About Samara

Samara is a major city on the left bank of the Volga, the administrative centre of its region and one of Russia’s million-plus cities. It lives in its own time zone (UTC+4), an hour ahead of Moscow. The metropolis sits where the Samara River flows into the Volga, while on the opposite bank rise the Zhiguli Mountains — the only true mountains of the Russian Plain. This unique combination of a full-flowing river, sandy beaches within the city limits and forested peaks sets the particular rhythm of local life.

Samara grew out of a fortress and remains a border city: between Europe and the Asian steppes, between the industrial Volga and the protected Samarskaya Luka. Here a five-kilometre embankment with terraces sits alongside old quarters where Art Nouveau intertwines with wooden architecture. And the memory of the Soviet past, when the city, under the name Kuybyshev, was a closed centre of the space industry, gives Samara a special historical depth.

A brief history

The Samara fortress was founded in 1586 by decree of Tsar Feodor Ioannovich. It was conceived as an eastern outpost of the Muscovite state and a control point over the Volga. Over more than three centuries, the wooden stockade grew into the capital of a large grain-trading province. By the end of the 19th century, grain from all of Trans-Volga passed through Samara’s wharf, and the city prospered thanks to mills, banks and merchant dynasties.

The wealth of that era has been preserved to this day: Art Nouveau quarters, apartment buildings and the mansions of the Kurlin, Golovkin and Klodt merchant families. More on the city’s architecture and biography can be found in the “History of Samara” section. Here it is enough to say that the old centre has survived remarkably intact, and this is one of the main reasons to come here today.

The second important layer is Soviet. In 1935 the city was renamed in honour of the Party figure Valerian Kuybyshev. During the Great Patriotic War it became the “reserve capital”: the government, diplomats and major factories were evacuated here. It was here, at a depth of 37 metres, that a reserve command post — the famous Stalin’s Bunker — was built.

In the post-war period the city turned into a centre of the rocket and space industry: the “R-7” and “Soyuz” launch vehicles were created here. Many of these products were sent from here to Baikonur. In 1991 the city’s historical name was returned, but the “space” and “defence” themes remained part of the city’s character.

Districts and layout

Samara’s historical core is wedged between Polevaya and Komsomolskaya streets and stretches along the Volga. Here the pedestrian Leningradskaya, the quiet Kuybysheva with its former mansions, and the theatrical Frunze sit side by side. Further from the river the development becomes denser and taller, and beyond Kuybyshev Square, one of the largest squares in Europe, a different city already begins.

The main artery of life is the embankment. Four sections of the park zone stretch from the river station to the Oktyabrsky descent and form the longest landscaped embankment on the Volga. This is five kilometres of terraces, cycle paths and summer cafés. Along the water are the city beach, the “Ladya” monument, the sculpture of Comrade Sukhov and the piers of pleasure boats. In summer the embankment turns into the city’s main square, where festivals, fireworks and evening strolls take place.

Beyond the historical centre begins the “industrial-Soviet” Samara: Metallurg, Bezymyanka, quarters of Stalinist Empire style and late-Soviet nine-storey blocks around factories evacuated during the war. It is there, by the “Rossiyskaya” metro station, that a real “Soyuz” launch vehicle stands, about 68 metres high. It serves as the ceremonial entrance to the “Samara Cosmic” museum. Further still, on the north-western outskirts, rises a high bank with an observation helipad. From there you can see how the Volga wraps around the Zhiguli Mountains.

On the other bank of the river is no longer a city, but the “Samarskaya Luka” national park: 130,000 hectares of forest and chalk hills. In summer you can reach it by boat in an hour or an hour and a half. Travellers are met by the village of Shiryaevo, where Ilya Repin painted studies for “Barge Haulers on the Volga”, the eco-trail on Mount Strelnaya and the mysterious adits near Mount Verblyud.

What Samara is known for

If you ask locals what they are proud of, the answers will almost always be the same: the Volga, space, Art Nouveau and beer.

The Volga is more than just the embankment. It is river trams, cruise boats to Astrakhan or Moscow, fishing and full-fledged beach holidays right within the city limits. Since the middle of the 19th century Samara has lived by the “Volga schedule”: in summer a southerly, relaxed rhythm reigns here, and evening walks to the water have become an obligatory ritual for the townspeople.

Space is the legacy of the Kuybyshev period. In addition to the museum with a real rocket on Lenin Avenue, there is a memorial apartment of Dmitry Kozlov, the general designer of the “Soyuz”, and a city planetarium. But the main thing is the enterprises of the “Progress” rocket and space centre, where launch vehicles are still assembled. For Samara, space is not just a tourist brand, but a living industry: engineers work here whose names are well known at Baikonur.

Art Nouveau is a reason for a real pilgrimage. The Kurlina House (Art Nouveau Museum) is a jewel of 1903 architecture, built by the architect Alexander Zelenko. The “House with Elephants” (Golovkin’s dacha), rising above the Volga, has no analogues at all among private buildings of the early 20th century. Add to this dozens of mansions and apartment buildings on Kuybysheva and Frunze streets — and you get a ready-made route for a long walking tour.

Beer is a symbol of local daily life. The Zhigulyovsky Brewery has been operating since 1881, and the legendary “Dno” — a draught bar by its walls — has long become a city institution. People come here not for craft delicacies, but for tradition and fresh Volga fish. Nearby is the oldest Troitsky Market, where the stalls are bursting with pike perch, bream and sterlet.

Among the “one-off” sights, visitors usually name two more. The first is the Samara Gorky Academic Drama Theatre. The 1888 building on Chapaev Square is done in the Russian style, and for its appearance locals call it the “gingerbread house”. The second is the famous Stalin’s Bunker. It was declassified only in 1990, and today anyone can descend to the depth of a twelve-storey building to see this structure from the inside.

How to get there and when to go

How to get there

By plane. The main air gateway to the city is Kurumoch International Airport (KUF), located 35 km from the centre. You can reach the centre in the following ways:

• Bus No. 78: the most budget-friendly option (about 32 ₽), runs every 30–40 minutes.
• Aeroexpress: runs in the morning and afternoon, connecting the airport with the railway station.
• Taxi: the ride to the centre takes about an hour and costs approximately 1,250 ₽.

By train. The Samara railway station is one of the tallest in Europe (about 101 metres with the spire). Trains from Moscow (from Kazansky station) take 14–17 hours. There are also direct connections with most major cities of the Volga region and the Urals.

Getting around the city

Samara has a developed network of trams, trolleybuses and buses. The local metro consists of 10 stations, but it does not cover the historical centre, so it is more convenient for tourists to travel on foot or by scooter. For example, a walk along the embankment from Revolution Square to the “Ladya” monument takes only 15–20 minutes.

For trips to the Zhiguli Mountains and Samarskaya Luka it is better to choose an organised tour or travel via Tolyatti. At the height of summer, boats run from the river station to the village of Shiryaevo.

When to go

The weather in Samara is a study in contrasts:

• Summer (June–August) is the “golden season”. The temperature stays around +26 °C, often reaching +30 °C, while the evenings are warm. This is the time of beaches, river trips, festivals and summer terraces.
• In winter the average temperature ranges from -7 °C to -9 °C (down to -16 °C at night). Daylight hours are short, but this is an ideal time to visit museums, theatres and Stalin’s Bunker. In February the famous Winter Grushinsky Festival takes place.
• The shoulder seasons — September, which delights with a “golden” Volga, and May, with almost summer warmth. April and October are often damp and windy, so for a first acquaintance with the city they are best avoided.

Where to stay

There is one thing worth knowing about accommodation: the city’s hotel stock is extensive — about 240 hotels of various categories, from intimate boutique hotels in the old centre to chain giants such as Hampton by Hilton and Lotte in the business part of the city. Prices range from 4,700 ₽ per night on weekdays to 22,000 ₽ in the premium segment (Lotte Hotel Samara). A convenient catalogue with filters by district, price and rating can be found on the Samara hotels page.

Samara is an ideal city for walking. The long embankment, Art Nouveau quarters, Soviet heritage and panoramic views of the Zhiguli Mountains combine into a rich route for several days. In summer the city lives an active beach life, and in winter it turns into a centre of cultural and educational tourism.