From the history of the moscow kremlin and red square.

It was more than 800 year ago that a wooden fortress was built on the bank of the Moskva River on the orders of Prince Yuri Dolgoruky. The citadel was not big , occupying less than one-twentieth of the Kremlin's present area. Some twenty years after its construction the Kremlin was destroyed by flames during an attack launched by the Prince of Ryazan. But the Moscovites (Muscovites) rapidly built a new fortress.

In the 13th century Moscow was badly damaged by Tartar-Mongol invaders. In the middle of the 14th century Moscow became the capital of the great principality under Prince Ivan the Third. The period from 1485 to 1495 saw the appearance of Kremlin walls stretching for over two thousand metres and twenty magnificent towers.

Each century has left its trace in the Kremlin. St..Basil's Cathedral was built in the 16th century in memory of the victory over Kazan, It is the masterpiece of ancient Russian architecture. There is a legend that Ivan the Terrible blinded the architects Barma and Postnik , because he didn't want them to create another masterpiece. During the Northern War in the beginning of the 18th century , bastions and moats were built around the Kremlin walls. Forty years later, a palace was erected for Czarina Yelizaveta to the design of Bartolomeo Rastrelli. In 1788 architect M.Kazakov built the magnificent Senate.

The Kremlin is famous for its beautiful cathedrals. The Cathedral of the Assumption is the most outstanding of the Kremlin's oldest structures. It was built by Russian masters under the guidance of Rodolfo Fioravanti. This cathedral was Russian's main church where coronations of Russian czars took place , important governmental acts were announced and solemn ceremonies were performed.

In the 15th century Pskov builders erected the Cathedral of the Annunciation , one of the best Kremlin structures. The cathedral's old frescoes enjoy world fame. They were painted by Russian's outstanding artists Theophanes the Greek , Andrei Rubfcv and Prokhor from Gorodets.

The Archangel Cathedral was built later than all others (1505-1509) This cathedral was the resting place of the Moscow princes and czars (until the time of Peter the Great). Ivan the Terrible and his sons were buried in this cathedral. The oldest interment is the tomb of Prince Ivan Kalita.

The most outstanding of the 16th - 17th century stone structures is the group of belfries dominated by the Ivan the Great Bell Tower . The Bell Tower united into a single whole both the ensemble of Cathedral Square and the entire Kremlin ensemble. Moreover , it was the tallest structure in Moscow.

Red Square , the main square in Moscow and Russia , is spreading at the eastern walls of the Kremlin. It changed its name more than once over the centuries. In the chronicle dated 1434 it is called Market Place. After the devastating fire of 1493 it become known as Fire. In the 16th century it was called Trinity Square and in the 1660s the epithet "red" was conferred on it. In Old Russian "red"meant "handsome", "the best", "the main".

On Red Square there is a remarkable monument of loth century known as St.Basil's Cathedral. In front of the Cathedral is the monument to Minin and Pozharsky. This is the first sculptural monument in Moscow.

The Kremlin is situated in the very heart of the city on an elevated bank of the Moskva River. Its majestic walls and towers , palaces and gold-domed white stone cathedrals attract numerous tourists from our country and abroad and make an unforgettable impression.

Vocabulary.

principality [prinsi'pæliti] княжество legend [ leʤand] легенда

to blind [ blaind] ослепить

bastion [bæstiən]бастион

moat [ məut] ров с водой

solemn [sɔləm] торжественный ceremony [ 'serimə ni] церемония fresco['freskəu]фреска

interment [ in'ta :mə nt] погребение , захоронение

tomb [ tu:m] могила

belfry [ 'belfri] колокольня , башня

ensemble [ a:n'sa:mbl] фр,- ансамбль

Devastating fire [ 'devəstesteitin] разрушительный , опустошающий огонь

Names.

St. Basil's Cathedral [sənt 'bæzlz koθi:drel] собор Василия Блаженного Barma [ bə'ma:] and Postnik [ 'poustnik] Барм а и Постник

the Cathedral of the Assumption Успенский собор

the Cathedral of the Annunciation Благовещенский собор

the Archangel ( a:keinʤəl] Cathedral Архангельский собор

Trinity Square ['triniti skweə] Троицкая площадь

Questions.

1. When was the Moscow Kremlin founded?

2. When did Moscow become the capital of the great principality?

3. What do you know about St.Basil's Cathedral?

4. When was the Cathedral of the Annunciation erected?

5. What is the oldest cathedral in the Kremlin?

6. Where is the Kremlin situated?

7. What do you know about Red Square?

8. When was the present name conferred on Red Square?

Lesson 12

GREAT BRITAIN

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles. The British Isles consist of two large islands. Great Britain and Ireland, and about five thousand small islands. Their total area is over 244,000 square kilometres

The United Kingdom is made up of four countries: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast respectively. Great Britain consists of England, Scotland and Wales and does not include Northern Ireland But in every day speech "Great Britain" is used to mean the United Kingdom

The British Isles are separated from the European continent by the North Sea and the English Channel. The Western coast of Great Britain is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea

The surface of the British Isles varies very much The north of Scotland is mountainous and is called the Highlands, white the south, which has beautiful valleys and plains-is called the Lowlands The north and the west of England are mountainous, but all the rest - east, centre and south-east - is a vast plain Mountains are not very high Ben Nevis in Scotland is the highest mountain (1343 m)

There are a lot of rivers in Great Britain, but they are not very long The Severn is the longest river, .while the Thames is the deepest and the most important one.

The mountains, the Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of Gulf Stream influence the climate of the British Isles. It is mild the whole year round, but very changeable. That is why it is natural for the English to use the comparison "as changeable as the weather" of a person who often changes his mood or opinion about something.

The English also say that they have three variants of weather: when it rains in the morning, when it rains in the afternoon or when it rains all day long. The most unpleasant aspect of English weather is fog and smog. This is extremely bad in big cities and especially in London

The UK is one of the world's smaller countries Its population is over 57 million About 80% of the population is urban.

The UK is a highly developed industrial country. It is known as one of the world's largest producers and exporters of machinery, electronics, textile, aircraft and navigation equipment. One of the chief industries of the country is shipbuilding

The UK is a constitutional monarchy 1л law, the Head of State is the Queen, but her power is limited. The country is ruled by the elected government with the Prime Minister at the head. The British Parliament consists of two chambers the House of Lords and the House of Commons

There are three main political panics in Great Britain the Labour, the Conservative and the Liberal parties The Conservative party is the ruling рапу nowadays.

VOCABULARY

respectively [ri spektivli] соответственно vast [va:st] огромный

mountainous ['mauntinəs] гористый

plain [plein] равнина

urban [ə:bən]городской

to rule [ru:l] управлять

parliament [pa:ləmənt] парламент chamber [tʃembə] палата

NAMES

the British Isles [ailz] Британские острова Edinburgh [edinbərə] Эдинбург

Cardiff [ka:dif] Кардифф

Belfast [bel'fa:st] Белфаст

Highlands [haiəndz] гористая часть

Ben Nevis [ben nevis] Бен Невис

the Severn [sevən] Северн

The Thames [temz] Темза

QUESWUNS

1. The UK is an island stale, isn't it? Where is it situated?

2. What countries is the UK made of? What are their capitals?

3. The surface of the British Isles varies very much, doesn't it?

4. What is the north of Scotland called? What is the south of Scotland called?

5. What is the highest mountain in Scotland?

6. What is the deepest river in Great Britain?

7. Why is the climate of the British Isles mild?

8. What comparison do the English use when want to describe a person whose mood and opinion changes very often?

9. How often does it rain m England?

10. Is the UK large country?

11. What is the UK's population?

12. The UK is a highly developed industrial country. What does it produce and export?

13. The UК is a constitutional monarchy. What does u mean?

A FEW FACTS FROM EARLY ENGLISH HISTORY

(additional reading)

The first settlers in Britain belonged to the Celtic tribes which, before their arrival in Britain had spread over what is now Germany. France and Spam These first Celtic invaders are known as the Goidels and their language survives m some parts of Ireland and Scotland

About two centuries later a new wave of Celtic tribes known аз Britons landed on the shores of Britain. In 55 В. С. Julius Caesar landed with his troops on the shores of Britain then Britain was conquered by Rome Their rule over Britain lasted for about four centuries During this period a considerable part of the land was cleared for cultivation, many new towns grew up and 3number of forts were built

Britain now a Roman province was frequently troubled by the Picts and Scots But in the fifth century other enemies appeared. These were Germanic tribes the Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes.

The isolation of the .Angles, the Saxons and Jutes from the continental Germanic tribes actually led to the formation of the English nationality. The dialects of these tribes had so much in common that the tribes could easily understand each other, and they called this common language "Englisc" (English).

The time of the invasion of Britain by the Angles, Saxons and Jutes is considered to be the real beginning of the history of the English language

VOCABULARY

tribe [traib] племя

invader [in veidə] завоеватель

Goidels [gɔidels] гойделн

Celtic [ keltik] кельтский

the Angles [æŋgləs]англы

the Saxons [sæks(ə)ns] саксы

the Jutes [ʤu:ts] юты

isolation [aiso leiʃən] изоляция invasion [in veiʒən] вторжение

LONDON

London is the capital of Great Britain, it's political, economic and commercial centre U is one of the largest cities in the world and the largest city in Europe Us population is about 8 million.

London is one of the oldest and most interesting cities in the world, more then twenty centuries old It was first mentioned by the Romans The Romans, the Saxons and the Danes sealed here in turn, and after them came the Normans With the passing years London continued to grow up in importance and its position as the seat of government was firmly secured London has buildings that express all the different areas of its history, for it manages in a unique way to reflect its past and at the same time to fulfil the functions of a modem, city

Traditionally it is divided into several pans the City, Westminster, the West End and the East End They are very different from each other and seem to belong to different towns end epochs.

The heart of London is the City, its financial and business centre Numerous banks, offices and firms are situated there, including the Bank of England, the Stock Exchange and the Old Bailey Few people live here, but over a million people come to the City to work There are some famous ancient buildings within the City Perhaps the most striking of them is St Paul's Cathedral the greatest of English churches. It was built in the 17-th century by Sir Christofer Wren. It stands on a hill and the gold ball and cross at the top can be seen on a fire day from almost any spot of London The Tower of London was founded by Julius Caesar and in 1066 rebuilt by WiUiam the Conqueror He built it right at the gates of the City to keep the unruly Londoners in tear Later the kings began to use it as a royal residence They used to spend a night before coronation there Now it is a museum

Westminster is the historic, the governmental part of London

Westminster Abbey has more historic associations than any other building in Britain Nearly all English kings and queens have been crowned here The Oldest pan of the building dates back to the 8-th century, the abbey is famous for its architecture, some of the
monuments and tombs are decorated with gold and precious metals. Many outstanding
statesmen, scientists, writers, poets and painters are buried here: Newton, Darwin, Chaucer,
Dickens, Tennyson, Kipling, etc.

Across the road from Westminster Abbey is the Houses of Parliament, the seat of the British Parliament. The Clock Tower of the Houses of Parliament is famous for its big hour bell, known as "Big Ben"

Buckingham Palace is the official residence of the Queen.

The West End is the richest and most beautiful part of London It is the symbol of wealth and luxury The best hotels, shops, restaurants, clubs and theatres are situated there There are splendid houses and lovely gardens belonging to wealthy people.

Trafalgar Square is the geographical centre of London It was named in memory of Admiral Nelson's victory in the battle of Trafalgar in 1805 The tail Nelson's Column stands in the middle of the square.

On the north side of Trafalgar Square is the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery Not far away is the British Museum - the biggest museum in London. It contains a priceless collection of ancient manuscripts, coins, sculptures, etc, and is famous for its library

As we know the name of the West End is associated with wealth white the East End is "the hands of London", which have created the brightness and wealth of the West End. It is the poorest district of London There are a lot of factories, workshops and docks here The streets are narrow, !he buildings are unimpressive. The East End is densely populated by working class families

Londoners love traditions and it is considered that London has preserved them to a greater extent than anv other city in England Also the traditions associated with royal events attract many tourists into the country, thus bringing currency Their love of traditions can be observed in practically all aspects of life and behavior.

VOCABULARY

commercial [kə mə:ʃəl] торговый

epoch [i:pɔk] эпоха

financial [fai nænʃel]финансовый

to crown [kraun] короновать

to bury [beri] хоронить

wealth [welθ] богатство

luxury роскошь

priceless [ praislis] бесценный

manuscript [ mænjuskript] рукопись

to be famous for [ feiməs] быть знаменитым , славиться

unimpressive невпечатляюший, невыразительный