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In what year was Samara founded by enactment of Russian Czar Feodor Ioannovich?

1586. It was founded as an "ostrogue" (the fortress for the guarding of river ways).

What is the bend on the Volga river called, where the river turns right and where Samara is found?

Samarskaya Luka. It means "Samara Bend" and is also the name of the Samara National Park.

Through which mountains does the Volga flow and bend to form the Samara Valley?

Zhiguli mountains. They rise to c.2,220 ft (680 m) and are rich in oil, which is piped to Samara via overhead pipelines.

What famous landmark is found in Samara?

Stalin's bunker. Though he never used it, it was there in case things got too hot for the Soviet leader.

Who burned down Samara in 1670?

Stepan Razin. He had organized a criminal band of cossacks, peasants and marginals for fighting against czarist government.

Between 1773 and 1780 Samara belonged to Stavropol District within Orenburg gubernia. By what name do we now call Stavropol?

Togliatti. In 1970 VAZ was built as the biggest automobile plant of the USSR in Togliatti. The majority of Russian cars are produced there. And of course, speaking of cars, Lada named a car after Samara.

Besides on the banks of the Volga, where else in the world would you find a place called "Samara Beach"?

Costa Rica. There IS a town in Iraq (north of Baghdad) called "Samarra" but it is usually spelled with two "R"s.

What is the 3-letter abbreviation for Samara International Airport?

KUF. Still using the letters from when Samara was called Kyibushev.

What was Samara often known as?

Russian Chicago. Both towns have similar climate, topography and branches of industry. And of course, both had a history of lawlessness. Visitors to Samara often ALSO think of it as "St. Louis-on-the-Volga," which is quite fitting, since Samara and St. Louis are linked by a sister-city relationship.

Which International destination can you NOT fly to directly from Samara International Airport?

Amsterdam. Samara Airlines flies to Vienna and Tel Aviv among it's destinations. Lufthansa takes your from Samara to Frankfurt.

Why was Samara a "closed city" during the cold war?

Secret military aerospace projects were completed there.. Samara was a top secret city until 1990.

On Kyibushev Square there is a bust to Marshall Ustinoff. What did he do?

Planned the war in Afghanistan.. He was born in a township near Samara.

What is the name of Samara's square that locals refer to as the "second square"?

Glory Square. The first square (in terms of inportance)is Kyibushev Square

From 1935 to 1990. Samara was named after the communist revolutionary Kyibushev. What was Kyibushev's first name?

Valerian. Samara was renamed after Kyibushev because Kyibushev was a revolutionary who proclaimed the victory of the communist revolution in Samara in 1917.

Which Samara native stood for President of the Russian Federation in 2000?

Konstantin Titov. Konstantin Alexeyevich Titov is the first elected governor in the history of Samara.

What was built near Samara in 1957 and named after Lenin?

Hydro Electric Station. In Dimitrovgrad an Atomic Electric Station was built later.

The Vostok was built in Samara. What was it?

A spaceship. In 1961, Yuri Gagarin, the first astronaut in space, had a space flight in the spaceship "Vostok" ("The East").

What was "Old Police Square" renamed?

Bread Square. "Hlebnaya Square" to use the local term.

What were the army of emigrants from Czechoslovakia, who took part in the battle for Samara called?

Belochekhi. During the civil war 1918-1922.

SBC "Shar" is a leading enterprise of Samara for the manufacture of what?

Ball Bearings. They make ball radial, radial thrust and roller bearings with short cylindrical rollers and export them to more than 40 countries.

Where is Samara, in relation to Moscow?

Approximately 700 miles to the south east of Moscow. About an hour's flight ... or an overnight train ride away.

What is the name of the first independent radio station to broadcast in Samara?

Radio Samara Maximum. They use five frequencies (FM stereo 104.3 and 73.61 in Samara, 101.2 in Togliatty, 100.9 in Sysran, 101.8 in Chapaevsk). In case you're in the area and fancy hearing a LOT of Roxette.

Name the (soccer) football team from Samara.

Kryliya Sovietov Samara. Spartak (Moskva) and Torpedo (Moskva) are both based in Moscow.

Which international giant bought Rossiya ... the Samara Chocolate Factory?

Nestle. Nestle sells about $500 million worth of ice cream and chocolate a year in Russia, with 17 percent of the chocolate market. The Swiss confectioner chose Rossiya because it had a reputation as a company without mafia interference nor corruption.

What is unusual about Knapp Electric & Hardware Company in South Dakota, USA?

It's on Samara Avenue in the town of Volga, South Dakota. The town, originally known as "Bandy Town", was later renamed "Volga" after the Volga River in Russia. There does not seem to be a river anywhere near Volga, SD on any map.