Not only people, but also cities have birthdays, an individual look and their own unique style. Samara, founded in 1586, combines a variety of architectural trends, religious denominations and the culture of various nationalities inhabiting the Volga region. The article is devoted to the historical part of the city, the place of an absentee trip will be Kuybysheva Street, stretching parallel to the Volga for more than 2.5 km.
general information
In many cities today there are pedestrian streets where shops, restaurants, cultural objects, historical buildings and unique sculptural compositions are located. Samara was no exception. The historical part of the city is concentrated on the territory of the Samara and Leninsky administrative regions, and the pedestrian Leningradskaya crosses the street. Kuibyshev, stretching from Khlebnaya Square to Vilonovskaya Street. It is crowned by Chapaev Square, the smallest in size, with its unique monument to Chapaev and the building of the drama theater, executed in the Russian style of stone architecture by architect D. Chichagov (1881).
It is from here that we will begin our journey, enjoying the history of architecture. On a small square, you can see the buildings not only in Russian, but also in the Art Nouveau style. Postmodernism and constructivism are also represented. The central street of Samara is famous for the buildings of the XIX - early XX centuries, each of which has its own unique history. More than a century st. Kuybyshev is considered the main one in the historical part of the metropolis, it has repeatedly changed its name: it was Khlebnaya, Glavnaya, Cossack, Noble. The latter is the most established, it lasted from 1731 to 1837. Once upon a time, nobles close to Peter I built their mansions here.
PriVO Museum and Naumov's mansion
Moving from the end, we pass Chapaev Square and stop at the building at 157 Kuybysheva Street. Today, the red-white two-story building with small balconies (Art Nouveau style), designed by Samara architect D. Werner, is a military museum. The history of the air defense forces is collected here. But it was created in 1914 for public meetings. After the revolution, the Red Army club functioned in it, and since 1924 it was the Central House of the Peasant. The museum has collected more than 10 thousand exhibits of the history of wars: from the Maxim machine gun to the model of the most modern rocket, aimed upwards.
The main street of Samara leads us to building No. 151. This is the former mansion of Naumov, the leader of the nobility (architect A. Shcherbachev). The author drew inspiration from the Italians of the Renaissance, its facade resembles the Paris Opera Grand Opera. The brick building is plastered with natural limestone mined in the Zhiguli Mountains. This is an elite mansion with wine cellars, a winter garden and even its own power station. By the way, the windows offer views of the Zhiguli Mountains. The owner lived in the house for about 10 years, after which he moved to St. Petersburg. Today, the building belongs to the Palace of Pioneers (SDUT). It was given to children back in 1938, which is reminiscent of a memorial plaque. It is curious that during the years of the revolution it was here that he worked as a revolutionary, and during the years of the war - the British Embassy.
Strukovsky Garden
At the intersection with Krasnoarmeyskaya, you can see the entrance to Strukovsky Park, a favorite resting place for citizens. At the beginning of the 19th century, a forest (11 hectares) adjacent directly to the Volga embankment belonged to G. Strukov, the manager of salt mines. On the territory was built a manor and a garden. With his departure, the place fell into desolation, until at the end of the century, under P. Alabin, they began to consider it as a city garden. In 1936 it was transformed into a park: paths were paved, attractions were installed, a summer stage and the Chaika pool were built.
The central street of Samara is the place where the main entrance gate is installed. The Strukovsky Garden is waiting for reconstruction in preparation for the World Cup in football. Today it has become the venue for citywide traditional events: "Dance Fairs", "Flower Festival", "Press Day".
Samara Church
It is amazing to see at the intersection with Nekrasovskaya Street not an Orthodox church, but a Lutheran church. There are many buildings in Samara built on the donations of merchants. Thanks to one of them, E. Annaev, the construction of the Catholic Church was conceived on this site. In 1863, it was almost completed, as the famous uprising broke out in Poland, and their compatriots were expelled from the city. By agreement with the merchant, the building was transferred to the Lutherans. In the 50s, many trading people from Germany appeared in the city, who brought with them faith. One of the first governors of Samara was also a German. This is Konstantin Grot, who created the first Lutheran community (1854).
In Soviet times, the church was closed and converted into a warehouse. In 1991, she received a second life after the Lutheran community of Russian Germans was officially registered in the city. The temple was seriously damaged by fire and was being repaired with donations from parishioners. Since 1994, services have been held in it, and in 2003, an organ was established that allowed organizing concerts for all interested citizens.
City authorities
The main street of Samara is considered to be such because the offices of city authorities are located on it. The main administration building (No. 135) - at the intersection with ul. Lev Tolstoy. And also the Samara City Council - at number 124.
The first building is of historical value. This building was erected on a competitive basis for the merchant N. Dunaev. The mansion was built in the neo-Renaissance style by the architect A. Gornwald in 1879. The customer chose the project for the feeling of lightness, achieved due to the harmony of the proportions of the area of the windows and walls, the uniform alternation of horizontal and vertical lines, creating a sense of a reasonable order. There was no rigid symmetry, and part of the mezzanine on the right played the role of a kind of surprise under the festive tree. The contemplation of the facade gave rise to hope for the fulfillment of dreams.
The building of the City Duma is modern, but created in the style of buildings of the early 20th century. Until 1883, meetings of elected bodies were held in rented premises, and then the city authorities adapted a one-story house of P. Tareev (Kuibyshev, 48), built in neo-baroque style, for them. The building was rebuilt twice: at first the second floor was added, a little later - the third. Over time, the premises were transferred to the city administration, and a new, adapted building was allocated for the city council.
Art Museum
Moving along the even side, in the house number 92, decorated with gilding on the facade and columns, you can find the Samara Regional Art Museum. The interior of the building, built at the end of the 19th century, is made in a palace style. The museum begins its history in 1897.
It was then that a number of Samara painters, on the initiative of Konstantin Golovkin, donated their works and addressed their colleagues through the press. The collection began to replenish both due to gifts and expropriated works of private owners. The number of exhibits increased significantly in 1918 after the merger of the collections of merchant P. Shikhobalov and the owner of the von Vokano brewery.
Today, more than 35 thousand works are exhibited in the museum. Among them are the originals of such masters as K. Bryullov, A. Kuindzhi, I. Repin, V. Surikov, K. Malevich, K. Korovin.
Revolution square
The main street of Samara crosses one of the most famous squares of the city. She bore many different names, starting her story in 1782. Being built on the site of a pond for trade, it was first called Market. When the wooden benches were destroyed by fire, it turned into Panskaya, then - Alekseevskaya. The modern name is the square of the Revolution, because it was here that the rallies of workers took place and V. Kuibyshev, M. Frunze, A. Galaktionov honed their oratory skills.
In the center, a square was laid out, and in 1889 the first monument in the history of the city - to Emperor Alexander II, was erected. The pedestal was made of red granite and is still preserved. After the dismantling of the monument in Soviet times, a monument to V. Lenin was installed on it (sculptor M. Manizer).
Memorial Complex
In February 1999, a tragedy occurred in Samara, which has not been equal for decades. In the building of the Central Internal Affairs Directorate, built in 1936 (house No. 42), a fire occurred that killed 57 employees. More than two hundred people were evacuated from a five-story building. A huge number of victims associated with the rapid spread of fire due to wooden floors and the presence of bars on the windows. In place of the ruins (the building burned down completely), the Memorial complex was erected. Travelers pass by the chapel of A. Nevsky, a small public garden with eternal flame and steles. On it are carved the names of not only 57 policemen who died during the fire, but also all those who died in the performance of their duties.
Finally
The main street of Samara has a much larger number of buildings related to monuments of architecture of federal significance. We touched only a few. The authorities are considering the issue to make the street pedestrian, like Leningradskaya. For the World Cup, the facades of many buildings are being restored, and travelers will have something to see while in the historic city.