Ulyanovsk (01.2012)

Located on the Volga River about 500 miles east of Moscow, Ulyanovsk [formerly known as Simbirsk] is perhaps best known for being the birthplace and hometown of Vladimir Lenin, the man who would change Russia. Although many still make the pilgrimage to Lenin's homeland, he doesn't draw quite as many tourists as before. A classic Russian fairy tale about the adventures of a bun (yes, a bun) that runs away from its grandparents, which originated in Ulyanovsk, may well be the basis for a re-branding of the city. In an effort to keep the tourists coming, there's a movement under way to promote the city as the birthplace of "The Bun". "The times they are a changing..."