Artists such as Repin, Ayvazovsky, Levitan, Savrasov painted from life on the Volga banks. The world famous writer A. Tolstoy spent his childhood and youth in this city. M. Gorky created more than 30 literary works when he lived in Samara. Years passed and Samara grew into a large industrial and cultural center. The main branches of industry here are mechanical engineering, oil production, power engineering and chemical.
Local plants design and assemble modern aircrafts and space-sistern equipment.
The city look has changed lately. Today Samara citizens enjoy many parks. The embankment on the Volga-river is a favorite strolling area. Inimitable in their beauty are city streets due to the architectural variety of styles. Whole districts of old houses with corner turrets and steeples, decorntecl with wooden fretwork, are preserved in this city.