The city is situated on a high left bank of the Volga river, where the river Samara flows into it. It's a large transport station, river port and airport. The population of Samara is 1 million people. The area of the city is 330 sq. km.

It was founded as a fortress in 1586 to protect the lands from the raids of the Tatars of Crimea. Samara was first mentioned in the chronicle in 1623. It was a trading centre of bread, wool and leather.

Modern Samara is a large industrial centre. Everybody knows its chocolate a famous product of the chocolate factory "Rossia".

The city has still preserved the rectangular plan of the streets of 1854 and presents eclectic buildings of the end of the 19th the beginning of the 20th century.
Samara has 10 higher educational establishments, 4 theatres (including the theatre of Opera and Ballet), 5 museums (including the museum of local history and of Arts), philharmonic society.