When the German's had almost reached Moscow in 1941 Samara was chosen as a 'reserve' capital, mainly for its advantageous geographical location. While many of the top Kremlin officials were relocating to Samara work had begun on accommodation for Stalin. A team of more than 500 metro builders from Moscow, sworn to complete secrecy, were brought to Samara to construct the bunker. The 8-meter diameter shaft down to the bunker was dug by hand to an incredible depth of 37 meters. The project was carried out in complete secrecy so that not even the neighbors knew that construction was going on. These days the bunker is a museum, and would probably be Samara's greatest tourist attraction if it wasn't so hard to get into. You have to go with a tour group to see it. Individual tourists might be able to tag along with a tour group but the chances aren't good. If you make it down the shaft you'll see the bunker preserved as it was in the 1940s. Features include a conference hall, offices for the top Kremlin brass, living rooms, a dining room, all adorned in an amazingly opulent fashion. Incidentally, Stalin decided to stay in Moscow so never used the bunker himself.
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