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The capital city of Samara oblast: Samara.
Samara oblast (also spelled Samarskaya) is a federal subject of Russian Federation, part of Volga Federal District. The capital city and administrative center is Samara.
Samara oblast has the population of 3,170,000 (2010) on the land area of 53,600 sq. km.
The territory of current Samara oblast became the part of Russian state in the middle of 16th century, after Kazan and Astrakhan Khanates were joined to Muscovite kingdom. In 17th-18th centuries the territory around Middle Volga was inhabited by migrants from other regions of the country and foreigners. From mid 19th century the territory experienced economic growth, Samara became one of the important centers of crops market within Russia which was followed by trade and industry development in the city. From 1851 Samara became the gubernia center.
In 1935 Samara was renamed into Kuybyshev and remained such till 1990. The industrialization in the beginning of the new Soviet state touched Kuybyshevskaya oblast - in the town of Chapayevsk construction of plants producing explosives, poisonous substances and ammunition began. They were based on a military plant built before revolution.
During the war the region became one of the centers of defense industry of USSR - in 1941 an oil processing plant was put into action in Syzran. It provided the army with fuel, aviation plants were evacuated to Kuybyshev from Moscow and Voronezh. They started the production of pursuit planes “Il-2” A railway crossed Syzran in 1942 and it was used for providing Soviet troops during Stalingrad battle. In 1941-1943 diplomatic missions of foreign countries were located in Kuybyshev, in 1941 there were plans for transferring the capital of the USSR to Kuybyshev in case German troops might have occupied Moscow.
In 1950-1960s the oblast was one of the leading centers of oil extracting in the USSR, in 1945-1951 Kuybyshevsky and Novokuybyshevsky oil processing plants were built. At the same time the construction of Zhigulyov power station was renewed, it was put into action in 1955. Due to this construction site the city of Stavropol was flooded and was built in a new place, later it received the name of Tolyatti.
The construction base created when the power station was built later served for creating other industrial plants in Tolyatti - of mineral fertilizers “Kuybyshev-Azot”, of synthetic rubber “Tolyatti-Caoutchouc” (1964-1966), Volzhsky automobile plant (1970) as well as the largest in the country and in the world ammonia producing plant “TolyattiAzot” (1979).
At the same time the aviation production was widened and the most popular Soviet plane “Tu-154” began being produced. The Soviet rocket space program orders were also fulfilled at this plant (“Progress” rockets). There was an urgent need in qualified engineers and therefore higher education began rapidly developing especially technical one. Sharp economic increase of industry and young population due to migration from other regions of the country (in 1939-1990 the population in the region grew more than twice) caused a lot of requirements to social infrastructure which developed much less slower.
In post Soviet period due to saved economic potential Samara oblast became one of the main economic and political centers of the country, service began rapidly developing in the largest cities of the oblast (Samara and Tolyatti). From the mid 2000s the level of economic and political autonomy of the region greatly reduced.
The largest cities and towns of the region are Samara (1,139,000), Tolyatti (725,000), Syzran (182,000), Novokuybyshevsk (111,000), Chapaevsk (73,000), Zhigulyovsk (56,000), Otradny (49,000).
Main resources of Samarskaya oblast are oil, natural gas, shale oil, various mineral resources for building purposes, water resources.
The industry of Samara region is presented by 400 large and medium plants and over 4,000 small ones. Mostly developed are the following industries: machine-building and metal working, fuel, power engineering, chemical and non-ferrous metallurgy. Machine-building is presented by almost complete range of main branches, automobile industry is the leading one. Specific amount of oil products such as gas, diesel fuel, black oil is 10-12%.
One of the largest in Russia automobile plant “AvtoVaz” is located in Tolyatti city. In Samarskaya oblast near the city of Tolyatti the largest in the world ammonia producing plant “TolyattiAzot” is located. The construction of the largest in the world ammonia pipeline “Tolyatti-Odessa” has begun in the region.
Agriculture of Samara region is specialized in wheat, millet and sunflower growing. Cattle breeding is of milk and meat producing types.
Samara oblast territory is crossed by federal highways E30 - M5 “Moscow - Samara - Chelyabinsk”; E121 - M32; “Samara - Orenburg”. Main waterways of the region are Volga, Sok, Samara rivers. Syzran, Samara and Tolyatti cities are also river ports.
Samara Russia oblast nature
Samarskaya oblast field
Samara oblast landscape
Samara Russia oblast scenery
Samara Russia region winter
Samarskaya oblast view
Samara region church
Samara oblast churches
Samara region USSR remains
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