Stalin's bunker in Samara

What to Expect and Is It Worth Visiting

Stalin's Bunker - this is one of the most famous attractions of the city of Samara and deservedly so. Every guest of the city is obliged to visit this historical place and at the same time an underground museum. For the sake of it, even specially go to Samara from other cities, since this is the only government protective bunker out of seven built in the Volga cities, accessible to tourists. True, you should prepare in advance for certain inconveniences of visiting this attraction: not very convenient working hours, the need to make an appointment in advance, excursions are conducted only in Russian.

The bunker was built in 1941-1942 for the evacuation of the Supreme Commander-in-chief and the government during the Great Patriotic War from Moscow, and was classified until 1991. It was Samara that was considered as a reserve capital, in case it was necessary to leave Moscow. Fortunately, this never happened, and none of those for whom the bunker was built were here. Interestingly, until 1991, none of the residents of the courtyard where the entrance to the bunker is located, as well as the employees of the building of the Institute of culture, under which it is located, did not even assume its existence.

The bunker consists of nine underground floors to a depth of 37 meters, and this is the height of a twelve-story house. All life support systems are provided here, and thick walls, doors and depth underground could almost completely ensure the invulnerability of the commander-in-chief from air and artillery attacks. There is a legend that the bunker is designed for long-term residence for several months. But that's not really the case. It was intended specifically to protect against possible raids, and did not involve being here for more than 7 days in a row. And working rooms and premises for long-term residence were supposed, if necessary, to be equipped in the form of a building of the institute, under which a bunker was built.

Now the bunker is open to tourists. Here the situation is completely preserved, as if the object is ready to receive the commander-in-chief again at any moment. When it was opened to the public, minimal changes were made: only the paint and plaster were updated, and with the preservation of color and shade; the elevator shaft was updated and a new elevator was installed. Otherwise, they kept everything in the original, down to the switches on the walls and the photos on the wall.

An independent visit to the bunker is impossible, you can see it only as part of a group tour, which must be booked in advance by phone. In time, it takes 4-50 minutes. During this time, you will be taken through all the floors to the lowest level, and will be told in detail about the history of construction and some puzzles. For example, you will learn:

• How was it possible to build a structure in secret from local residents and keep it secret until 1991;
• what happened to the bunker builders;
• did Stalin actually come here;
• why in the Office of the leader made 6 doors and windows.

At the end of the story, free time is given for photographing. You can take pictures without restrictions, and even touch the exhibits. It is allowed to sit at the table of the commander-in-chief.

And we also advise you to see ready-made excursions around Samara, with which it will be much more interesting to get acquainted with the city. You can find and Book Group or individual excursions around Samara from local residents on these verified sites with reviews:

• 📷 search for excursions in Samara on Tripster.ru
• 📷 search for excursions in Samara on Sputnik8.com