100 Facts About Kirov Oblast. Keep sawing, Shura, they’re made of gold. (A famous quote from the Soviet novel and film The Twelve Chairs, used ironically.)

The entrance to "Building No. 1" — the government building of Kirov Oblast (a federal subject of Russia). The tiles on the steps sometimes come loose, so they glue them back on. And to make them hold better, they put a weight on top. Interestingly, there used to be two weights. Probably one was stolen.