Samara hardly makes it to the top tourist destinations despite its historic value going back to 1586, the official year it was found.
It might also be attributed to the fact that this 400-year-old city had a different name during the Soviet times.
For 56 years until 1991 the city was called Kuybyshev, named after one of the communist leaders.
Like many other strategically important cities Kuybyshev, being a home for the secret aerospace and defence factories and research institutions, was closed to foreign visitors.
Historically, Samara was an important trading centre on the Volga river before the revolution but it became particularly prominent during WWII.
In 1941, when Moscow under siege by the Nazi forces, Samara became the "backup" capital of the Soviet Union.
Many government agencies, diplomatic missions and even football players were moved to Samara.
A special underground bunker was constructed for Stalin.
In nowadays it’s been converted into a museum.
After the war Samara became an aerospace centre.
The rocket engine that sent the first human into space, Yuri Gagarin, was designed and built in Samara.
Gagarin was also meant to land near Samara but some problems during descent resulted in landing about 400 km off the original area.
The actual rocket is now displayed in the middle of the city with the Samara Aerospace Museum underneath it.
Football city
Samara has a reputation in Russian for being a "football city".
Its team FC Krylya Sovetov (Soviet Wings) was formed during WWII from the footballers evacuated here from Moscow.
Krylya Sovetov never won major titles but they were the most consistent provincial team in top division of Soviet and Russian football.
In fact, they were one goal away from becoming the first Soviet team to represent the USSR in European club competitions.
In early 2000s, their home stadium was the most attended in Eastern Europe, averaging over 35,000 people per match. Krylya Sovetov have a fascinating history that mirrors the history of Russia over the past 80 years.
Drinking culture
Finally, Samara is famous for its beer. The Zhiguli brewery dates back to 1880 when an Austrian brewer Alfred von Vacano arrived to Samara and started his own production and crafting a unique beer.
The brewery has a bar called "Na dne" (Rock bottom). There you can taste several types of beer with crayfish, dried fish, sausages and other snacks.
Samara will host 6 matches, including one of Russia's and Australia’s groups stage games and the round of 16 match, and one of the Quarter-finals.
