Samara

Samara was founded in 1586 with the construction of a Russian fortress on the Volga. However, settlement there had been mentioned since at least the 14th century. During World War II, Samara, then named Kuibyshev, was the second capital of USSR. The city's growth was stimulated during the war due to its proximity to Moscow but distance from the war zone; several government offices were evacuated to Kuibyshev when Moscow was under threat. The post-war development of the Volga-Urals oilfield also helped. Kuibyshev reverted to being Samara in 1991.
As a cultural centre, Samara has attracted several famous creative Russians. The likes of writers Tolstoy and Gorky, painters Ilya Repin, Vasily Surikov and Ivan Aivazovsky, and revolutionaries Michael Frunze and Vladimir Lenin have all lived in the city. Even Alexandre Dumas visited in 1858, he describes his whole journey, including his impressions of Samara, in From Paris to Astrakhan.

By plane

• Kurumoch International AirportFlights from Dubai, Frankfurt and Prague. Domestic, there are up to ten depatures daily from Moscow as well as direct flights from Saint Petersburg, Krasnoyarsk, Perm, Rostov-on-Don and Vladivostok.

By bus

• Bus Station

  phone: +7 846 224-1515, +7 846 224-2554
  address: Ulitsy Avrory (улицa Авроры) 207
  A cheaper alternative is to travel by overnight buses which are available from nearby cities such Nizhny Novgorod, Perm and Moscow. Bus to Yerevan (Ереван)

By train

• Train Station

  address: Komsomolskaya Square (Комсомольской площадь)
  Almost all trains connecting with Siberia and Russian Far East calls here. There are at least five departures every day from Moscow, including the Zhiguli deluxe train. Journey times varies between 14-20 hours depending on which train. Saint Petersburg (every second day taking just over 23 hours). Overnight trains from Yekaterinburg. The once-weekly Sibirjak train originating in Berlin calls here, a neat journey of four nights. It's also possible to get on this train in Alma-Ata, Bishkek, Tashkent, Warsaw, Kharkov and Minsk.

By boat

• Port of Samara

  address: Ul.Maksima Gor'kogo (ул.Максима Горького), 82

By car

If traveling by own car, Samara is along the M5 Highway, also known as Ural Highway. Distance from Moscow is just over 1000 km.

By metro

The Samara Metro is a convenient way of zipping across the city. However, it remains underdeveloped and comprises one line that runs east to west. A trip costs or if you use a transport e-card.

• AlabinskayaOpened in 2015.

• RossiyskayaOpened in 2007.

• MoskovskayaOpened in 2002.

• GagarinskayaOpened in 1993.

• SportivnayaOpened in 1993.

• SovetskayaOpened 1992.

• PobedaOpened in 1987.

• BezymyankaOpened in 1987.

• KirovskayaOpened in 1987.

• YungorodokThe only above-ground station. Opened in 1987.

• The beach by Volga in the city center.
• Visit the space museum.
• Visit the shopping street Leningradskaya.

Old Samara

• Leningradskaya ulitsaPedestrian Street in the Old Town.

• Church of St. George

  address: Ul. Kuybysheva (ул. Куйбышева), 115—117

• Wooden house

  address: Ul. Frunze (ул. Фрунзе), 75А, from yard

• Klodt Manor

  address: Ul. Kuybysheva (ул. Куйбышева), 139
  It was built in 1898 by architect Shcherbachov for merchant Ivan Klodta.

• Revolution SquareIn the center stands a statue of Lenin.

• Pokrov Cathedral

  address: Ul. Leninskaya (ул. Ленинская), 75А
  Orthodox church. Built in 1857-1861. Architecture the style: the Moscow church architecture of the 17th century.

• Synagogue

  address: Ul. Sadovaya (ул. Садовая), 49
  Beautiful building. Choral Synagogue. Built in the Moorish style, in 1908 by architect Kleinerman

• Philharmonic Hall

  address: Ulitsa Frunze (ул. Фрунзе), 141
  This building was built in the 1980s on the site of the former "Circus Olympus". There are interesting concerts.

• Shveik, the Good Soldier

  address: Ulitsa Nekrasovskoy and Ulitsa Kuibysheva cnr (улиц Некрасовской и Куйбышева)
  Bronze sculpture. Shveik sitting on a barrel of gunpowder and smoking a pipe, a small bronze dog sits beside him.

• Stalin's Bunker

  address: Ulitsa Frunze (ул. Фрунзе), 167
  A bunker in which Stalin had never been, for some reason is very popular among tourists. Book a tour in advance.

• Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

  address: Ulitsa Frunze (ул. Фрунзе), 157
  Roman Catholic Church. Beautiful building. One of the most photographed building in the city of Samara.

• Samara Drama Theatre

  address: Ploschad (Square) Chapaeva (площадь Чапаева), 1
  The Drama Theatre built in the style of "Russian Baroque" - one of the most beautiful buildings in the old Samara. Sightseeing point behind the theatre.

• Chapaev Monument

  address: Chapaeva square (пл. Чапаева),
  Behind the theater is a small Pushkin's Garden with a monument in honor of the great Russian poet. A good observation point to the Volga River.

• Former Consulates of Australia

  address: 110 Kuybisheva street (улица Куйбышева)
  This building was the Australian consulate during the II World War

• Former Embassy of the United Kingdom

  address: 151 Kuybisheva st (улица Куйбышева)
  This building was the UK embassy during the II World War

• Former Embassy of Japan

  address: Chapayevskaya (Чапаевская), 80
  Now Municipal Children's Music School

Volga Embankment

• Zhigulevsky Brewery

  address: Prospekt Volzhskiy (Волжский пр.) 4

• Samara radiator monument

  address: Prospekt Volzhskiy (Волжский пр.) 8
  On the wall of the thermal power plant (Cамарская ГРЭС) is this bronze composition made by sculptor Nicholas Kukleva. It depicts a cat that baskes on the windowsill above the radiator.

• Iverskiy nunnery

  address: Prospekt Volzhskiy (Волжский пр.)
  Orthodox convent.

• Monument of Governor ZasekinEquestrian statue of the first governors of the Samara.

Oktyabrsky district

• Square of FameHere is a tall 'Monument Aerospace Workers' (памятник рабочим авиакосмической промышленности). Also on the square is an eternal flame. It is memorial of those who were killed in the war. - There is a large building, the Administration of the Samara region. The Square offers 'magnificent view' on the embankment of the Volga,

• Victory GardenThere are fountains.

• Samarskaya Squarelots of trees, bust of Marshal Ustinov.

• Raketa Soyuz and Space Museum

  address: Prosp. Lenina (пр. Ленина), 21
  A real rocket is set on Lenin Avenue. The museum exhibits satellites Photos, spacesuits of astronaut.

• Dacha Golovkin

  address: Ulitsa Sovetskoy Armii (улица Советской Армии), 292
  Built in the early 20th century, in style of Viennese Secession. Built to a the merchant and artist, Konstantin Golovkin. The elephants' sculptures can be seen from the side of the Volga.

• Elephant and friends

  address: Ul. Avrory and Moskovskogo shosse (ул. Авроры и Московского шоссе)
  Sculptural composition: small bronze figures: Elephant, Telephone, Crocodile, Monkey, Gazelle - by the famous poem Chukovskiy characters.

• Sacred Heart of Jesus Roman Catholic Church

  address: 157 Frunze St.

Promyshlennyy rayon (Industrial district)

• Monument to the aircraft IL-2

  address: Intersection Prospekt Kirova and Shosse Moskovskovo (перекрёсток пр. Кирова и Московского шоссе)

• Great Mosque

  address: Ul. Stara-Zagora (ул. Стара-Загора), 54

Krasnoglinskiy rayon

• Viewpoint 'Helipad'Observation platform on the high bank of the Volga, from where, on a clear day, offers a great view of the Samara Bend and the coastline of the city of Samara.

• Krasnaya Glinka Ski complex

  phone: +7 846 973-96-95
  address: 3rd quarter, 37, (3-й квартал, 37, стр. 1, пос. Красная Глинка))
  A small hill. Great place for the beginner skiers and snowboarders. Season from December to early March.

Museums

• Military History Museum

  phone: +7 846 332-09-70
  address: Ul. Shostakovicha, (ул. Шостаковича), 1

• Children's Art Gallery

  phone: +7 846 332-20-67
  address: Ul. Kuibysheva (ул. Куйбышева), 139

• Frunze House-Museum

  address: Ulitsa Frunze (улица Фрунзе), 114

• House-Museum of Ulyanov family

  address: Leninskaya (ул. Ленинская), 131-135

• Regional Museum

  address: Leninskaya (ул. Ленинская), 142

• Aleksey Nikolayevich Tolstoy's museum

  address: Frunze (ул. Фрунзе), 155

• Museum-House of Alexandra Kurlina

  address: ( Красноармейская улица/ улица Фрунзе,) 159

• Museum of the History of the Kuibyshev Railroad

  phone: +7 846 303-46-55
  address: Komsomolskaya Square ( Комсомольская пл. ул. Литвинова, 323?)

• Samara Space Museum

  address: Lenina (пр. Ленина), 21

• Air and Space Museum

  address: Moskovskoye shosse (Московское шоссе), 34, corp. № 3, Samara Aerospace University

• Samara Art Museum

  address: Kuybisheva (ул. Куйбышева), 92
  Great collection of paintings. On the third floor oriental collection

Night life in Samara is quite joyful. The main dance clubs are: Beerja (Stock Exchange), KINUP, Zvezda (Star), Aura (The Aura), Postel (The Bed), Long Bar. There are many restaurants and bars in Samara. The pricing for clubbing are the same or even higher than in Europe and Americas, though not so high as in Moscow.

• Study Russian at SSU

  phone: +7 846 2780908
  address: 1, Ak.Pavlova 209 m/m, 443011 Samara, Russia
  Study Russian while experiencing real Russian culture and traditions. Programmes for individual students and groups meeting particular needs. Certification of Russian as a Foreign Language at different levels.

• Sport Palace

  address: Ulitsa Fizkul'turnaya (улица Физкультурная), 101

• Park Imeni Yuriya Gagarina

  address: ul. Sovetskoy Armii, 181В, Samara, Samarskaya oblast', Russia, 443090
  Ride ferris wheel, ice skate, watch ducks, etc.
• Watch football at Cosmos Arena, built in 2018 to host group games of the FIFA World Cup. It's home to FC Krylia Sovetov Samara, who play in the Russian Premier League (ie top tier of Russian football), having won promotion in 2018. The stadium looks like a flying saucer; its capacity is just under 45,000. It's sited on the hills 10 km north of city centre, take tram 5 to Stadium stop. The football team formerly played at Metallurg Stadium a little further south: its future main use has not been announced.

• Cafe Puri

  phone: +7 846 989-33-32
  address: Ulitsa Kuybysheva, 83
  Real Georgian food and wine. Note that only a few of the waiters are fluent in English.

Drink original Zhigulyovskoye beer in Na dne bar or in posh U Vakano restaurant (both in Volzhskiy prospekt, 4, near the old brewery).

• Renaissance Samara Hotel

  phone: +7 846 277 8340
  address: Novo-Sadovaya St. 162
  Smart business hotel. Bbroadband internet. 24-hour business center, gym, indoor pool, massage, bowling alley and billiards. Nearby is a beautiful park. 10 km from the hotel to the city center.

• Ibis Samara Hotel

  phone: +7 846 3396850
  address: Novo-Sadovaya St. 160 D
  204 rooms. Air-conditioning. Safe deposit box in room. Parking. Wi-Fi. Restaurant, 24/7 bar. 3 conference rooms for seminars and conferences. Nearby is a beautiful park. 10 km from the hotel to the city center.

• Holiday Inn Hotel

  phone: +7 846 372-70-00
  address: Alekseya Tolstogo St. 99
  Smart business hotel in the historical and cultural center of the city, within 5 minutes walk from the Volga river embankment. Parking. Wi-Fi. Gym, indoor pool, massage & spa. 177 guest rooms, 8 Junior Suites, and a Presidential Suite. 9 technology equipped meeting rooms. Atrium restaurant, lobby cafe, 'Brasserie' restaurant, 'Red room' restaurant. Travel agency.

Consulates

• Italy

  phone: +7 (846) 310-6401, +7 (846) 310-6403, +7 (846) 271-1820 (mobile)
  address: Stepan Razin street, 71A

Visa Centers

• Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Iceland, Malta, and Spain

  address: Sadovaya street, 263