The image of the temporary capital of the USSR presented by American journalists U. Carroll and A. Steele

The research presented below was supported by The Russian Foundation for Humanitarian Research grant (RFHR, the project number 17-11-63001). The article demonstrates previously unstudied aspects of Samara local lore. In particular, it focuses on the significance of Kuibyshev for the allies of the USSR during the World War II. Being declared the temporary capital of the Soviet Union, Kuibyshev was no longer one of the regional centers. It was the place known all over the world. The authors use many unique documents issued in the USA during wartime. The paper shows how the image of the city was formed and perceived by American society and how the opinions changed. The following results are important for Imagology, Local lore, and comparative studies. The conclusions drawn in the article as well as the new documents considered from a different angle are crucial for deepening and expanding the knowledge on the subject for future research.