{short description of image}  
{short description of image}

SAMARA

 

Located at the mouth of the Samar river. It is the second largest town now on the Volga after Nizhni. The fortress was built in 1586 to defend the southeast Muscovite border against Nogai and Crimean Tatar raids. In 1670 the towns south of Samara took part in the peasant uprising led by Stepan (Stenka) Razin. And again, in 1773-75 they likewise were involved in the rebellion led by Emyel'yan Pugachev. Alex Tolstoi was born here. On Chapayev square there are monuments to Soviet heros. During World War II Stalin ordered the construction of a secret underground bunker from which he would be able to conduct government. He never visited it, but the bunker is now open for guided tours. Now the town is a major industrial - space center.

 

Photo number

Description
{short description of image}

Typical home in downtown Samara

{short description of image}

Catholic church in Samara, one of very few along the middle Volga.
{short description of image}

A typical store and home above in downtown Samara.
{short description of image}

Exterior of the nondescript office building in Samara in which during World War II a secret deep underground command post was dug without disturbing the exterior of the building. The dirt was hauled away secretly. Only recently have the local inhabitants learned of the existence of this command post. During the war much of the Soviet civil government was moved from Moscow to Samara (Kuybishev).

{short description of image}

Main conference room in the World War II secret command bunker. Note that the secretaries sit in the chairs at right with backs to the board table so they can't see what is going on.
{short description of image}

Picture of Kutuzov on wall in the executive office (Stalin's but he didn't come there) - in the secret World War II emergency bunker in Samara.
{short description of image}

Civil defense poster on wall in World War II secret bunker later turned into a civil defence headquarters.
{short description of image}

View of some of the reinforcing of the walls of the circular verticle shaft (cylinder) that provided access down to the deep underground command post.
{short description of image}

View of the walls of the underground command post.

{short description of image}

View of the steel blast door opening from the vertical access shaft to the horizontal corridor and rooms on the main level of the command post.
{short description of image}

Poster in the civil defense headquarters ( formerly secret World War II command bunker) showing the construction - the two deep access cylinders and the horizontal corridor and then more deep levels below that.
{short description of image}

Protestant church in Samara - one of very few along the Volga.
{short description of image}

Statue of Lenin in park in downtown Samara. He lived in this town as a young man.
{short description of image}

Shrine near Volga River in Samara

{short description of image}

Jewish synagogue in Samara
{short description of image}

Inside the synagogue in Samara

{short description of image}

Museum in Samara
{short description of image}

Monument to heros of World War II in front of city museum in Samara
{short description of image}

Close up of the memorial statue to World War II heros.

Return to Xenophon. Return to Ruscity. Return to Rushistory. Return to Ukraine.