Text 2. Moscow – the capital of Russia

Moscow, the capital of Russia, draws people from all over the world like a magnet. Moscow’s past, present and future makes it a city of unique interests.

The Kremlin is the top sightseeing in Moscow. It is as old as Moscow itself. Its earliest wooden walls and towers were built in the 12^th century. The red brick walls and towers that we see today date back to the 15^th century. All in all, there are twenty towers in the Kremlin, but only five have ruby stars atop. The Spasskaya Tower, with its world-famous clock, is regarded as the main Kremlin tower.

The Cathedral Square inside the Kremlin is the most beautiful sight in Moscow. It is surrounded by such remarkable architectural monuments as the Cathedral of the Dormition, the Annunciation and Archangel Michael, the superb Palace of Facets and Terem Palace, and the magnificent Bell Tower of Ivan the Great, with its 18 richly decorated bells. All these buildings were created by the best architects from Novgorod, Suzdal, Vladimir and Pskov under the supervision of the Italian masters Fioravanti, Ruffo and Solari.

The Armoury, Russia’s oldest museum, is also situated in the Kremlin. Besides weaponry it has a splendid collection of various works of art from gold and silver ware to royal thrones and costumes. The Armoury also houses the Diamond Collection, featuring jewelry, unique specimens of sapphires, emeralds, diamonds, gold nuggets and other treasures.

The Grand Kremlin Palace is another beautiful sight. Important state assemblies and diplomatic meetings are held there.

Red Square is the geographical and historical center of Moscow. It makes a harmonious whole with the Kremlin’s architectural ensemble. The square is adorned by St. Basil’s Cathedral, which was built in the 16^th century by two Russian architects Posnik and Barma. The building was erected as a monument of Russian military glory. In front of the Cathedral is the monument to Minin and Pozharsky. This is the first sculptural monument in Moscow. On the opposite side of the square there is the State History Museum. It was built in the 19^th century. Its more than 300 thousand exhibits tell of Russia’s history.

The city’s cultural life is so rich that it may be difficult to choose something to your liking. There are more than 120 museums, which display millions of interesting things.

The Tretyakov Gallery is considered to be one of the most popular. The Gallery displays the remarkable works of art from early paintings and icons to the 19^th century. The Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts can boast a fine collection of West European painting, including the works of French Impressionists.

The country’s leading musical theatre is the Bolshoi with about 50 operas and ballets. This theatre is famous for its traditions, school and artistic standards.

While in Moscow, the visitors admire its architecture. More than a thousand architectural ensembles and monuments have been taken under state protection in Moscow. The magnificent ensemble of the Novodevichy Monastery, founded in 1524, the graceful 16^th century church at Kolomenskoe, the ornate Church of Intercession in Fili and the open air museums of Arkhangelskoe, Abramtsevo and Kuskovo are included in the list of major monuments of the world’s culture.

Words and phrases to remember:

to be regarded – считаться

to be surrounded – быть окруженным

to be adorned – быть украшенным

to be erected – быть возведенным

to draw – притягивать

to house – вмещать

graceful – грациозный

Answer the questions:

1. Is Moscow the capital of Russia?

2. When was Moscow founded?

3. Who is the founder?

4. What can you say about the Kremlin?

5. What can you say about the Cathedral Square inside the Kremlin?

6. What is the most beautiful square in Moscow?

7. What can you see there?

8. What can you learn from visiting the History Museum?

9. What can be said about the Tretyakov Gallery and the Museum of Fine Arts?

10. Have you ever been to Moscow?

11. What places did you visit or would like to visit?

Ex. 1. Translate from Russian into English.

1. Москва – один из древнейших городов мира. Она была основана в 1147

году.

2. Удивительные здания и великолепные соборы производят огромное

впечатление на туристов.

3. Этот замечательный монумент был воздвигнут в 19 веке.

4. Он считается выдающимся художником.

5. Тысячи туристов приезжают в Москву и восхищаются ее

достопримечательностями.

Text 3. Ekaterinburg

Ekaterinburg is not old. It was founded in 1723 by Vasily Tatishchev by the order of Peter the Great. Over the course of its history, it has proven to be a special and even unique city. From the very beginning it has been the center of mining and metallurgy and the first plant which rose on the bank of the Iset river, by the standards of those days, was one of the best not only in Russia but also in Europe.

Ekaterinburg has a unique mixture of different architectural, historical and cultural rarities. More than 60 monuments of history and culture are situated in the city and 40 of them are considered to be national because of their significance. That is way Ekaterinburg can be given the status of Russia’s most historical city.

The 18^th century Ekaterinburg was a wooden city and unfortunately very few buildings have survived. The city’s stone buildings appeared during the second half of the 18^th century. Mostly these were administrative buildings. In the early 19^th century a new architectural style – classicism – influenced Ekaterinburg landscapes. The Palace on Voznesenskaya Hill, with its luxurious park, is the most famous example of this style.

Many churches and chapels made the city’s panorama very beautiful and picturesque. In the beginning of the 20^th century there were about 50 churches, of which only 6 still stand today.

The Soviet period brought new trends to Ekaterinburg’s architecture. New tendencies in the development of world architecture have also affected the city. The most famous buildings of that period include the Urals Polytechnical Institute, the Railroad Administrative Building and the Philharmony.

The city’s history is full of events. Many expeditions to Siberia, Central Asia and Far East passed through Ekaterinburg. The city was visited by Russian tzars and members of their families. Here occurred the most awful tragedy – the assassination of the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II and all his family members – which took place in the basement of Ipatiev’s house on July 16, 1918. New Memorial Church will be built there soon.

Today Ekaterinburg is a large, lively city. It is not only the administrative center of the Urals, but also a great cultural center with a population of about 1.3 million people. Its banks, companies and enterprises do business with many countries of the world. Few other cities in the Urals have so many theatres, museums and art galleries or can offer such a wide variety of places of public entertainment.

Words and phrases to remember:

significance – значение, важность

to survive – сохраняться, выживать

to influence – влиять

a trend – направление

to occur – происходить

awful – ужасный

to offer – предлагать

Answer the questions:

1. When was the city founded? Who was its founder?

2. Why is the city considered to be the most historical in Russia?

3. What can you say about the city of the 18^th and 19^th century?