The city of Samara was founded in 1586 as a fortress, called town "Samarsky", started to be built as the strategical point in the complicated foreign relations between Moscow and South-East. Step by step Samara gained the status not only of a military outpost, but of a trade centre as well. Benificial trade with the East was becoming more active too. In 1851 Samara became a provincial town. The end of the 19-th and the beginning of the 20-th century was marked by the rapid growth of industry. Samara was called "Russian Chicago". The year of 1935 became a new stake in the history of the town. By powerful decision of the Government Samara at once turned into Kuibyshev. By that time the town was already a significant industrial and cultural centre of the Volga Region. During those years new plants were being built, new higher educational establishments, museums, theatres were being opened. The town got a special political and strategical importance in 1941.

After the 20-th of October, on the eve of the expected in few hours battle for Moscow, under the resolution of the State Defence Committee, some of the military boards, the National Committe of foreign affairs, the whole diplomatic corps - 20 embassies and missions - were sent to Kuibyshev as to the second capital. From that moment Kuibyshev became a link in the foreign political activity of the Government. Nowadays it's one of the largest industrial and cultural centres of Russia. Here there is a powerful potential of metallurgical, electrotechnical, cable, oil-refining and light industries - a great number of plants and factories are situated in Samara. The city played a prominent role in the difficult victory over the enemy.

From the first days of the Great Patriotic war a number of plants was evacuated here. Samara is the city of Art. There are 6 theatres (among them 2 academic ones), a philarmony, a symphony orchestra, a circus, 7 museums and other places of culture in our city. Guests, coming to Samara, praise it for beautiful geografical position. It is seen in the close position of the Volga and the Samara rivers and the Zhiguli Mountains are called "Switzerland on the Volga" for their wonderful beauty.