Ah, Samara - a town, restless I ... There is hardly a person who has not heard the words of this song. But many people, unfortunately, only these lines know about the city. But he deserves closer attention than just a mention in the song. Dmitry Shostakovich and Ilya Repin, Alexey Tolstoy and Vasily Surikov, Ivan Aivazovsky and Maxim Gorky lived and worked here.
"River in the steppe", or a city on the Volga
Samara is rightly called the "pearl on the Volga." The number of residents is approaching the figure of three million people, in the ranking of Russian cities, he takes seventh place. Samara is the center of the economy, industry and culture of the Middle Volga. Beautiful places in Samara and the Samara region attract the attention of tourists from all over the world.
Two large rivers: Samara and Volga merge together to wash approaches to the city with their fast waters. Translated from the Turkic language, the name of the city is translated as "river in the steppe." Samara is a city with a rich history about which you can make films and write books.
Historical reference
The first mention of Samara dates back to the mid-14th century. On the maps of foreigners, the future city was marked as a small settlement on the river bank. At the end of the 16th century, Tsar Fedor Ioannovich ordered the construction of a fortress that protects the Russian land from raids by foreigners. In addition to protecting the nearest settlements, the city served as the trade center of Russia with Asia.
Peasant wars led by Stepan Razin and Emelyan Pugachev did not bypass the city. Stepan Razin captured the city, and Emelyan Pugachev found support and help here. During the Great Patriotic War, the city was the center of the defense industry and was considered as a place for the evacuation of the Russian government.
Today, Samara is not just a city mentioned in the song. This is one of the largest Russian cities, in which, in addition to a large number of cultural and art institutions (theaters, museums, cinemas, libraries), there are sights shrouded in mystery and mystery. The most beautiful places of Samara are fraught with many interesting legends and traditions. Consider only the most famous.
Legends related to the city
1. On one of the city streets bearing the name of the famous pilot Chkalov, there is a house that looks no different from other houses on this street, but many visitors come here. A logical question arises: why is this house so interesting?
On December 31, 1956 a very strange event took place here, which has been causing interest for about 60 years. In this house, one company celebrated the New Year. A young man named Nikolai did not come to a girl named Zoya. Telling her friends that since he was gone, she would dance with Nikolai Ugodnik, the girl picked up the icon. After that, she could not budge. Having stood still more than a hundred days and nights, the girl was able to move only by Easter. Since that time, she began to call "Stone Zoya."
2. Another of the most popular legends is associated with a landmark that residents call Samara Luka. Here is a reserve and a national park, no doubt these are the most beautiful places in Samara. But the place is of great interest also because there are a lot of strange mystical phenomena. Also of interest are the caves, which, according to legend, can lead from one point of the city to another. And in the depths of one of the caves is the wealth of Stepan Razin, which he hid here. Gold and gems are waiting for their master.
Interesting Facts
1. The city did not always carry the name Samara. From 1935 to 1991, it was called Kuibyshev.
2. In the city there is a monument "Monument of Glory", however, the inhabitants themselves call it "Panikovsky with a goose." About 50 meters - this is the height of this building.
3. Rockets were made in Samara and for some time it was a closed city.
4. The famous Fedor Ivanovich Sukhov, a Red Army soldier from the movie "White Desert Sun", was born in Samara. There is a monument to him in the city.
5. Samara - the birthplace of the famous "Zhiguli" beer.
Five main attractions of the city
The beautiful places of Samara ... There are so many that it is very difficult to choose the most worthy, we will focus only on the most beloved and popular.
1. Samara railway station is considered one of the highest not only in Russia, but also in Europe. You will be pleasantly surprised by the elevator with a mirrored wall, which will take you from the platform to the exit of the station.
2. The Stalin Bunker Museum was built at the beginning of World War II; for a long time, information about the construction was kept in great secret. Residents of the city learned about the bunker only a few decades after construction. Its depth is more than 30 meters. For comparison: the depth of Hitler's underground shelter is only 16 meters. Traveling in the elevator car down to the 9th floor will give you a lot of thrills. You will be imbued with the spirit and color of the Soviet era, seeing red banners and a large table upholstered in velvet, at which meetings of the government headed by Stalin were planned.
3. One of the visiting cards of the city is considered to be a Catholic church - the Parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Residents of Samara call it simply - the church. A beautiful architectural structure, against which the city guests love to be photographed. This place makes you forget that you are in Russia, most likely - somewhere in the ancient city of Europe. The building, built in the Gothic style, was built in the late 19th century.
4. Monument to the heating battery. At a height of several meters from the ground there is a battery on which a pet is comfortably located - a cat. There is a legend that if you pat it on the head, everything conceived is sure to come true. Getting to the cat is not easy, but thousands of tourists manage to do it.
5 . Museum "Samara Space". You can come here at any time, if the museum does not work, then you can admire the territory around. It contains: flower beds in the form of aliens and a rocket. It is real, and its scale is impressive.
The museum consists of two halls: “Samara Cosmic” (spacecraft, breakfast of astronauts and much more), “Waiting for space” (darkness and a spaceship through which windows you can watch films about space).
Beautiful places in Samara to relax
1. Samara Arbat, or Leningradskaya Street, is one of the most favorite vacation spots for citizens and tourists. Transport does not go here and you can safely walk in the middle of the street.
2. Singing fountains are located on the main promenade of Samara. Colorful jets of water flowing to the music of Vivaldi, Mozart and Mendelssohn, fascinate and attract your attention for a long time.
Beautiful places of Samara for a walk
There are many parks in the city where you can not only relax, but also go in for sports and walk. Among them, the most beautiful places in Samara are:
1. Park "Voronezh Lakes." Come here if you lack romance and silence. Three lakes where fish are found, majestic swans and ducks swim, centuries-old trees grow, make you forget about the bustle of the city and the constant lack of time.
2. Park "Strukovsky Garden". It is the oldest park in the city that overlooks the Volga. City holidays are held here, you can buy a variety of souvenirs and visit cozy cafes and restaurants.
How can I get to Samara
1. By plane . The city has one of the largest airports in Russia. It can be reached by bus or taxi, the trip will be no more than 30 minutes.
2. By train . Soon it is planned to launch a high-speed train to the center of Russia. Moscow can be reached in 5 hours, and now the trip takes about 15 hours.
3. By bus . The city has central and suburban bus stations. You can leave for Moscow, Orenburg, Kazan, Sochi and other cities of Russia.
4. By car . 2 federal highways pass through Samara, one originates in Moscow, the other goes through Kazan.
5. By ferry . The river station is open throughout the shipping season. From here you can take a trip to the cities located on the banks of the Volga.
The beautiful places of Samara will remain in your memory for a long time, and the impressions of a trip to this ancient Russian city will fill your soul with pleasant emotions for a long time to come.