[12] The fort of "Simbirsk" (alternatively "Sinbirsk") was strategically placed on a hill on the Western bank of the Volga River.

The fort was meant to protect the eastern frontier of the Tsardom of Russia from the nomadic tribes and to establish a permanent royal presence in the area.

In 1668, Simbirsk withstood a month-long siege by a 20,000-strong army led by rebel Cossack commander Stenka Razin.

Simbirsk was then considered an exclusive town favoured by the aristocracy, and besides its churches and a Governor's Place, included an Assembly Of The Nobles, with a magnificent library.

Winters tend to be cold but with moderate amounts of snowfall and nighttime lows occasionally dipping below −25 °C (−13 °F).

The UAZ automobile manufacturing plant (subsidiary of Sollers JSC); Aviastar-SP Aircraft Company (part of United Aircraft Corporation); Scientific and Production Association "Mars" (manufactures industrial control systems for the Russian Navy, a subsidiary of state-owned conglomerate Agat); Ulyanovsk Cartridge Works (manufactures ammunition for firearms); Ulyanovsk Motor Plant (Ульяновский моторный завод, UMZ) and Ulyanovsk Mechanical Plant (Ульяновский механический завод, UMZ, a subsidiary of JSC Almaz-Antey) are based in the city along with a variety of light industry and food-processing enterprises.

There are many manufacturing facilities of foreign corporations such as Legrand (company), Mars, Incorporated,[18] Takata-Petri,[19] Anadolu Efes S.K.,[20] ALFA (Mexico) and others.

[21] Tourism is a growing industry in the city and the surrounding areas because of Volga micro-climate and historical significance of Simbirsk.

A railway bridge across the Volga was built in 1912–1916 and two automobile lanes were added to it in 1953–1958, allowing for the city to expand on the Eastern (left) bank of the river and transforming it into a local transport hub.

It has an industrial, transport and business infrastructure and a developed network of roads and railways which provide a good basis for turning Ulyanovsk into a major transport and logistics hub in the Volga Federal district working not only for Ulyanovsk Region's plants but the whole Volga federal district.

Ulyanovsk transport hub provides all forms of transport (busy river port and passenger terminal, railways with two major passenger and cargo stations, airports and now two major bridges) apart from sea, which can serve Russian and international cargo traffic to Kazakhstan, Central Asia and Southeast Asia, Europe, China and back.

Completion was delayed significantly due to catastrophic economic circumstances following the end of the Soviet Union.

Its official opening ceremony was on November 24, 2009, by the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev – although traffic was using the bridge a few days earlier.

The City of Ulyanovsk has a working plan to build high-speed rail system to connect the two banks of the town.

During the Soviet period, Ulyanovsk lost much of its historical heritage due to both neglect and intentional destruction.

All traces of the original wooden fort have disappeared, as have the churches of old Simbirsk; the majority of 19th-century buildings remain in the city, including the houses where Lenin lived between 1870 and 1887.

Ulyanovsk is home to several tourist destinations around the downtown museum district and famous Volga River tours.

[30] In association football, FC Volga plays in "Urals-Volga" zone of the Russian Second Division (2016–2017 season).

The main sports were sambo, tug of war, mas-wrestling, gorodki, belt wrestling, lapta, bandy (rink), kettlebell lifting, chess and archery.