Samara Space Museum

Formerly one of Russia’s closed cities and a gateway to the Volga, Samara’s history and culture is well documented in its museums and galleries. A key space aviation hub during the Soviet era and a strategic outpost throughout World War I, or the Great Patriotic War, the city has preserved many artefacts from this time. As the Volga’s regional hub, local artists pioneered the collection and conservation of artworks, from local, national and international artists. So take a break from the Russia World Cup 2018 furor, and soak up some regional culture with these picks of unmissable museums and galleries.
Samara was earmarked to be Russia’s capital should Moscow fall to foreign powers during World War II. And as part of preparing the city, Stalin built an epic bunker underneath what is now the Academy of Culture and Skill. Built in 1942, in secrecy and silence, it took a team of nearly 3,000 workers and close to 1,000 engineers to construct the underground hideout. One of the many underground locales the former Soviet leader built, it was only discovered in 1991 at the end of the Soviet Union. The bunker has multiple chambers and is buried 12 storeys below ground, with enough air to last over 115 people up to five days.
Stalin’s Bunker, Ulitsa Frunze 167, Samara, Russia, +7 846 333-35-71
Stalin’s Bunker Samara | © ET1972/Shutterstock | © ET1972 / Shutterstock