Dacha Golovkin, often called the Dacha with Elephants, is one of Samara's strangest and most memorable houses. Built for the artist and merchant Konstantin Golovkin, it mixes Art Nouveau forms with two large elephant sculptures that give the villa its nickname.
The building is best seen from outside, where the silhouette and sculptural oddness do most of the work. It is a good reminder that Samara's architecture is not only official monuments and Soviet space pride; it also has private eccentricity and merchant-era flair.