My Country (Моя страна)

I want to tell you about my country. Russia is the largest country in the world. It covers eastern part of Europe and northern part of Asia. Total area of Russia is about seventeen million square kilometres with the population of about 145 million people.

The official name of Russia is the Russian Federation. The colours of the national flag are white, blue and red. Russia's state emblem is a double headed eagle. The country is a parliamentary republic, which means that the President is the Head of the state. The main law of the country is the Constitution. It guarantees the rights of the citizens.

The country is washed by twelve seas and three oceans: the Pacific Ocean in the east, the Arctic Ocean in the north and the Atlantic Ocean in the west. Russia borders on many countries: China, Georgia, Finland, Norway, Byelorussia, Ukraine and others. The landscape of Russia is varied. There are highlands in the east, steppes in the south, plains and forests in the midland, the tundra and the taiga in the north.

There are several mountain chains in my country, too: the Urals, the Caucasus, the Altai and others. The largest chain is the Urals which separates Russia's European part from its Asian part.

Russia is rich in rivers and lakes. The Volga which flows into the Caspian Sea is the longest river in Russia. Lake Baikal is the deepest lake in the world.

There are different types of climate on the territory of Russia it is very cold in the north, even in summer. In the central part of the country winters are usually cold, summers are very warm. The climate of Siberia is continental: summers are hot and dry, winters are very cold and snowy. In the south of Russia the temperature is usually above zero all year round, even in winter.

Russia is an industrial country. It has a lot of mineral resources: coal, natural gas and iron. There are a lot of large factories and plants all over the country. Russia is also an agricultural country. Russians plant corn, fruit and vegetables.

Russia has a very rich history. It is an ancient country with a lot of historic places of interest, big cultural centres and small towns. There are a lot of museums, theatres, cinemas, libraries, restaurants and clubs in big Russian cities. Such cities are usually noisy with heavy traffic in the streets and are full of smoke.

The capital of Russia is Moscow. Moscow is one of the biggest cities in Europe with the population more than ten million people. The second largest city in Russia is St. Petersburg. This is a city of numerous monuments, museums and art galleries. The city is on the Neva River.

Russia is a great country with a great culture, I love my country.

Moscow(1) Москва

I would like to tell you about Moscow.

Moscow is the capital of Russia. The city was founded in 1147 on the Moskva River by Prince Yuri Dolgoruki. In the 16-th century Tsar Ivan the Terrible made Moscow the capital of the country.

Today Moscow is one of the largest cities in the world. It is a big political, economic and cultural centre of Russia. The total area of Moscow is about nine hundred square kilometres and the population is about eleven million people.

The centre of Moscow is Red Square, which is the most popular sight for tourists. It is a place for parades, demonstrations and meetings. In Red Square there is St. Basil's Cathedral, a masterpiece of Russian architecture, erected in memory of Russia's victory over the Kazan Kingdom in the 16-th century. Tourists can see the monument to Minin and Pozharsky in front of the Cathedral. It is the oldest monument in Moscow built in memory of the victory over the Polish invaders. The State History Museum is situated opposite St. Basil's Cathedral. It is one of the biggest museums in Moscow.

On the territory of the Kremlin, which is the heart of Moscow, there are old cathedrals, the Bell Tower of Ivan the Great, the Palace of Congress, the Tsar Cannon and the Tsar Bell, the biggest cannon and bell in the world. The tallest tower, the Spasskaya lower, is the symbol of the Kremlin. Alexandrovsky Garden with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a memorial to the soldiers died in World War II.

Moscow is a big cultural centre of Russia. There are a lot of cinemas, clubs, concert halls, numerous drama and musical theatres, including world famous ones like the Bolshoi Theatre and the Maly Theatre.

The city is proud of its museums and art galleries, too. The biggest museum is the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, which has one of the world's largest collections of ancient, oriental and classical art. The Tretyakov Gallery is famous all over the world. It has a great collection of works by Russian artists. The Gallery is 150 years old.

Moscow is a large educational centre with a lot of schools, institutes, colleges and universities. The biggest university is Moscow State University named after Lomonosov which is on the Vorobyovy Hills. Students from all over the world come to Moscow to study at this University.

Muscovites are fond of going in for sport, that is why there are a lot of stadiums, swimming pools and sport grounds in the city.

Moscow has large green parks where people walk and spend weekends. The biggest among them are: Gorky Park, Izmailovski Park and Sokolniki Park.

Moscow changes every day. This is a city of contrasts and one should definitely come and visit Moscow.

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Moscow(2)

Moscow is the capital of Russia, its political, economic, commercial and cultural centre. It was founded 8 centuries ago by Prince Yuri Dolgoruky. Historians have accepted the year of 1147 as the start of Moscow's history. Gradually the city became more and more powerful. In the 13th century Moscow was the centre of the struggle by Russian lands for the liberation from the Tartar Yoke. In the 16th century under Ivan the Terrible Moscow became the capital of the new united state. Though Peter the Great moved the capital to St. Petersburg in 1712, Moscow remained the heart of Russia. That is why it became the main target of Napoleon's attack. Three quarters of the city was destroyed by fire during Napoleon's occupation, but by the mid 19th century Moscow had been completely restored. After the October revolution Moscow became the Capital again.

Now Moscow is one of the largest cities in Europe. Its total area is about nine hundred square kilometres (ancient Moscow occupied the territory of the present-day Kremlin). The population of the city is about 9 million.

The heart of Moscow is Red Square, the central and the most beautiful square in Moscow. Here one can see the Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed, or St. Basil's cathedral, erected by architects Postnik and Barma to commemorate Russia's conquest of the Kingdom of Kazan in 1552. It is a masterpiece of Russian architecture. Tourists can see the monument to Minin and Pozharsky. In was designed by Ivan Martos in 1818 in memory of the Russian victory over the Polish invaders in 1612. The History Museum in Red Square is a magnificent building. Besides, it is one of the major scientific and educational institutions where we can follow the life of the Russian people since ancient times.

But first of all everybody knows Red Square because the Kremlin is situated there. The Kremlin is the oldest historical and architectural centre of Moscow. Its three magnificent cathedrals, the Bell Tower of Ivan the Great, the palaces and Spassky Tower with the clock attract the tourists' attention The Czar-cannon and the Czar-bell, the biggest cannon and bell in the world, are also in the Kremlin.

There are other beautiful palaces, old mansions, cathedrals, churches and monuments in Moscow.

Moscow is also famous for its museums. At the Tretyakov Gallery paintings by Great Russian artists are collected, and at the Museum of Fine Arts there are masterpieces by European painters.

There are a lot of theatres in Moscow. The best-known of them is the Bolshoi Opera House, but drama theatres and studios are popular too.

Moscow was the host to the XXII Summer Olympic Games in 1980. It has a number of sportsgrounds and stadiums built or reconstructed for that event.

Moscow has the oldest Russian university, founded in 1755 by Lomonosov. Its new building was opened in 1953. It is 32 storeys high.

The Metro, opened in 1935, is being constantly extended. Now it has 200 stations and is almost 340 kilometres long. It is one of the tourist attractions of the Russian capital.

The number of new streets increases every month. The longest of them is Leningradsky Prospect. It runs for 15 kilometres.

Moscow is the seat of the Russian Parliament (the Duma) and the centre of the political life of the country.

Yaroslavl (Ярославль)

Yaroslavl is an ancient city to the north of Moscow. It was founded in 1010 by Prince Yaroslav the Wise. There is an old beautiful legend about the foundation of Yaroslavl. Once Prince Yaroslav with his warriors came to the place where the Kotorosl River flowed into the Volga. The Prince liked the place, but the pagans who lived there didn't like this invasion and let their sacred bear kill the Prince, but Yaroslav fought against the sacred animal and killed it with his pole axe. Then he founded the fortress and it was called Yaroslavl and the coat of arms of the town was a bear with a pole axe on its shoulder.

Yaroslavl has the rich historic past. It saw the Tatar invasion, the Polish intervention, was damaged during the Revolution and suffered a lot. But in spite of all these difficult periods of history it has remained magnificently beautiful and it is one of the greatest attractions for tourists. Yaroslavl is one of the cities of the Golden Ring of Russia. Every day a lot of tourists come to visit this ancient Russian city and admire its wonderful cathedrals, monasteries, churches and the famous embankment.

The first Russian theatre was built in Yaroslavl by Feodor Volkov. Yaroslavl is a big industrial city. Big plants and factories produce engines, paints, oil, tires, and other important things. The first in the world plant producing synthetic rubber was built in Yaroslavl, too.

When we speak about this city we can't help mentioning Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman cosmonaut, who was born there.

In 2005 Yaroslavl became a member of UNESCO because of its wonderful architecture and rich history.