Samara

According to the archaeological data, the first human settlements on the territory of the Middle Volga area emerged in the period of the late Paleolithic. Hunting was the major pursuit of ancient people. There were plenty of wild animals in the area - hairy rhinoceros, mammoth, aurochs, elk, giant deer and so on. In ancient times, Scythian-Sarmatian tribes roamed on the territory of the future Samara Region. This is known by the archaeological artifacts from the sepulchral mounds built by those people. Since the 7th century, the Middle Volga area fell under the influence of the Khazar Khanate, though after the defeat of that state in the 10th century by the troops of the Kiev prince Svyatoslav, the peoples of the Volga region eliminated Khazar rule. In the Middle Ages, the southern border of the Volga-Kama Bulgaria ran through the territory of the present Samara Region. After the army of the Mongol Khan Batu invaded Europe in the 13th century, the Middle Volga area for a long time became a part of the Golden Horde, and later, of its successor - the Kazan Khanate. In 1391, one of the greatest battles of the medieval era between the armies of the Central Asia sovereign Timur and the last Golden Horde ruler Tokhtamysh took place at the river Kondurcha, and Timur won. As Russian power and influence increased, the exclusively favorable position of the Middle Volga in areas of economy and defense made the Muscovite sovereigns grow interested to this land. Soon after the fall of Kazan, by the order of Czar Fedor Ioannovich in 1586, a fortress was founded at the mouth of the river Samara as an outpost of the Russian state against the raids of nomads. The fortress was named after the river. The first Samara Voevode (military commander) was Prince Gregory Osinfovich the Prince Zasekin. The origin of the name Samara as such is more like an enigma, and its meaning has been lost in time. But, as far back as the Venice geographical maps of the 14th century, a convenient quay named Samar was marked at the Volga bend near the present Samara. Apparently, the meaning of the word Samara is hidden in the forgotten language of some long extinct nation. A brisk intersection of trade routes, fertile soil, rich pastures and abundant fisheries stimulated an influx of people and boosted colonization of this land. In 1850, the Samara province was promoted to the status of a separate administrative unit. It was popular all over Russia as a major center of wheat trade and agricultural production. Outstanding figures of national and foreign culture came from here including Alexey Tolstoy, Korolenko, Garin-Mikhaylovsky, Gorky, Repin, Gasek and others. Dramatic developments occurring in Russia in the early 20th century, did not miss the Samara land. Three revolutions, the First World War and civil war deeply impacted the history of Samara. As was usual at that time, the city Samara was named after Kuibyshev, and the region was renamed accordingly. In its present borders the Region has existed since December 1936. Samara became one of the nation's biggest industrial centers during the Second World War as a result of the evacuation of a number of engineering and aircraft production units here from the western regions. And after most of the government offices and diplomatic corps had moved to Samara later in 1941, the city was rightfully called the capital of the rear. In the post-war period, the Region continued to build up its economic potential developing oil, aerospace engineering, hydro-energy and motor-car industries. Nowadays, the Samara Region is one of the major contributors to the industrial might of Russia along with Moscow, Saint-Petersburg and the Ural. The Samara Region's permanent residents number 3,306,000 people, including 2,662,000 who live in town, and 643,000 who live in the country.