Discover Samara: Culture, History and the Volga

Samara reveals its history in its streets and museums, alongside the Volga embankment, a large city park and an ethnocultural complex. Its attractions range from historic merchant architecture to contemporary art and outdoor activities. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Samara, first consider which of these sides of the city you would most like to shape your stay.

Urban history in the streets and museums

Leningradskaya Street is a pedestrian zone in Samara’s historic centre. It stretches from Maxim Gorky Street to the railway and is known for its 19th-century architecture and former merchants’ houses. Sights include the “Uncle Styopa” sculpture and a stele commemorating the 150th anniversary of Samara Governorate. The street thus combines views of historic buildings with two specific memorials.

The Museum of the History of the City of Samara, named after M. D. Chelyshev, covers the city’s history in its exhibitions, from its founding in 1586 to the present day. Topics include Samara’s founding by Tsar Feodor I Ivanovich and the visit of the city’s patron, Saint Metropolitan Alexius. Stalin’s Bunker is also one of the city’s sights and is regarded as a symbol of Samara’s role as an alternative capital.

Another glimpse into the city’s architectural history awaits at the mansion of the merchant Ivan Andreyevich Klodt. The building, in the German Renaissance style, houses the Children’s Art Gallery. Architecture and museum use come together at this particular location, while other Samara museums each focus on their own periods and collections.

Art and collections with different focuses

The Children’s Art Gallery comprises four museums, workshops that encourage children’s artistic creativity, and a lecture hall. Its facilities include a museum of children’s creativity, a museum of late 19th- and early 20th-century everyday culture housed in an architectural monument, a museum of applied arts, and a museum garden. The gallery also offers a tactile exhibition. Together, these different elements make the gallery more than just a single collection.

The Samara branch of the State Tretyakov Gallery gives particular attention to Russian art of the early 20th century, unofficial post-war art, and the work of artists from the past 25 years. Its building was originally a factory kitchen: the restored architectural monument was built in 1930–1932. It is shaped like a hammer and sickle and was designed by architect Yekaterina Maksimova. Through exhibitions and educational projects at the federal level, the branch’s concept creates a dialogue between classical and contemporary art in the context of 20th-century culture.

The archaeological and ethnographic collections at the Alabin Museum are quite distinct. The archaeological collections comprise more than 300 collections containing around 40,000 objects. The ethnographic collection features clothing, jewellery, household items, tools, and musical instruments belonging to the peoples of the Volga region. When planning your stay in Samara, you can therefore choose which museums to focus on according to your interest in art, urban history, or material culture.

Embankment, park, and activities

The Volga embankment in Samara is 4,168.9 metres long and is divided into an old and a new section. The old section has areas for walking. Zagorodny Park covers 42 hectares and is Samara’s largest park. At the “Tarzania” ropes course park, five courses cater to different levels of difficulty; there is also a ten-metre-high climbing wall and slacklines. An equestrian club offers riding lessons as well as horse and pony rides.

Samara brings together a variety of interests: a stay by the Volga embankment, art and history in museums, or activities in Zagorodny Park. The park’s activities also vary: “Tarzania” focuses on ropes courses and a climbing wall, while the equestrian club offers lessons and rides. If you are planning a trip with people who have different interests, this variety can help you decide which features to prioritise when looking for a holiday apartment.

Discover the region’s cultures

The Friendship of Peoples Ethnocultural Complex is located on the shore of lakes in the residential area of Volgar, in the Kuibyshevsky District of Samara. Its architectural ensemble comprises 20 national courtyards and introduces the cultures of the peoples living in Samara Oblast. Guided and themed tours, as well as workshops, are offered to residents and visitors to Samara Oblast. Tea and traditional pies are sold in the tea house; the offerings may change. The park thus complements museum visits with an ensemble focused on the cultures of the region.

Discover more destinations: Bolshaya Kamenka, Ostrovka, Abashevo, Syzran, Khilkovo, Zadelnoye, Trostyanka, Kurumoch.

Back to the regional travel guide: Samara Oblast.