Samara, a bustling southern city on the Volga River, is Russia’s fifth largest city. Founded as a small frontier fort in the XVI century and built at the confluence of the Volga and Samara Rivers, the fortress was aimed at protecting Russia’s easternmost boundaries.
Eventually Samara turned into a transit center of national importance, did a brief stint as the country's capital during the revolution, and finally evolved into an industrial center during World War II. Today, Samara has the feel of a beach resort, but it’s also an alluring, intriguing city, full of sights to explore, while its women have a reputation as among the most beautiful in Russia.
Today, Samara is mostly known as Russia’s aerospace manufacturing capital. The city still hosts several leading space industry companies, including Progress, which manufactures the famous Soyuz rocket. Being one of Russia’s major industrial cities, Samara also has a powerful cultural heritage and esteemed history.
