I have come to the city of Samara a second time, to visit a Russian friend I first met in St Louis. The city lies 1000 kilometres south-east of Moscow, and stands at the confluence of two wide rivers, the Volga and the Samara. Founded in 1586 as a small fortress, it now has more than one million inhabitants. The Samara region, rich in oil and minerals, is reputed to have the highest per capita wea ... (read more)