Samara, formerly Kuybyshev, city, capital of Samara Oblast, south central European Russia. Located at the confluence of the Volga and Samara rivers, the city is an important port and a railroad and industrial center. Manufactures include motor vehicles, railroad equipment, chemicals, and machinery. Samara is the primary refining center for the Volga-Urals oil fields. Founded in 1586 as a defense outpost, Samara developed into a grain-trade center for the Volga River region. Major industrial growth began in the early 20th century. From 1935 to 1991 the city was known as Kuybyshev in honor of the Soviet leader V. V. Kuybyshev. When Moscow was threatened by the Germans during World War II, the city served (1941-1943) as an administrative center of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). Population (1999 estimate) 1,170,800.
