Kirovka is Chelyabinsk's answer to Arbat — a pedestrianised street running through the historic centre, lined with 19th and early 20th century buildings, street sculptures, cafés, and shops. It is the social spine of the city: locals stroll here at all hours, and the bronze sculptures scattered along the pavement — a photographer with a camera, a market woman with geese, an organ grinder — give it a playful character that contrasts with the city's industrial image.
The street connects several of the city's main squares and cultural institutions, making it a natural axis for a walking tour of the centre. In summer the outdoor café terraces fill up; in winter the whole street takes on a fairy-tale quality under snow and festive lights.