Samara is located on the bank of the Volga River, one of largest rivers in the world and the longest river in Europe. It is a major economic, industrial, cultural and scientific center of Samara Region.

Samara was established in 1586 as a fortress town, and got its name from a nearby river. The fortress was intended to serve as an outpost to control the middle reaches of the Volga River and the Samara River delta, and protecting the country from nomads.

Monument of Glory is one of the symbols of the city of Samara. It was founded in 1971 in honor of the great accomplishments of Kuibyshev aviation industry workers who made a great contribution to the victory in the great Patriotic war. (Photos: FIFA)

In 1935, Samara was renamed Kuybyshev in honor of the Bolshevik leader Valerian Kuybyshev. In January 1991 the city changed back to its original name.

Kuybysheva Square is the biggest in Europe. Its size is 17.4 hectares, which is almost one hectare more than Moscow’s Red Square.

Throughout the 20th century, Samara’s history was closely intertwined with space, as it became the place where launch vehicles were designed and manufactured.

On April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first person to journey into outer space on board the Vostok spacecraft, launched into orbit by an R-7 rocket designed in Samara.

Samara Space Museum boasts a real full-length Soyuz rocket booster standing upright.

During the Great Patriotic War, the city was home to Dmitry Shostakovich, one of the greatest composers of the 20th century. It was here that he finished his famous Seventh Symphony, which was performed for the first time by the Bolshoi Theatre orchestra.

The 5-kilometer embankment is the city’s landmark and is a great place to enjoy the beauty of the Volga River.

Samara also has the tallest railway station building in Europe (101 meters) with an observation deck, and the longest embankment in Russia (5 kilometers).

Another point of pride for Samara residents is that their city boasts the largest square in Europe, Kuybysheva Square, which will host the FIFA Fan Fest this summer.

Samarskaya Luka National Park Scenic Landscapes, around the bend of Europe’s largest river Volga and the Bay of Usa of the Kuybyshev Reservoir