SAMARA

guide

Samara

2018

welcome

to samara

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SAMARA

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Free ride for

Fan ID

football fans,

FAN ID is a small

volunteers and

laminated form

FIFA accredited

with the holder’s

guests in urban

personal data.

and suburban transport (except taxi). Also free of charge are electric trains that run on the routes

FAN ID and the match ticket are

Addresses and opening

obligatory documents to show at the

hours of FAN ID collec-

entrance to a match. You should have had

tion points are

it beforehand. It is issued for free

at www.fan-id.ru

FAN ID and the match ticket allow a free ride in transport in the cities and between them on the 2018 FIFA World Cup days

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between sports events (including the metro)

FAN ID is a visa-free travel to the Russian Federation as well free of charge excursions and tourist routes

Russia

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EXPECTATIONS Foreigners often think that everlasting winter and snow hills two meters high are Russia. Even in summer it’s freezing cold and uncomfortable. May be there is no summer at all.

Kaliningrad

St. Petersburg

Follow me! To be continued on the next page.

Moscow

Nizhniy Novgorod

Saransk

Rostov-on–Don Sochi

Volgograd

REALITY

Kazan

Samara Fargo Baotou

Yekaterinburg

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A lot of silly myths and legends are created about Russia, and foreigners believe them to be the truth. But sure enough it is an absolutely different country. And the Russians are not the people from those legends.

In fact in most parts of Russia summer is a warm and nice season. By comparison, Moscow summer is like Minneapolis (the USA) summer, the summer weather in Saint Petersburg is just like the weather in summer Copenhagen (Denmark), the weather in Kazan in summer resembles the weather in Chinese Harbin. It’s as hot in summer in Sochi as it is in Buenos Aires (Argentina) or Porto (Portugal). The country is so huge that there are practically all climate zones here: from the everlasting winter to the endless summer.

This tour guide will introduce you to real Russia and its people. Later you will see everything with your own eyes.

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Russia

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For more than 1000 years of its existence Russia has left an enormous mark in the world history, culture and science. Our achievements are as great as the territory of the country.

Russian Ballet

Tolstoy

Same as the Russian history and culture… Yashin

Tchaikovsky

Mendeleev

The Russians were the first to launch a man into the space, we gave the world great writers, artists and musicians, we made outstanding discoveries in chemistry, phy­sics, mathematics and other sciences, we achieved considerable success in sports.

The country is so vast that it can’t be somehow limited 8

Gagarin

Dostoevsky

Russia

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matry

Ba

lal

RUSSIa... expectation

osh

ayka

ka

reality If you expect to see wild Russia, cities that look like villages, where bears walk along dirty paths, then you are terribly mistaken. Our country is in step with the time. The Russians love their culture, not less than modern technologies that became part of their life long time ago.

As far as bears are concerned, 99% of the Russians have seen them twice in their life at the zoo or in a circus. Matryoshkas and samovars are just souvenirs for fo­reign tourists.

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Russia 11

The Russians are kind, friendly and hospitable people, always ready to help. They are not aggressive. We are the same people like you are. And no, Russians don’t drink vodka all the time.

RUSSIan people...

reality

expectation

Traditional Russian breakfast?

There is no place for ra­cism or intolerance in Russia. People of more than 200 nationalities call Russia their home. It takes all sorts of people to make Russia and we are happy to be different.

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Russia 13

About the city SAMARA IS BUILT upon the meeting point of the River Volga and its left tributary, the Samara that makes the city extraordinarily picturesque. The city stretches for 50 kilometers along the Volga, so its Embankment is one of the longest and most beautiful in Russia. And the residents consider themselves dashed lucky. SAMARA IS A CITY OF OVER 1 MILLION PEOPLE. The city is in the top ten Russian cities for the number of residents. Samarsko-Tolyattinskaya agglomeration is thirdlargest metropolitan area in the country. It is AN IMPORTANT INDUSTRIAL CENTER, significant also for its contribution to the space sector. The specialists of the Russian Space Centre (RSC) “Progress” assemble space rockets here. The city keeps lots of its secrets and during the Soviet period up to 1991 the city was closed for foreigners. THE CLIMATE OF SAMARA is moderate continental: after a snowy and frosty winter comes a warm, at times hot summer. The average summer temperature is about 24° C, the water in the Volga warms up to 1922°C IT IS GMT+4 TIME ZONE. It’s one hour ahead of Moscow. Florence Treuil, Samara Alliance Française, volunteer, France Samara is an attractive city that has been developing dynamically due to its industrial sector and navigation. The city stands on the Volga’s bank and it’s pleasant to live here. The historic city center is picturesque and poetic.

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HOW TO GET TO THE CITY From the airport The international airport with an unusual name Kurumoch is located 40 kilometers to the north of Samara. Several modes of transport will take you from the airport to the city, and the trip to the city center will take from an hour and a half to two hours

Speed electric train The railway comes very close to the airport so you can go by an electric train. It’s recommended to check the timetable of aeroexpress on airport.samara.ru or at the information stall at the airport passenger terminal. A free shuttle comes up to the terminal 30 minutes before the train departs to the Railway station.

Taxi International, federal and local taxi services operate in Samara. You can order a taxi in different ways: mobile apps, a phone or carriers’ sites. Information stalls at the airport are also very helpful.

You can buy tickets in the train. Only cash is accepted. Aeroexpress takes you to the Samara Railway station.

From the railway station The Railway station is considered to be one of the city sights. In 2001 it was fully reconstructed and now it presents a modern building 101 meters high.Being located practically in the city centre the Railway station gives an easy access to any city area: the nearest bus station is a starting point for more than 30 bus and taxi

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Bus If aeroexpress timetable doesn’t meet your needs, you can always get to the city by bus № 652. It also takes you to the Railway station, which is one step to the city centre. The bus route includes the Bus station as well.The bus runs every 5-20 minutes depending on the hour of the day.

routes. You can get from the Railway station to the nearest metro station by buses № 1, 1Д, 1К, №67. Free WI-FI zones are available both at the airport and at the Railway station. Thus it’s not a problem to get a taxi.

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WHAT TO SEE must-see Leningradskaya Ulitsa If Arbat is a tourist mecca in Moscow then Leningradskaya is the main pedestrian-only street in Samara. It has been the bustling place for almost one hundred years.Many of the buildings here are achitectural monuments for the street lined with them is in the heart of the historic downtown. Constructivism, Art Nouveau, Eclecticism and other

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styles are presented here at their best. Leningradskaya is adorned with fountains and sculptures. Make a detour into the maze of side streets and you’ll find a lot of interesting. It’s Fachwerk house in Frunze Ulitsa, for example. It’s a two-storey building of stone and wood with a bay-window and a turret. Its wooden frame bears the whole weight and beeing colored dark it looks like a contrasting ornament against the

light plastered walls. A walk along Kuybysheva from Leningradskaya will take you to Ploshchad Revolutsii. The Monument to Vladimir Lenin is the centrepiece of it.

Ramanankasina Nehemia Samara International Research University, student, Madagascar

As a theatre lover, I can say that you have never been in Samara if you The Great River had not visited theatres. There are Volga a lot of theatres in Samara (the No matter how long Samara Opera and Ballet Theahours you walk tre, The Gorky Drama Theatre), around Samara, the there are also concert halls like main attraction is the the Philharmonic Hall (such a River Volga. It’s one breathtaking place).

of the largest rivers in the world and the longest in Europe. It’s more than 3500

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kilometers long. The Kuybyshev Reservoir is not far from Samara and it’s the largest water body on the Volga and the thirdlargest one in the world. The local people dub it the Zhigulevsky Sea. The Embankment is the best place to take a walk in the city, stretched for many kilometers along the river. We promise, you’ll leave your heart

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in this place as many of Samara’s residents and its guests have done. The Embankment is 5 kilometers long and it starts at Rechnoy Vokzal (river boat station) in the west and goes up to Silikatny ovrag (gully) in the north-east.

which is a bronze replica of the work of the same name by the famous artist Ilya Repin. You can see Stela Ladya, erected in 1986 for the 400th anniversary of Samara.

While walking don’t miss the landmarks of the Embankment. The sculptural composition Barge Haulers on the Volga

You must visit Ploshchad Slavy, dedicated to the heroes of World War II and heroes of labour. This square is not

Paul Chownyk, Canada, English Teacher Absolutely, a walk along our wonderful Embankment, most times of the year, will be a relaxing way to enjoy the feel of the city; if you come in summertime, every weekend has a festival or two which must be taken in.

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far from the Embankment. You will also see here the eternal flame, the Grieving Mother Memorial and the Monument of Glory (more than 50 meters high). One of the best viewing platforms gives you a chance to see the Volga in its full splendor.

Samara the Cosmic You must really visit the most interesting museum of the city – Samara Kosmicheskaya – Samara the Cosmic. 22

Maybe you don’t know that Samara is an unofficial aerospace capital city of Russia. One of the largest rocket engineering centers, “Progress” that had produced the rocket in which Yuri Gagarin made his first in the history of mankind space travel is located in Samara. You notice the museum as soon as you come out of Rossiiskaya metro station. The real skyward rocket “Soyuz” marks the facade. The height of the museum

building together with the rocket reaches 55 meters. There are no dull excursions here.You simply immerse yourselves into the history of space travelling, see the authentic rocket parts and the way they operate. The museum uses vivid exibits and displays to narrate the every day life of astronauts – the way they rest, eat, wash and what experiments they make. The guides tell you what space technologies each of us uses in daily routine.

Florence Treuil, Samara Alliance Française, volunteer, France Samara is proud of its Space Museum, and it’s not by chance: it’s the very place where the launch vehicle “Soyuz” was assembled. And of course, Zhigulevsky brewery. At the premises they arrange excursions and I strongly recommend the restaurant next to the brewery.

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Worth seeing Ploshchad Kuybysheva If it’s still not clear that Samara is best of the best welcome to the city’s central square. And it’s not just a square – it’s the largest square in Europe covering 17 hectars. The main city events and folk festivals are held here, in Ploshchad Kuybysheva. The grand building in the eastern part of the square is the Samara Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre. Since 1931 the theatre has been delighting the city residents and the guests with its performances. A lot of Russian

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worthies have left their marks in the history of the theatre, however, the greatest glory comes from the years of World War II. Here, in 1941, beeing evacuated to Samara, Dmitry Shostakovich finished his Seventh symphony “Leningradskaya” which was performed on the stage of the theatre for the first time.

Art Nouveau Museum It’s nice to stroll in different directions from the square. So, walk along Krasnoarmeyskaya up to the Art Nouveau Museum. You will recognise it at first glance by its exterior. The building and the interiors are design attractions in themselves of the Art Nouveau period.

The Monument to Valerian Kuybyshev dominates the square and is right opposite the entrance doors to the theatre. Kuybyshev was a revolutioner, a Soviet politician. The monument is here to commemorate his deeds – the city itself bore Kuybyshev’s name for more than 50 years (from 1935 till 1991).

Catholic Church Right behind the museum you’ll see an architechtural masterpiece, which cannot be sidestepped. It’s the Sacred Heart Church – an elegant heavenward cathedral, one of the landmarks of Samara.

Paul Chownyk, Canada, English Teacher Apart from the obvious choices, Space museum, Stalin’s Bunker, etc., I believe the following less known museums are also worth visiting: Gallery “Victoria” (modern art), Samara Public Library in Kuybeshev St., the house museum of the Lenin family near Museum Alabina, and probably Repin’s dacha museum (although it will require a journey by water taxi).

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WHAT TO DO IF IT’S HOT

Stroll in the park Strukovsky garden, laid out in 1849, is the oldest park of the city. It was named after Grigory Strukov, a colonel and a Councillor of State. He owned part of the wood that later was converted into the park. It’s hard to imagine that the park was once on the town’s outskirts. A small fountain welcomes the visitors at the entrance. The Monument to the writer Maxim Gorky is the focal point of the park. The figure of a she-goat, the symbol of Samara, tops the grotto. The skate-park and the summer stage are a splendid addition to Strukov Park. Samara has special relations with the outer Space. Small wonder, one of its parks bears the name of the first cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin – Yuri Gagarin Park. A significant part of the park is given to children’s attractions, making it a gathering point for families with children. The pond with swans, the boating canal also bring joy to the visitors. You can even take a kids’ boat ride along the canal.

recieved due to the fact that years ago it was located far from the city. Now, the constantly growing Samara has swallowed it. It’s a real pleasure to spend a day here: you see rare plants, centuries-old oak trees, you can feed squirrels and visit an archeological site – a settlement dating back to the VIII–IX centuries A.D.

Visit a museum Is it wise to spend time in a museum if the weather is good? But we say “yes” if it’s an open-air museum! The Povolzhsky Railway Engineering Museum found its place in the eastern area of Samara. The main outdoor exposition comprises different steam trains, locomotives, electric trains, passenger and cargo carriages. You become a witness of the railway development. And all the exibits are handson. Try on a railway uniform and take a photo in a driver’s cabin. Don’t miss your chance not only to have a look at the exibits but learn more with a guided tour.

Don’t miss Zagorodny Park (country park). Despite the large sign over the entrance door, the park has another official name – Central Gorky Park of Culture and Leisure. It’s the largest park in the city covering the territory of 42,4 hectars. The status of a country park was

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WHAT TO DO IF THE WEATHER TURNS NASTY Nasty weather is a chance to meet Samara from another point of view. The city has a lot on offer for its guests, for any taste and mood. The only thing left for you is to make a choice which door you are going to open today: of a theatre, a museum, an aquapark or a bombshelter?

Get down to Stalin’s Bunker Looking for ideas for a rainy day? Stalin’s Bunker is a decision, created right for bad weather. Neither wind nor rain will get you at the depth of 37 meters. Even a hurricane is nothing for you here. Your main task is not to miss the working hours: from 11a.m. till 1p.m. and from 2p.m. till 3p.m. and only on weekdays. Its address: Ulitsa Frunze, 167, in the yard of the Samara State Institute of Culture. It’s rumoured that at the beginning of the 1940s a whole underground town was built under the historic city centre. Those were bombshelters interconnected with a system of tunnels and even a railway. After World War II they got abandoned. Some of them were flooded with ground waters. The only place safe for tourists to visit is Stalin’s Bunker. It has its original interior after some restoration works have been done. The Bunker is a mine going down for eight floors. To reach the main rooms you need to descend for 33 meters, it’s the level with Stalin’s study, a meeting room, a communication room, a small dining room and toilets. The technical floor with a pump station is at the depth of 37 meters. There are no odd, unnecessary things in the rooms, just tables lined with green baize, chairs, lamps, a telephone.

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The fact that the Soviet leader worked in his bunker is not certain – there are no official documents proving it to be true.

Go to the theatre If the rain outside your window gives you some lyrical feel, then it’s high time to meet Samara’s theatres. Maybe a red-and-white house in the mock-Russian style has already caught your eye. Then you must know that it’s the Samara Drama Theatre, the oldest in the city. People come here for dear old classics of the Russian and world literature. The plays of Ostrovsky, Bunin, Dostoyevsky are often staged in a smaller theatre, called “Kamernaya stsena” (Chamber hall stage). If you’ve come to Samara with a small kid, then it’s nice to visit the Samara Puppet Theatre. About 50 plays for children of 3 years old and upwards have been performing at the theatre so far. It’s impossible not to mention the Samara Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, one of the largest musical theatres in Russia. Ballets, operas and operettas are staged here. The repertoire is impressing, so amid such diversity there is always something to appeal to everyone.

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It’s an ideal place for taking photos of the breathtaking panoramic views of the Volga.

Tsarev Kurgan The hill with the Cross on its top can be easily seen from far away. Tsarev Kurgan is a historic point, at different times visited by Tamerlan, Peter the Great, Empress Catherine II. It’s believed, the place was so named because only monarchs or tsars were empowered to climb it, not ordinary people. The hill top gives a wonderful panoramic view of the Volga and the River Sok, the Zhiguli Mountains, namely two of them – left-bank Tip-Tyav and right-bank Sernaya. Both of them make a natural land-

FURTHER AFIELD Wild nature is one of Samara’s treasures. Incredible landscapes are only a two-hour trip from Samara. Well, get ready for the journey!

Viewing platform in settlement Upravlenchesky “Vertoletka”, as the locals dub it, is a viewing platform providing you with the most striking views of the River Volga and the River Samara. The name “Vertoletka” derives from the time when the staff helicopter of the Soviet designer of aircraft and rocket engines Nikolai Kuznetsov used to land in the spot. Once a barren now it’s a well-maintained viewing point with benches, a small pond, a cafe and a parking lot.

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People mined limestone here since the 19th century. No more works now. Especially intensive works were held here in the fifties of the 20th century because Zhigulevskaya hydro-electric power station was beeing erected at that time in the vicinity. A whole underground town with the system of galleries appeared inside the hill at that period of time.

mark of the district, called Zhigulevsky vorota (Zhigulevsky gate). Heading there, don’t forget to take an empty bottle and swimming suits with you. There is a sacred spring at the bottom of the barrow. You can have some pure spring water and even have a dip in the cold bath. The climbing path to the

hill top crowned with the Cross begins at the Chapel near the Sacred Spring. The Church of the Nativity is also at the bottom of the hill.It is a functioning church.

Shiryaevo is located in the grounds of the National Park Samarskaya Luka, a UNESCO Heritage Site. The area is called Luka because in this very place The Volga bends the Zhiguli Mountains.

As another legend has it, Samarskaya Luka was formed after the Volga “had played cunning” with Zhiguli and flown away to the Caspian. One of the highlights of the park is Kamennaya Chasha (stone bowl). Three springs, turning into one brook, are streaming down the slope. The water is purely clean. As legend has it, these are the tears of the Mistress of the Zhiguli Mountains, moaning her loneliness. But the legend doesn’t prove to be true – there are always lots of people wishing to have a swim in the spring. And no feel of loneliness!

Selo Shiryaevo and Samarskaya Luka. Devote one day to the gem of the Zhiguli – Selo Shiryaevo, a village not far from Samara. It’s pleasant to stroll here in the picturesque tranquility of the naLeo tional park and listen Morot, to the ringing silence teacher of of the dark gloomy French, France caves.

I’d recommend a river excursion on board a motor ship in the national park “Samarskaya Luka”.

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The village is famous for its tunnels – artificial caves in Popova hill.

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It is said that Samara is a “Big Village”, and that is definitely true – there’s enough of a cosmopolitan feel to satisfy the desire of living in a big city, but you barely realise that you have more than a million neighbours... Nature lovers can easily get away to some magical wilderness, accessible even by public transport, as long as the adventurer is keen to try that.

There’s also a great variety in the architecture in every region of the city - and it feels so much more Russian than, for example, Moscow

The Volga is a large river. It’s nice to get cool in it in summer. Volga’s well-equipped beaches are equal to the beaches of Cote d’Azur: clean fine sand, changing cubicles, rental centers of water sports equipment and children’s playing areas. It’s believed that Samara’s girls are the most beautiful in the world and I fully agree with it.

English Teacher

teacher of French

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What to eat and drink The Samara region is famous for its hospitality. The surrounding nature is generous for the region supplying it with a wide choice of grown and river-caught food. Having explored the city sights, don’t hesitate to switch to Samara’s delicacies.

Fish dishes Samara is the best place to get to know the gastonomical riches of the Volga. Traditions of cooking fish dishes have been handed down from generation to generation. There isn’t a recipe they don’t know: Ангелина Агишева, архитектор, the caught fish is fried, дизайнер salted, dried, smoked, Мне очень нравится кафе «Бенджамин». boiled, steamed and Оно небольшое, но уютное, с приятной baked in dough. атмосферой и хорошим обслуживанием. Samara’s restaurants Представлено довольно обширное will be delighted to меню на любой вкус. Также приятный offer a wide choice of интерьер и интересное меню имеют fish dishes: sturgeon ресторан-гриль «Перчини», «Чучвара» с kebab, pike perch восточной кухней, десерт-бар «Carrie» stuffed with vegetables, panfried cru36

cian carp, spit-roasted pike, carp stuffed with cereal and what not. You must try local fish soups. The popular among tourists Tsarskaya ukha is served practically in every restaurant but you need to spend time looking for an authentic fish solyanka. Usually it is soup of stewed cabbage, pieces of fried or boiled salted fish, onions, flour, butter and black pepper. According to the traditional Volga recipe the soup is topped with crumbs and baked in a frying pan in the oven.

Ramanankasina Nehemia Samara International Research University, student, Madagascar If I recommended tourists to go to eat and to drink, first I would recommend them to go to “Paffos light“ (one of the best restaurants in Samara, with a very good atmosphere and service), second, I think “Maximilians” and “Tri Olenya” (three deer) where you can eat real Russian food at its best. For young people there are many clubs and discotheques in Samara (like clubs “Zvezda”, “Van Gogh”, “Truba”).

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sound tasty, but you’ll be surprised to find them delicious. Hot pancakes make a good dessert or a snack. They are served with different fillings: sour cream, jam, honey, cottage cheese or caviar.

Traditional pies Fast food in the Volga style is traditional pies. For the Russian cuisine they are of the same value as pizza for the Italian one. They are also Russian cuisine Samara is the city made of history. You can feel it not only admiring the old buildings, but also eating in the Russian cuisine restaurants. Most of the dishes are cooked according to the recipes that have been handed down from generation to generation.

good when you lack time and want to have a bite. There are several places in Samara that fully specialize in pies. Try nutritious kulebyaka, a pie with a mixed, mostly meat filling and pies with white and red fish (fish is never enough when you are in Samara). Traditional cabbage or mushroom pies can lure vegetarians. Enjoy sweet pies with currants, cherries or ap-

Try Russian shchi (soup of sour cabbage, meat, onions and carrots) cooked in the oven. And you’ve made a right guess if you say that shchi in Samara can be made with fish as well. For the main course you can have giblets in sour cream. It doesn’t

Florence Treuil, Samara Alliance Française, volunteer, France The center is full of restaurants for any taste and budget. Most of all I like the Georgian restaurants ‘Khachapuri” and “Puri”. And a cosy restaurant with the Russian cuisine called “Kipyatok’ you will find in a pedestrian-only street Leningradskaya.

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Paul Chownyk, Canada, English Teacher Anyone new to Russia has got to try Kvas, and the soda alternatives to Coke and Pepsi, namely ‘Tarkhun’ and ‘Buratino’ will surprise people no doubt.

brewery. It takes about an hour to see the premises, learn about the history of the factory, about the production line and modern technologies.

ples for dessert. A bit sour filling of cranberries or red bilberries is also tasty.

Zhigulevsky beer Any city dweller will say it’s a crime not to drink local beer when in Samara. The city is proud of Zhigulevsky brewery, one of the oldest breweries in Russia. The beer produced here got Russian and international

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awards many times. The brewery was built in 1881 by the Austrian subject Alfred fon Vakano. The complex of the buildings located on the Volga bank is a real masterpiece of indusrtial architecture of eclectic period. It has become a distinctive landmark of Samara.

If tasting seems not enough then head to the

bar near the brewery where the frothy drink is on draught. The beer here is always fresh so the bar is frequented by the locals. Be ready to wait for a vacant table.

You can combine the frothy drink tasting with a guided tour of the famous

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MUST-HAVE Zhigulevsky beer and not just that It’s a well-known fact that Samara is the home town of the famous Russian “Zhigulevsky beer”. In Samara you can try draught drinks and take bottled beer with you. Pay attention to soft drinks. The brewery produces popular from the Soviet period drinks “Buratino”, “Limonad”, “Sayany” and “Grusha”. Dried fish Close neighbourhood with the Volga provides a wide choice of freshly-caught fish for any taste: bream,sabre fish, roach, asp, perch, redeye. We recommend dried fish – it can be stored for several weeks and there won’t be a problem to bring it home. Beeing salty it goes well with beer. 42

Souvenirs with the city symbols Let’s see what symbolizes Samara. For more than 200 years the wild she-goat has been showing on the city’s coat of arms. So, a souvenir copy of the statue from Strukovsky Park is a “hello” from Samara. It’s

hard to say when exactly the cat became the city symbol. It might happen after the sculptural group depicting a domestic cat warming up at the radiator had been installed on the wall of the building of the power station in Volzhsky Prospect. It’s a belief that Samara’s cat brings peace and comfort to houses. As mementoes from the picturesque banks of the River Volga you can buy drawings of ships and boats. Belaya Ladya (white shallop) directing its bow to the Volga is also one of the main Samara’s symbols.

Space souvenirs And we never forget, Samara is the home town of the first rocket that once connected the mankind with the outer space. Of course, you can bring home a magnet in the shape of a rocket but there is something more creative. You can purchase real cosmonauts’ food at the airport Kurumoch or at the Museum Samara the Cosmic. A compact tube contains traditional Russian soup: shchi or borshch. For sweet lovers there is a tube filled with cottage cheese and fruit or berries sauce. SAMARA 43

Hello! My name is Nikita. I’m 18 and, I have Down’s syndrome. I’m in the 10th grade of a special school. I was born in Samara. Now I live in this city. Our city is very beautiful. It is situated on the left bank of the River Volga. When I was seven, my father taught me to swim and I took to it at once. When I am in the water I imagine myself to be a dolphin. My dream is to become a professional sportsman and take part in competitions, and of course to win!

I also like cycling. The wind is singing in my ears and I’m flying like a rocket. I like jogging. My mother and I go jogging round the lake at the stadium “Chaika” (sea gull). In spring wild ducks come to hatch their nestlings there. Special huts are built for them on the water. I take part in the annual fun run “Sport for Good” hold in the city by the charity fund “Love Syndrome”. The fund helps children like me from all corners of Russia. I like walking with my family around my city. It’s so nice in the morning on the Embankment. At this time it’s very calm and beautiful. Another favorite place in the city is Ploshchad Kuybysheva because the Opera and Ballet Theatre is located there. I love the theatre, and every visit is like a real holiday for me!

pupil

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WHERE TO STAY Useful advice Samara likes to receive guests. In the historic part of the city you will find centuries-old hotels with the historical feel of the merchant Samara’s charm. As in any big city, in Samara you will find world chain hotels, so try them for high standard accomodation. 46

It’s more comfortable to stay in the city centre as all the sights are within walking distance from the hotels, at least a few-minute ride. It’s not always an advantage to stay close to a metro station. Leningradskaya Ulitsa and Ploshchad Kuybysheva are situated rather far from the metro, whereas the Embankment

is one step from Alabinskaya metro station. The main sports venue “Samara Arena” is located at the edge of the town, in Kirovsky district. The district is servered with hotels and resorts.

Important to remember: silent summer hours in Samara are from 11p.m. till 8 a.m. (it’s one hour less than in other seasons) the water in Samara’s

pipes being drawn from the Volga is rather clean. According to the specialists, the tap water is drinkable and doesn’t need additional filtration; free Wi-Fi is available in most of the hotels and restaurants. You get connected asking the receptionist for a passcode or you register through a browser and recieve your individual passcode on your phone. Free Wi-Fi is available in some shopping centres.

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will help you save some money. Metro working hours – from 6am until midnight.

Taxi Taxi is the most expensive and the most comfortable way to get around the city. Due to the wide choice and healthy competition, taxi rides are not pricey. To call a taxi use mobile apps of the world or Russian services or on the phone.

TRANSPORT In Samara you find practically any kind of public transport: metro, buses, route taxis, trolleybuses, trams, electric trains and river boats. There are several mobile apps that can be useful to find your way round the city. Some of them even operate offline, the others show the traffic of transport in real time.

Buses and route taxis These two are the most used modes of transport in Samara. Route taxis mostly run to the suburbs, but they also cover the same routes as buses. The difference lies in their size: buses are larger and have more passenger seats than taxis which are mostly minibuses. Ground transport runs from 6 am until 11pm. 48

stations were opened in 1987. The metro has been constantly developing so in future two more metro lines are planned to be set to work. For frequent journeys an electronic transport card

Bicycle It’s better to go cycling in parks and along the Embankment equipped with cycle lanes. There are lots of bicycle rentals in recreation zones. To rent a bike you need an ID.

Metro The underground system, known as the “metro” to Samaraners, has ten stations of one line, with one overground station “Yungorodok”. The metro line goes from the city centre to the east end of Samara, to Promyshlenny district. The journey from one end to the other takes 21 minutes. Samara’s metro is rather young – the first four

SAMARA 49

DON’T MISS

Monument of Glory Stela Ladya

Stadium

Stadium “Samara Arena” “Samara Arena” will host the 2018 FIFA World Cup group stage matches, one match of Round of 16 and a match of the quarter-final.

The Railway station

The Sacred Heart Church

The Gorky Drama Theatre

Capacity: 45 000 Samara the Cosmic

Location: Radiocentre district, Ulitsa Dal’naya, Samara Transport: buses № 78 and № 79 to the bus stop “Pionersky Lager Gagarina”, bus №50 and № 113 to the bus stop “Turbaza Dubki”

Art Nouveau Museum

50

Ploshchad Revolutsii

SAMARA 51

USEFUL INFORMATION Useful telephone For fire service, call

For police, call

01

numbers For ambulance, call

02

03 HELLO

112

112

112

GOOD GOOD MORNING

HI

MORNING

220 V 50 Hz WI FI

WI FI

In all the cities of the 2018 FIFA World Cup you have an easy access to the Internet, free WiFi zones in hotels and in WI FI a great number RESTAURANT of cafes and restaurants.

HI

Europe-type sockets

Mobile telephony 3G, 4G, LTE

HELLO

112 04

112 Electricity

24‑hour emergency call centre (mobile phone) – 112

Internet

For gas service, call

RESTAURANT

HOTEL

Money, currency exchange

WI FI

V

WI FI

HOTEL

WI FI RESTAURANT

WI FI You can exchange money in banks and RESTAURANT in bureaus de change located in large shopping centers. Never change money from private dealWI FI ers.

WI FI HOTEL

V

RESTAURANT

52

USEFUL INFORMATION 53

HELLO HELLO

HI

GOOD GOOD MORNING MORNING

HI

HELLO

OLLEH Foreign Languages IH

M

HI

Every city district in Russia has its post office where from you can send a parcel, a letter or a postcard.

Most of hotel staff and those in tourist business speak English. In case you need to ask a question in the street, address it to people under 30 – they are likely to speak English.

HELLO

GOOD MORNING

Post office

GOOD MORNING

HI

211 WI FI

WI FI RESTAURANT

WI FI WI FI

HOTEL

Car rent

V

IF IW

In emergency

IF IW

HOTEL HOTEL

In any unusual situations appeal to the police. With any problems and questions at the stadiums, fan-zones or railway stations appeal to the volunteers of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

V

You can rent a car in most of the large citiesRin Russia. You need to have a regular passport and a valid driving license, no less than 1 year of driving experience.

TNARUATSER

V

V V

LETOH

R

RR

211 54

USEFUL INFORMATION 55

56

Federal Agency for Tourism