WORLD CUP: Samara famed for Volga river and Soviet beer
MOSCOW — Samara is a city defined by the vast Volga River, which has held a unique position in Russian culture for hundreds of years. It’s been depicted in some of the country’s most famous paintings, like Ilya Repin’s “Barge Haulers on the Volga.” The Soviet Union’s Lada cars were named after a type of