While traveling through Ulyanovsk Oblast tourists can get a variety of impressions. Historically the region is best known for its construction of forts and other buildings key in defining ancient Rus’ defensive position. Ulyanovsk, the region’s capital, has had several names over its long history. It once bore the name of Simbirsk and during the 19th century was called “the gentleman on the Volga” as more than 800 noble families lived in the province. Ulyanovsk is also the birthplace of many famous people including the leader of the Russian socialist revolution, Vladimir Lenin. Facts about these people and their history can be found in the city’s many museum exhibitions. The region’s diverse natural environment is no less interesting. Paleontologists call the Volga River’s coastal slopes and the Chalk Mountains - located throughout the area - a chronicle of the Earth’s history. There they have found skeletons of ancient lizards and mollusks. Modern day flora and fauna found in Ulyanovsk also promise to leave a great impression on anyone who visits.