Samara

Samara, formerly known as Kuibishev during Soviet era, is the fifth largest city in Russia with 1.5 million inhabitants. It is situated in the east of European Russia, about 700 miles south-east of Moscow.
The city has a rich and various history. It was built as a fortress to protect Russian borders from invaders from the East. The place was traditionally rich in wheat and famous as the main granary of Russia, the most important exporter of wheat, meat and leather...
Now days Samara is the capital of Russian air and space industry being the home of one of the world's largest companies designing and producing space crafts and satellites. In Samara there are large companies producing machinery (VBM), cars (Samara LADA), chemicals, metal-roll, etc. "Zhigulevskoye" beer made in Samara is famous all over Russia.
The inhabitants and guests of the city enjoy uncommon nature of Samara region. The National Park "Samarskaya Luka" is a unique place formed by the curve of the largest European river Volga. The ancient Zhiguli mountains form a kind of island inside the curve. Samarskaya Luka is the shelter for many relict and endemic plants and animals. The plants whose habitats are separated by many hundreds and even  
thousands kilometers in the rest of Russia grow here side by side. The same singularity and variety are characteristic of the fauna. The national park is also the place of a number of archaeological findings dating back as early as 4th and 5th cent AD.
A number of cultural-educational Centers, including American Council, Alliance Francaise, British Council, Goethe Institute have their branches in this large multinational city…
Samara will give you a vivid picture of real Russia away from the famous European capitals Moscow and St. Petersburg. Here you will find plenty of opportunities for recreating, shopping, sports and traveling as in any larger metropolitan area…