirov Oblast (section)

=== Principality and republic ===
{{main|Vyatka Land}}

The native Slavic tribe in [[Central Russia]] and the [[Volga region]], the [[Vyatichi]] (also called Viatichi), mixed here with the [[Novgorod Slavs|Novgorodian Slovenes]] and [[Finno-Ugric peoples]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=A History of Russian Law: from Ancient Times to the Council Code (Ulozhenie) of Tsar Aleksei Mikhailovich of 1649|last=Feldbrugge|first=Ferdinand Joseph Maria|date=2018|isbn=978-90-04-34642-0|location=Leiden|publisher=Brill|oclc=988859062}}</ref> 

According to the "Tale of the Vyatka Country", the city was founded on the Balaskov Field either in 1181 or in 1199. Based on archaeological data, the emergence of the city should be attributed to the middle-end of the 13 century.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

Kirov itself was first mentioned (as Vyatka) for the first time in 1374,<ref name="gr">{{cite book|title=Энциклопедия Города России|year=2003|publisher=Большая Российская Энциклопедия|location=Moscow|isbn=5-7107-7399-9|pages=193–195}}</ref> when Novgorodian [[ushkuyniks]] plundered it on their way to [[Bolghar]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Комиссия Институт российской истории РАН|date = 2009-05-28|url=http://www.ako.kirov.ru/news/detail.php?ID=13358|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120722152346/https://www.kirovreg.ru/news/detail.php?ID=13358|archive-date=2012-07-22|title=Историческая экспертиза по вопросу о возвращении городу Кирову его исторического названия, проведённая Институтом Российской Истории РАН|publisher=Пресс-центр Правительства Кировской области|access-date=2009-08-12|language=ru}}</ref> Vyatka was governed by a public assembly ([[veche]]) like the other northern Russian republics of [[Pskov Republic|Pskov]] and [[Novgorod Republic|Novgorod]].

At different times in the late 14th and 15th centuries, Vyatka militias raided [[Veliky Ustyug|Ustyug]], [[Novgorod Republic|Novgorod]] and Tatar lands in the [[Kama River|Kama]] and [[Volga]] regions. 

In 1412, a battle took place near the city between the Vyatchans and Ustyuzhans. The battle took place at night in a ravine, later named Razderikhinsky. According to one version, the Ustyuzhans came to the aid of the Vyatchans for defense against the Tatars, according to another, they, in alliance with the Moscow princes, wanted to capture the city. In memory of those events, the Vyatka folk festival "Svistoplyaska" appeared, and a chapel in the name of Archangel Michael was built on the bank of the ravine.<ref name=":2">{{cite book |last=Пономарёв |first=В.Ф. |url=https://vivaldi.nlr.ru/bx000007787/view |title=Энциклопедия земли Вятской |publisher=Государственное издательско-полиграфическое предприятие «Вятка» |year=1994 |isbn=5-86645-004-6 |series=Т. 1: Города |location=Киров |pages=3–6, 10–109 |trans-title=Encyclopedia of the Vyatka Land}}</ref>

Vyatka supported [[Yury of Zvenigorod]] during the [[Muscovite Civil War]], and after his party lost to the victorious [[Vasily II of Moscow|Vasily II]], the Muscovite armies were sent twice to subjugate Vyatka until it was eventually forced to accept the suzerainty of Moscow, while retaining a significant amount of autonomy.<ref name="kostomarov" /> In 1469, Vyatka allied with [[Ibrahim of Kazan|Khan Ibrahim]] of the [[Khanate of Kazan]] and did not take part in the campaign of [[Ivan III of Russia|Ivan III]] against the khanate.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Пилипчук |first1=Ярослав Валентинович |date=2015 |title=ВЗАИМООТНОШЕНИЯ ПЕРМИ ВЕЛИКОЙ И ВЯТКИ С ТЮРКО-ТАТАРСКИМИ ХАНСТВАМИ |journal=СИБИРСКИЙ СБОРНИК |pages=110–120}}</ref><ref name="kostomarov" />

Until the end of the 15 century, Vyatka land was a self-governing territory. The People's Assembly acted as the main governing body. The most influential group of the feudal class were the boyars, followed by merchants and clergy. The rest of the Vyatchans represented the free communal population and consisted of peasants and artisans.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Пономарёв |first=В.Ф. |url=https://vivaldi.nlr.ru/bx000007786/view |title=Энциклопедия земли Вятской |publisher=Государственное издательско-полиграфическое предприятие «Вятка» |year=1995 |isbn=5-86645-010-0 |series=Т. 4: История |pages=10–27, 36–50, 99–123, 126–128, 282–455 |language=ru |trans-title=Encyclopedia of the Vyatka Land}}</ref>

After several unsuccessful campaigns by Moscow against Vyatka in the 1480s, the latter was finally annexed in 1489.<ref name = kostomarov>{{cite book| author = Николай Иванович Костомаров | title = Исторія Новгорода, Пскова и Вятки во время удѣльно-вѣчеваго уклада| year = 1868|location= С.-Петербургъ |publisher= Типографія В. С. Эттингера| pages = 241–251|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=tqleAAAAcAAJ}}</ref>