Samara can be explored through its cultural landmarks: art, archaeology and local history museums stand alongside a pedestrian street with historic character and large green spaces. When planning your stay, you can first decide whether to focus more on museums and architecture, walks or activities in the park.
Art, Collections and Architecture
The Children’s Art Gallery is located in the mansion of merchant Ivan Andreyevich Klodt, an architectural monument in the German Renaissance style. It comprises a museum of children’s creative work, a museum of everyday life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries housed in an architectural monument, a museum of applied arts and a museum garden. It also includes workshops promoting children’s visual creativity, a lecture hall and a tactile exhibition.
The Alabin Museum combines archaeology with ethnographic collections. Its archaeological holdings comprise more than 300 collections and around 40,000 objects; these collection figures may change. The ethnographic collection includes clothing, jewellery, household items, tools and musical instruments of the peoples of the Volga region.
The Samara branch of the State Tretyakov Gallery focuses on Russian art of the early 20th century, unofficial post-war art and the work of artists from the past 25 years. Its building is the restored architectural monument known as the Factory Kitchen: built in 1930–1932, it is shaped like a hammer and sickle and was designed by architect Yekaterina Maksimova. Through exhibition and educational projects at the federal level, the branch’s concept fosters a dialogue between classical and contemporary art in the context of 20th-century culture.
City History and Streetscape
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. Its landmarks include the “Uncle Styopa” sculpture and a stele commemorating the 150th anniversary of Samara Governorate.
The M. D. Chelyshev Museum of the History of Samara covers topics ranging from the city’s founding in 1586 by Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich to the present day. Exhibition topics also include the visit of the city’s patron, Saint Metropolitan Alexius, and the story of Samara’s founding.
Embankment and Parks
The Volga embankment is 4,168.9 metres long and divided into an old and a new section. The old section has walking areas. The embankment offers a different way to experience the city from its museums: here, the focus is on walking along the river, while the collections cover subjects ranging from art to archaeology.
The Friendship of Peoples Ethnocultural Complex is located on the banks of lakes in the Volgar residential area, in the Kuibyshevsky District of Samara. Its architectural ensemble comprises 20 national courtyards showcasing the cultures of the peoples living in Samara Region. Guided and themed tours, as well as master classes, are offered there for residents and visitors to Samara Region. The park also has a tea house selling tea and traditional pies; the offer may change.
At 42 hectares, Zagorodny Park is Samara’s largest park. The “Tarzania” rope park has five courses of varying difficulty, a ten-metre-high climbing wall and slacklines. An equestrian club offers guests riding lessons and horseback rides on horses and ponies. The difference between the two parks is clear: Friendship of Peoples Park focuses on its national courtyards and cultural activities, while Zagorodny Park focuses on its rope park and equestrian activities.
Discover more destinations: Khvorostyanka, Sukhodol, Bogdanovka, Kirillovka, Khilkovo, Malaya Tsarevshchina, Perevoloki, Novokuybyshevsk.
For the regional travel overview: Samara Region.
