The city of Simbirsk was founded in 1648 by the command of Tzar Alexey Mikhailovich and under the leadership of Commander Bogdan Matveyevich Khitrovo. He chose an excellent location: the high right bank of the Volga, the venetz (crown) of Simbirsk Hill. The period of Simbirsk's settlement was also a time of growth and expansion for the Russian feudal state and of active development for the Volga river region.
The city first was given the name "Sinbirsk", but later changed to "Simbirsk." There is debate as to the origin and meaning of the name, but the greatest consensus is that it signifies "Seven Winds" referring to the strong and frequent gusts coming off of the Volga.
Owing to its strategic position on a busy waterway the city grew rapidly and quickly became the center of industry and commerce for Middle Volga region. Its history is closely connected with the history of Russia: the Mongol and Tatar Yoke, numerous peasant wars, the War of 1812, the Decembrist Revolt, revolutions and world wars.
It is also the birthplace of many famous writers, poets, and statesmen. In 1870 V.I.Ulyanov (Lenin) was born in Ulyanovsk and in 1924 Simbirsk was renamed to Ulyanovsk in his honor. The city's original name was restored after the fall of the Soviet Union.