Samara Region

Geographical position

The region is located in the southeastern part of the European territory of Russia, in the middle reaches of the Volga , on both sides of it. This is the fifth largest region of the Volga region — it occupies an area of ​​53.6 thousand km², which is 0.31% of the territory of Russia . The region stretches 335 km from north to south, and 315 km from west to east. The southernmost point of the region lies on the border with Kazakhstan (51 ° 47 'N and 50 ° 47' E), the northernmost - on the border with the Republic of Tatarstan (54 ° 41 'N and 51 ° 23 'e.). The extreme western point lies on the border with the Ulyanovsk region (53 ° 22 'N and 47 ° 55' E), and the extreme eastern point lies on the border with the Orenburg region (54 ° 20 N and 52 ° 35 'E)) ^[10] . Due to the proximity of the West Kazakhstan region of Kazakhstan, part of the Bolshekhernigovsky district has the status of a border territory. ^[eleven]

The Samara region has a small exclave with an area of ​​approximately 30 km², located entirely inside the territory of the Buguruslan region of the neighboring Orenburg region . Until 2005, the territory of this exclave housed the village of Dalniy, now defunct. However, the fields on the territory of this exclave continue to be used in the interests of agriculture in the Samara region. The exclave administratively belongs to the Kinel-Cherkasy region . To get from the main part of the Samara region to this exclave, you have to travel about 2 km along the territory of the Orenburg region.

Local time

Until 2010, Samara time (MSC + 1) was in effect in the region: UTC + 4 (standard time) and UTC + 5 ( summer time ).

From 2010 to 2014, Moscow time was in effect, which at that time corresponded to UTC + 4 year-round ^[13] .

Since October 26, 2014, the region has been in the newly created third time zone (MSC + 1, Moscow time plus 1 hour, UTC + 4) ^[14] . The difference with the average solar time is from 30 minutes in the east of the region to 48 minutes in the west of the region.

Natural conditions and resources

Located on the East European platform. The history of the geological development of the territory of the region covers the Early Precambrian and Riphean-Phanerozoic eras. The Volga and Samara rivers are the boundaries of the internal division of the region according to the relief. There are three parts: Right Bank, Northern and Southern Left Bank. Most of the region (91.2%) is located on the Left Bank. The Right Bank, or Pre-Volga, is an elevated area, in it are the Zhiguli Mountains . Most of the Zhiguli Mountains are located on the territory of the Samarskaya Luka National Park. ^[15] In the north of the Left Bank there is a flat plain and the High Volga region - the Bugulminsko-Belebeyevskaya Upland and its spurs (Soksky Yars, Kinelsky Yars, Sokoli Mountains). The south of the Left Bank is a gentle wavy plain; in the south of the region there are sections of the Upland General Syrt (Blue, Middle, Stone, Perelyubsky Syrty). The maximum height is the Observer in the Zhiguli Mountains (381.2 m.) ^[16] In addition to the described natural landforms, in the Samara Region there are many artificially created ones that arose during the course of human economic activity: quarries, dumps, excavations, earth dams, dams, embankments, etc. ^[17]

The main watercourse is the Volga River. Kuibyshev reservoir, the largest in Europe, has a water mirror area of ​​6450 square meters. km The total length of the Volga is 3690 km, of which 340 km (9.2%) fall on the territory of the Samara region. ^[17] The largest tributary of the Volga River is the Samarka River. Of the total length of its watercourse (594 km), 222 km are in the territory of the Samara region. In the region there are 220 rivers and small drains with a total length of 6.3 thousand km, 27 lakes with an area of ​​more than 0.5 square meters. km ^[18]

The territory of the Samara region is located in two natural and geographical zones - forest-steppe and steppe.

The soil cover is represented by gray forest soils, leached, typical and southern chernozems, chestnut soils, as well as solonetzes and solonchaks. Significant areas of arable land are subject to water erosion. Eroded soils are found in almost all farms in the region. ^[17]

The total area of ​​the forest fund is 760.1 thousand ha, which is about 13% of the total area of ​​the region. In the Zhiguli Mountains, forest cover reaches 70%. The forest fund of the region is represented by pine - 64%, spruce - 2%, oak - 7% and 27% accounted for by other crops. All forests of the region are classified as protective, of which 77% have an average 3-4 fire hazard class. Coniferous forests, the most prone to fires, occupy 16% of the total forested area, hardwood forests occupy 32%, and softwoods account for 52% ^[16] .

A number of plant communities of great scientific, educational and environmental importance are natural monuments. Among them, a special place is occupied by the plant communities of Samara Luke. ^[nineteen]

The region is also famous for its mineral springs, for example, on the basis of Sernovodsky resort area Sergievsky mineral waters operates. ^[20]

Natural resources are represented by minerals and water resources. Minerals are represented by fuel resources (oil, combustible gases, oil shale, natural bitumen, insignificant peat reserves), as well as building materials (sands, clays, limestones, dolomites, chalks, flasks, to a lesser extent diatomites), industrial raw materials (gypsum, anhydrite) and mining raw materials (sulfur ores, rock salt). A large rock salt deposit is located on the territory of the Bolsheglushitsky district ^[17] . Reserves of stone building materials (carbonate rocks and gravel) are the largest in the Volga region. ^[21] The richest oil fields are Mukhanovskoye, Kuleshovskoye, Dmitrievskoye, Radaevskoye, Yakushkinskoye, Pokrovskoye. Hydrocarbon reserves are confined to Devonian and Carboniferous reservoirs; their depth to 3000 m, sometimes more. Oils are mainly light, low viscosity, sulfur and high sulfur ^[22] . The proportion of the Samara region in reserves and oil production on land in Russia is about 1.5% and 3%, respectively. ^[23] In total, over 350 oil fields have been discovered in the region, of which more than 80 fields are in the unallocated subsoil fund. ^[24]

Other types of major minerals of great economic value include groundwater of potable quality and mineral water. With the commissioning of the Volga Hydroelectric Power Station in 1957, the most important hydropower resource was the water resources of the largest Kuibyshev reservoir in Europe. ^[25]

Flora and fauna

In the region, 84 species of mammals from 6 orders and 19 families, 271 species of birds from 19 orders, 12 species of reptiles , 11 species of amphibians , 56 species of fish , 183 species of crustaceans , 132 species of mollusks , about 9,500 species are registered insects , about 800 species of arachnids , 12 species of millipedes ^[26] . Fifteen species of invertebrates are listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation: intermediate eizenia, emperor watchman , steppe cod , fragrant dandy , stag beetle , bronze smooth , Alpine barbel , etc. About 60 relict invertebrate species have been identified. The Middle Volga is part of the famous Volga-Kama fishery region, which produces more than half of the national catch of pike perch and bream, almost three quarters of the catch of roach and more than half of the world catch of sturgeon. ^[27]

There are over 1800 species of vascular plants in the flora of the Samara Region, of which 281 species are included in the Red Book of the Samara Region (2007).

At the end of 2012, in the Samara region there are protected areas of the following categories: state nature reserves (1), national parks (2), biosphere reserves (1), protected areas of regional significance (213), botanical gardens (1), health-improving areas ( one).

Currently, a unique network of various protected natural areas has been formed in the Samara region. Its basis is protected areas of federal importance: Zhigulevsky State Nature Reserve. I.I. Sprygina (23.157 thousand ha) and Samarskaya Luka National Park (127.186 thousand ha). ^[22]

The total forest cover of the region ^[28] :

The climate of the Samara region is temperate continental . The anticyclone type of weather prevails on average 58% of the days in a year. The extreme south of the region in winter and early spring crosses the Voeikov axis , which affects the local climate. The radiation balance from October to March is negative. The amount of total radiation is 99-104 kcal / cm². The average monthly temperature in July is 20.7 ° C, January –13.8 ° C. The average annual temperature is 3.8 ° C. The average relative humidity is 73%. The average annual rainfall is 372 mm. The average long-term snow depth is 35–75 cm ^[29] . The climate of the region is characterized by cold winters, short spring, hot and dry summers, rather rainy and cool autumn. The duration of winter is 150-155 days, and summer 140-147 days. Spring - 1 month (April) and autumn - 1 month (October).

The history of the Samara Territory goes back to antiquity, the discoveries of archaeologists testify to this. Already in the Paleolithic era there appeared sites of primitive people. In the period of Bronze and Iron, the number of settlements increased, the population, along with cattle breeding, was engaged in agriculture and craft production. ^[thirty]

Silicon products ( cores , knife-like plates, scrapers) found on the territory of Samara in the Postnikovy ravine belong to the Upper Paleolithic era. Paleoanthropological findings on Mayak Mountain near the village of Sidelkino, Chelno-Vershinsky District, are 11.55 thousand years old. Also on Mount Mayak there are finds from layers of the Mesolithic . Neolithic sites include Elshan archaeological sites (Yelshanka, Krasny Yar, Sidelkino) ^[31] .

In the Late Copper - Early Bronze Age (5300 - 4700 years ago), representatives of the Yamnaya archaeological culture , who were carriers of the Y chromosome haplogroup R1b ^[32] and mitochondrial haplogroups H , T , U , N , W ^[33], lived near Samara.

The period between the 3rd and 7th centuries of our era dates back to ancient settlements and villages of the Imenkovsky culture . Upon the arrival of the Bulgars in the Middle Volga, in the second half of the 7th century , the monuments of the Imenkovites disappear. It is believed that some of the Imenkovites disappeared into the Bulgars , some went westward between the Dnieper and Don rivers , having founded the Volyntsev culture ^[34] and, mixed with the Kolochin and Penkov cultures existing in these places, became the progenitors of Kievan Rus.

At the end of the 9th-beginning of the 10th centuries Samara Luka became part of the early feudal state Volga Bulgaria. In the X century. On the outskirts of this state formation, the Murom town appeared, which played a prominent role in the development of crafts and trade relations with the nomadic steppe. These traditions were broken by the Mongol invasion. ^[thirty]

The first historical mention of the area on which Samara later arose dates back to 1357, when St. Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia, on his way from the Horde visited a pious desert who lived near the mouth of the Samara River and, looking at the happy location of the surroundings, predicted the existence of a large cities. ^[35]

Mention of settlements near Samarskaya Luka, including the pier at the confluence of the Samara River in the Volga in Russian chronicles, falls on 1361, and the settlement-pier Samar was first marked on the map of the Venetian merchants Picigano in 1367. ^[36]

Samara was founded in 1586 by decree of Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich as a fortress with the aim of protecting shipping on a section of the river flowing near the city, and to protect borders. Prince G.O. Zasekin. ^[35]

In the XVII-XVIII centuries Samara region was at the epicenter of two peasant uprisings. In 1670, Samara was captured by the troops of Stepan Razin, and in 1773, it opened the gate in front of the army of Emelyan Pugachev. ^[37]

Territory of the present ^{[ when? ]} Samara region became part of Russia in the middle of the XVI century , after the accession of the Kazan and Astrakhan khanates to the Moscow kingdom . In the XVII-XVIII centuries, the territory of the Middle Volga region was inhabited by immigrants from other regions of the country and by foreigners (in particular, Volga Germans ). In 1688, Samara received the status of a county town. ^[36] Since the mid- 19th century, the territory experienced an economic boom; Samara has become one of the important centers of the Russian grain market, which led to the development of trade and industry in the city. On December 6, 1850, Emperor Nicholas I issued a Decree to the Governing Senate on the creation on January 1, 1851 of the Samara province, the center of which was Samara with a population of 20 thousand people. ^[35] Since 1851, Samara is the center of the province of the same name . According to the data for 1856, the urban population was - 3.19%, the rural - 96.81%. ^[37]

After the fall of serfdom, the socio-economic development of the region accelerated. The growth of trade and industry was associated with the construction of railways and the development of the Volga river transport, the transformation of Samara into a major transport hub connecting the center of the country with Siberia and Central Asia. ^[36]

By the end of the XIX century. in Samara there were 46 factories and factories, where 2.5 thousand permanent workers worked. The most noticeable phenomenon of architecture was the brewery. In 1880, the current Alexandrovsky railway bridge was built across the Volga in the Syzran region. In 1890, the first power station. In 1917, 90 industrial enterprises, a mechanical bakery, and an elevator with a capacity of 3.5 million pounds of grain already operated in Samara. The population of Samara has reached 150 thousand people. ^[38]

During the Russian Revolution and the Civil War , turbulent events related to the change of power took place in the territory of the Samara province . After the proclamation of Soviet power on October 25 (according to the old style) in Samara, a rebellion of the Czechoslovak corps followed in June 1918, and on June 8, relying on the support of Czechoslovakians, the KOMUCH Provisional Government was formed by some members of the Constituent Assembly in Samara, which lasted until October 6 when Soviet power was restored in Samara. Other events include raids of the Orenburg and Ural Cossacks in the south of the province, the deployment of the front of the struggle with the forces of A.V. Kolchak . The popular movements of the Samara province also took different sides. While the workers of industrial centers and part of the peasantry supported the Soviet regime, the population of some villages rebelled against the Bolshevik policy of war communism ( Chapan War ).

In 1928, in connection with the administrative-territorial reform, Samara became the center of the Middle Volga Region . In 1935, Samara was renamed Kuibyshev (and bore this name until 1990), and the Middle Volga region - in the Kuibyshev region . By 1936, the Kuibyshev Territory was disbanded, from which the Orenburg and Penza Regions and the Mordovian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic left. In 1943, the Ulyanovsk region was allocated from the Kuibyshev region . From that moment, the Kuibyshev region was formed in the current ^{[ when? ] the} borders of the Samara region.

The industrialization of the first five-year plans did not pass over the Kuibyshev region - in the city of Chapaevsk, on the basis of the pre-revolutionary military plant, the creation of a group of enterprises producing explosive and poisonous substances and ammunition began , a number of other defense enterprises appeared in the region. At the end of the 1930s, the construction of the Kuibyshev hydroelectric complex began with the forces of the Gulag prisoners, which was discontinued due to the discovery of the Kuibyshev oil fields .

During World War II, the region became one of the centers of the country's defense industry - in 1941, an oil refinery was launched in Syzran , which provided fuel for the army, and aviation plants that launched the production of IL-2 attack aircraft were evacuated to Kuibyshev from Moscow and Voronezh . In 1942, the so-called Volga Rokada - a railway used to supply Soviet troops during the Battle of Stalingrad . In 1941-1943, diplomatic missions of foreign states were located in Kuibyshev, in 1941 there were plans to transfer the capital of the USSR to Kuibyshev in the event of the capture of Moscow by German troops.

In the 1950s and 1960s, the region was one of the leading centers of oil production in the USSR; in 1945-1951, the Kuibyshevsky and Novokuibyshevsky refineries were built for oil refining. In parallel, the construction of the Zhigulevskaya hydroelectric station was resumed, which was launched in 1955. In connection with the construction of the hydroelectric station, the city of Stavropol was flooded and rebuilt in a new place, later it received the name Tolyatti . Subsequently, the construction base created during the construction of the hydroelectric power station was used to create a series of other industrial enterprises in Togliatti - the KuybyshevAzot mineral fertilizer plant, the Togliattikauchuk synthetic rubber plant (1964-1966), the Volga Automobile Plant (1970), as well as the largest in the country and world producer of ammonia plant " TogliattiAzot " (1979).

During the same years, aviation production was expanded in the regional center and the Kuibyshev Aviation Plant launched production of the most massive Soviet passenger medium-range Tu-154 aircraft , orders were fulfilled as part of the Soviet space-rocket program ( TsSKB-Progress ). The sharply increased need for qualified engineering personnel has led to the development in the field of higher education, mainly in technical fields. At the same time, the rapid growth of industry and the influx of a large number of young people from other regions of the country (in 1939-1990 the population of the region more than doubled) created a large burden on social infrastructure, which developed much more slowly. For example, the population of Samara already in the late 1960s exceeded 1 million inhabitants, and by Soviet standards, the city received the right to claim the metro; The Samara Metro was opened in 1987 (the decision on construction was made in 1978). In Tolyatti , whose population in the late 1980s exceeded 600 thousand inhabitants, higher education was represented only by the Polytechnic Institute , although the industrial development of the city had actually ended by that time.

September 30, 1958 Kuibyshev region was awarded the Order of Lenin for success in the development of agriculture. November 26, 1970 was awarded the second order for great successes in the implementation of the five-year plan for the development of the national economy, engineering, chemical and petrochemical industries ^[39]

In 1990, the historical names-Samara and Samara region were returned to the city and the region. ^[37]

In the post-Soviet period, the Samara region, thanks to the accumulated economic potential and the formed local elites, became one of the economic and political subcenters of the country; in the largest cities of the region (Samara and Tolyatti), the service sector began to develop. Since the mid-2000s, the level of economic and political independence of the region has declined significantly.

The population of the region according to Rosstat is 3 183 038 ^[6] people. (2019). The population density is 59.42 people / km ² (2019). The urban population is 80.24 ^[40] % (2018).

The ratio between men and women in the total population of the Samara region in 2014-2016 amounted to 45.7 and 54.3, respectively. ^[41]

In terms of population, the region ranks 2nd in the Volga region and 12th in Russia (July 2010). In terms of population density, this is the 10th region in Russia (excluding Moscow and St. Petersburg ), and in terms of urbanization - 11th place (excluding autonomous okrugs ). According to these two indicators, the region is leading in the Volga region .

Positive migration growth remains the only element partially replacing the natural population decline. It is formed due to interregional migration within Russia and migration with neighboring countries. A significant part (46.5%) of migration growth between the region and the CIS and Baltic countries falls on Kazakhstan (290 people) and Uzbekistan (627 people).

The region reached its peak in population in 1996, the population was then 3 306 798, the total population growth for the period from 1990 to 1996 was 70 428 people. For the period of depopulation from 1997 to 2010, the total population decline amounted to 135,564 people. In 2008-2010, depopulation continued, but its pace significantly decreased.

Up to 80% of the population lives in the zone of the third largest in Russia Samara-Tolyatti Agglomeration .

In 2013, 40,057 people were born in the Samara Region (674 more than in 2012), 46,246 people died (1516 more than in 2012). Thus, the birth rate in 2013 compared to the previous year increased by 1.71%, the mortality rate increased by 3.39% ^[42] . The natural population decline was 6189 people.

In January-November 2014, 37,085 people were born in the Samara Region (666 more than in January-November 2013), 41,841 people died (442 fewer than in January-November 2013). The birth rate for January-November 2014 compared to the same period of 2013 increased by 1.8%, the mortality rate decreased by 1.0%. The natural population decline was 4756 people (in January-November 2013 - 5844 people).

In 2017, the number of births decreased by 14% compared to 2016 and amounted to 34.5 thousand children, the number of deaths - by 1.5% (43.7 thousand people). As a result, the natural decrease amounted to 9.2 thousand people (in 2016 - 4.3 thousand people). ^[43]

In January - November 2018, the population decreased by 8.7 thousand people. The number of births compared to the same period in 2017 decreased by 3.8%, and the number of deaths by 2.0%. ^[44]

In 2018, 30523 people were born in the Samara Region (1199 people less than in 2017), 39395 people died (795 people less than in 2017). The natural population decline was 8872 people. Population decline in 2018 was observed in most territories of the Samara region. ^[44]

National composition

According to the 2010 census ^[45] , thousands of people:

Administrative territorial structure

According to the Charter of the Samara region, the subject of the Russian Federation is divided into the following administrative-territorial units : ^[46]

• 10 cities of regional significance
• 27 districts

Municipal unit

As part of the municipal structure , within the boundaries of the administrative-territorial units of the region, the region includes the following municipalities, respectively, as of January 1, 2016. ^[47] :

• 10 urban districts
• 27 municipal districts , including:
  • 12 urban settlements and
  • 284 rural settlements .

Cities of regional significance (urban districts) of the region:

1. Samara
2. Zhigulevsk
3. Kinel
4. Novokuybyshevsk
5. Oktyabrsk
6. Otradny
7. Stupidly
8. Sizran
9. Tolyatti
10. Chapaevsk

Regions (municipal areas) of the region:

1. Alekseevsky district
2. Bezenchuksky district
3. Bogatovsky district
4. Bolsheglushitsky district
5. Bolshechernigovsky district
6. Bor district
7. Volzhsky district
8. Elkhovsky district
9. Isaklinsky district
10. Kamyshlinsky district
11. Kinel-Cherkasy district
12. Kinelsky district
13. Klyavlinsky district
14. Koshkinsky district
15. Krasnoarmeysky district
16. Krasnoyarsk district
17. Neftegorsky District
18. Pestrava district
19. Pohvistnevsky district
20. Volga region
21. Sergievsky district
22. Stavropol district
23. Syzran district
24. Hvorostyan district
25. Chelno-Vershinsky district
26. Shentalinsky District
27. Shigon district

Settlements

Settlements with a population of more than 10 thousand people