Samara



Samara (Russian: Сама́ра suh-MAH-ruh), the sixth largest city in Russia and capital of an eponymous region, lies on the Volga River in European Russia. It is a major economic, industrial and cultural centre and has a population of over 1,164,000.

Understand
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 train


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 13-20 hours depending on which train. There are daily trains from Saint Petersburg, with the fastest service that runs every second day taking just 18 hours. Overnight trains arrives from Yekaterinburg too.



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 ₽23 or ₽21 if you use a transport e-card.

See

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

Do
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.
 * Watch football at Cosmos (aka Solidarnost) Arena, built in 2018 to host group games of the FIFA World Cup. It's home to FC Krylia Sovetov Samara, who play soccer in the Russian Premier League, the country's top tier, having won promotion in 2021. 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 club formerly played at Metallurg Stadium a little further south: its future main use has not been announced.
 * Watch football at Cosmos (aka Solidarnost) Arena, built in 2018 to host group games of the FIFA World Cup. It's home to FC Krylia Sovetov Samara, who play soccer in the Russian Premier League, the country's top tier, having won promotion in 2021. 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 club formerly played at Metallurg Stadium a little further south: its future main use has not been announced.
 * Watch football at Cosmos (aka Solidarnost) Arena, built in 2018 to host group games of the FIFA World Cup. It's home to FC Krylia Sovetov Samara, who play soccer in the Russian Premier League, the country's top tier, having won promotion in 2021. 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 club formerly played at Metallurg Stadium a little further south: its future main use has not been announced.
 * Watch football at Cosmos (aka Solidarnost) Arena, built in 2018 to host group games of the FIFA World Cup. It's home to FC Krylia Sovetov Samara, who play soccer in the Russian Premier League, the country's top tier, having won promotion in 2021. 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 club formerly played at Metallurg Stadium a little further south: its future main use has not been announced.

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

Consulates

 * 🇮🇹 Italy

Visa Centers

 * 🇧🇬 Bulgaria 🇨🇿 Czech Republic 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇬🇷 Greece 🇮🇸 Iceland 🇲🇹 Malta 🇪🇸 Spain