Vologda region is located at the north-west of European part of Russia. The distance between Vologda and Moscow is 445 kilometers. It is a lowland plain with a lot of lakes, rivers and bogs. The region has many low ridges and hills. The climate is moderately continental with long moderately cold winter and short warm summer. Forests cover up to 75% of the territory. Over the half of them are softwood forests.
Kirov region is located at the central-western European part of Russia. The distance between Moscow and Kirov is 896 kilometers. The climate is moderately continental. Occasional extreme frosts in winter and low temperatures in summer may occur due to closeness to the Arctic Ocean. The territory is covered with low hills. There are a lot of rivers and lakes. The forests cover over the half of the area.