Samara , known from 1935 to 1991 as
Kuybyshev (; ), is
the sixth largest city in
Russia and the
administrative center of
Samara Oblast. It is situated in the southeastern part of
European Russia at the
confluence of the
Volga and
Samara Rivers on the east bank of the Volga. The Volga acts as the city's western boundary; across the river are the
Zhiguli Mountains, after which the local beer (
Zhigulyovskoye) is named. The northern boundary is formed by the Sokolyi Hills and by the steppes in the south and east. The land within the city boundaries covers . Population: . The metropolitan area of Samara-
Tolyatti-
Syzran within Samara Oblast contains a population of over three million.