WE ARE SAMARA PEOPLE

Togliatti is the second after Samara biggest city of the region. Its web is quite rich source of information. You can see pictures of the region from the sputnik (satellite) photocamera at the address: http://www.aist.net.ru/city/space/ We hope, you’ll really enjoy few marvelous views of the Volga river, the biggest river in Europe. It is the most beautiful near our city, with Zhiguli hills inside the river’s bend http://www.aist.net.ru/city/volga/

Those who would like to study more about our historical roots, refer to the site http://old.samara.ru/history/histen.asp It contains history of the region, its economy, art and culture.

One of the most ancient periods of history, I century B.C. is well described by archaeologists on the site, dedicated to the first Slavs on the Volga: http://www.uic.ssu.samara.ru/~arch/ 

Samara, being closed for the foreigners for many years during the Soviet period has a well-developed spacecraft industry. The time came – now we can open these pages of the history. Look at the Cosmopark site to find out about the achievements of Samara engineers and workers on constructing different types of spaceships: http://internetelite.ru/cosmopark/

By many international organizations our region is acknowledged to be favorable for investments and cooperation with the foreign business. Though corporate web-sites are still focused on Russian-speaking community, telecommunication company “Svyazinform” gives good example of providing information in English too: http://www.ssr.ru/en_main.html

Good sample of highly effective company - is the "Knowledge Genesis" software firm: http://www.kg.ru/Eng/Index.htm It develops multimedia systems, using such technologies as simulation, virtual worlds, intellectual agents. Many products were created for clients abroad.

We are willing to introduce you another kind of business, new and very popular trademark “U PALICHA” http://internetelite.ru/tmpalich/eng_index.phtml  One day it will be your pleasure to taste the traditional food, it produces, including hand-painted honey cake (genuine Russian pryanik) and new types of confectionery also.

 The high industrial potential the region possesses is due to the developed educational system. It is rich with the variety of educational institutions, such as: universities and colleges, secondary schools and lyceums. I already pointed you to the English version of Aerospace University site. You may also be interested in thumbing through pages of Samara State University, which now welcomes students from other countries: http://www.ssu.samara.ru/indexen.asp  Special pages will tell you about the dramatic history of the High Education in the region.

Secondary school web sites will provide you with more detailed and colorful information about the schools. The best of them are English versions of International Gymnasium 11, Associated UNESCO Samara school sites. First of all, an official Gymnasium school site: http://www.samara.ru/~gymn11/  with the most current information. This page links to the electronic literary miscellany in two languages - the "United World": http://www.uic.ssu.samara.ru/~united_world/  with the motto: “We are learning the world and want the world to learn about us.” Definitely, you may learn about the system of secondary education in the alternative schools from this sites, in creating of which pupils took a very active part. They participate as journalists and poets, artists and web-masters. Another example od student’s work is the Daytime Boarding School site: http://www.pansion.samara.ru

If you will have more questions about the system of secondary education in Samara, work in-service for teachers, visit the English page of the Education Development Center: http://www.edc.samara.ru and use e-mail addresses for requesting the additional information. On this server you will also find a new site o mentoring in education, created by teachers, who are in the international program on mentoring: http://www.edc.samara.ru/~mentor/ 

Center conducts the Internet projects for schoolchildren. One of them is the creation of hypermediabook on local lore, history and nature - “Oh, Volga, cradle mine!”
http://www.uic.ssu.samara.ru/~volga/index_e.html  Part of the book, consisted of web pages written by pupils in English, contains 10 compositions, illustrated by kids’ pictures and photos.

Wish to see your child drawings exposed in the official Children’s gallery? Use the link to the site of Samara Children’s Gallery, a museum with real and virtual exhibitions of children's masterpieces from different countries all over the world. One can find works from Bulgaria, China, Mozambique, Russia, the USA, Finland, Japan: http://www.uic.ssu.samara.ru/~chgal/

The building, in which the gallery is, belongs to the treasures of an old Samara architecture. The view of it may also be found on the remarkable web site dedicated to the history of old city buildings. The author is the famous city architect, who can not only tell you the stories about the streets and creative people, but let you walk through the city in his drawings:
http://www.uic.ssu.samara.ru/~karkarian/

Anyone will be impressed by the icons, painted by the modern artists of Syzran city in the quite traditional style, which they follow after their fellow countryman Bochkaryv. The icon-painting workshop presents you samples of its masterpieces: http://www.info.syzran.ru/home/icon/index_e.html

If you’d like to order high quality electronic copies of the paintings by Russian or European artists you definitely need to study the site of "Agni" Publishing House: http://www.agni.samara.ru/eng/

It will take you to the online catalogue of fine art reproductions, show the works, which you may purchase. The production includes postcards and calendars, books and periodicals.

As about the modern art, the authors of the “Samara Art" web-site give you a possibility to get to know about it, presenting several personal web-exhibitions. http://www.sama.ru/~samaraart/eng.htm  You will not be lost, navigating by the names or first pictures of the every artist.

Another language of art which is to be common for peoples of different cultural background is music. Few classical guitar tracks may be found on the page of the well-known Samara artists: http://www.uic.ssu.samara.ru/projects/ziouzine.htm

As a matter of fact Samara region is known all over the world for the famous and biggest in NIS Grushinsky Festival of “authors’ songs”. That means mainly live guitar songs in the manner, close to the country music, but more in the Russian cities music style. Its roots are from former 60-s. During the first weekend of July you may study about this music and poetry, about the camp life of more than 100 000 fans, coming to Grushin festival. Live translation for three years was translated from out-of-doors camp in the Internet: http://festival.samara.net

Other sites are mainly dedicated to the modern musical trends, such as metal rock, progressive/avantgarde techno, etc. Key to these resources is the portal http://musica.mustdie.ru/en/ On all the sites the graphics by our leading designers will accompany you. Join the fans virtual club by the news subscription, forums and chats. The creators, writing both Russian and English, feel themselves as the part of the international fans’ team.

As the sample of young web designers home pages I would like to address you to the following one: http://indian.webmercs.com/

The last reminded me the epoch of avantgarde. It is well described on the site “Provincial avantgarde” with pictures of buildings, paintings by local artists: http://www.uic.ssu.samara.ru/~avang/eng/index1.html

Another personal page, written, fortunately, in English, is the page of girl, who cal herself Princess: http://www.info.syzran.ru/home/princess/

“Samara Airlines”, one of the leading carriers in Russia and the largest in the Volga region, http://internetelite.ru/samara-airlines/english/index.html may bring you directly to Samara airport. 

While staying in our region, you’ll probably, need insurance service. One of the local companies “Samara Insurance Company” describes its services in English: http://www.integra.ru/projects/sam_insurance/

In order you to be well prepared for the trip to our region, take a time to read “Dan’s Russian Journal”, remarks by Professor Daniel C. Hellinger
from St. Louis, US Samara partner city: http://old.samara.ru/info/Journal.asp One citation from his writing: “The city has a charm, a lively cultural life, and great outdoors potential in the river, its beaches, and the nearby hills, which together form the Samarkind.”

Photos of everyday life of the region are accessible on few sites, such as:

http://remington.samara.ru/phootography/ and

http://old.samara.ru/culture/uskov_foto/uskov.asp

We hope, that our brief survey will be helpful, though we also suggest to keep addresses of the sites which will let you stay current. We suggest to try the link to the video-digest of TV news from local channels, updated weekly: http://www.samara.ru/realnews/413/  It is in real-video format. “Samara Maximum” radio-station http://www.max.samara.ru/ is broadcasting in real-audio. Our last hyperlink will forward you to the everyday news in English:

http://news.samaratoday.ru First local electronic newspaper “Samara Today” welcomes you to know more about our life. Visit Samara region! At least virtually!..

Serykh Lyudmila Al.

ser@samara.ru

http://www.edc.samara.ru/~serykh/

I am grateful to friends of mine, who checked English grammar - Karyasova Olga, Morgun Elena.