F.A.Q
Why ‘Sambook’?
Initially ‘Sambook’ was a SAMara BOOKlet, later a store was opened with the same name, where one could find the books of Samara authors, books about Samara issued by Samara publishing house “New Engineering” (SAMara BOOKs).
What is ‘Sambook’?
Sambook (SAMara BOOKs ) is a store of exclusive Samara and Russian souvenirs. We also sell books about Samara, maps, and city guides.
Sambook is also a delicious dessert (a pudding). In web you can find different recipes of sambook made of apples, bananas and other ingredients. In the Soviet times some canteens were selling sambooks of dried apricots. You can easily make it at home. Just put some dried apricots in water and leave it for a while, then blend it and it is ready to eat!
Which Samara souvenir is the most popular among tourists?
Magnets. We design exclusive magnets with Samara views using the paintings of Samara artists. All the rights reserved. A magnet is an inexpensive souvenir and of high quality. For several years it is sales leader.
Which souvenir to bring from Samara?
It depends. For some people Samara is the centre of aerospace industry. We sell t-shirts with Gagarin, ceramic rockets, and different souvenirs with the Monument of Glory. For those who love monuments we have souvenirs with the new monuments of Grigori Zasekin and the Volga Boatmen.
Some people admire the Catholic Church building and the neighbouring Orthodox Church on Frunze Street. All those sights we have on different souvenirs, including magnets, cups, plates, etc.
And the main attraction for the citizens and visitors is the Volga and the embankment, as well as the old Samara mansions with cats on the windows. We love cats and created a Samara cat, which is our favourite souvenir.
Which material is used to make matryoshkas?
The moulds are made of linden, the paint is gouache and gold leaf. We sell exclusive matryoshkas with Samara views and Art Matryoshkas painted by Samara artists. You can order a so-called portrait matryoshka or a matryoshka with a logo and in style of your company.
We have a wide choice of matryoshkas from other cities from Russia. One of the favourite ones are from Kostroma, Vyatka, Sergiev Posad, and, of course, Semyonov.
Are the shawls you sell “genuine”?
Yes! We sell Pavlovo Posad shawls made of natural wool with a knitted wool or silk fringe. Each item has a certificate and tags. Just a few years ago this question would sound weird; however, now you can find many fake shawls, some of them are made in China and they use similar prints.
How to wash Pavlovo Posad shawls?
It is not recommended to wash the wool shawls. You might do it carefully in cold water. Do not twist it. It is better to use special laundry service.
The shawls are very warm and of good quality. They will serve you for the whole life. Guaranteed.
Why matryoshkas are so expensive?
Our advantage is that the souvenirs are made in Russia. The high price is a relative term. We offer market prices. We did not increase the prices after the crisis in 2014.
Many of the matryoshkas have certificates and they are harmless for kids.
If you look carefully you might notice that a matryoshka of good quality has even eyes, all the traditions are followed comparing to the ones that are sold on the streets.
How to get a discount in your store?
Simple. If your one-time purchase is equal or more than 10000 rubles, you will instantly receive a 5% discount card. It is an accumulative card. Please do not forget to show it each time you make a purchase at your store. When your total amount of purchases reaches 50000 roubles the card will exchanged on a 10% card.
How can I pay?
We accept cards in all our stores, including the one on the embankment. In our webpage you can pay using Yandex.Money, WebMoney, Qiwi Wallet, as well as Sberbank transfer.
We can also provide you with an invoice. We can keep the item you want to buy for 3 days if you pay 50% of its cost, and pay the other 50% upon receiving it.
If you have other questions or queries please email us sambook@inbox.ru and we will be happy to assist you!