There is a theory that Ulyanovsk's fate is somehow related to the magical whirlpool formed by the Volga and Sviyaga rivers. The city itself is located on the banks of these rivers, which flow in opposite directions. Perhaps this is the reason why people here tend to be born with such strong personalities, and why these people have such a heavy influence on what happens in the country as a whole. Before 1924, the Ulyanovsk was called Simbirsk and the city was known as '«the gentleman on the Volga». Its coat of arms – a column topped with a crown – symbolizes the nobility as a support for imperial power. By the end of the 19th century, more than 800 noble families lived on the city's territory. In the 20th century, a Simbirsk man, Vladimir Ulyanov, better known as Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, managed to abruptly change jthe history of not only his own city, but that of Russia as a whole. RTG TV's Stanislav Salnikov went to find out about Ulyanovsk's special destiny and its modern-day appearance.