The flag of the russian federation

The flag of the Russian Federation is a tricolor flag consisting of three equal horizontal fields; white on the top, blue in the middle and red on the bottom. The flag was used as an ensign for Russian merchant ships and only became official in 1896. The flag continued to be used by the Russian Provisional Government after the Tsar was toppled in the February Revolution and was not replaced until the October Revolution which established the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic - the world's first socialist state. From that time period, a red flag featuring the abbreviated name "RSFSR" ("РСФСР") was used, until replaced in 1954 with the universal design of the Soviet flag with a blue stripe along the mast. In 1991 the tricolour was brought back as the official flag of the new Russian Federation.

Задание2. Образуйте однокоренные слова от исходных слов и заполните таблицу.

verb	noun (concrete)	noun (abstract)	participle / adjective
	user
		establishment
			educative
federate

ТЕКСТ 2. SOME FACTS FROM THE FLAG HISTORY

Задание 1. Ознакомьтесь с содержанием данного текстового материала и ответьте на следующие вопросы:

1. What information in the text "Some Facts from the Flag History" interested you?

2. How did Peter the Great decide to remodel the Dutch red-white-and-blue banner?

3. What versions of the Russian tricolour flag can you name?

SOME FACTS FROM THE FLAG HISTORY

There was no universally accepted flag for Russia until the middle of the 17th century. The earliest mention of the flag occurs during the reign of Alexis I, and is related to the construction of the first Russian naval ship, the frigate Oryol. The choice of the colours may originate from the Dutch flag with red, white and blue stripes. As for the Tsar Peter the Great we know he was interested in shipbuilding in the European style. In 1693, Peter ordered a Dutch-built frigate from Amsterdam. In 1694 when it arrived, the Dutch red-white-and-blue banner flew from its stern. Peter decided to remodel Russia's naval flag after this banner by changing the sequence of colours. It eventually became the flag of the Russian Empire. Later,on 7 May 1883 it was authorized to be used on land, and became an official National flag before the coronation of Tsar Nicholas II in 1896. There exist several other versions of the Russian tricolour flag. They say that the three colours may come from the coat of arms of the Grand Duchy of Moscow, which depicts Saint George wearing white (silver) armour, riding a white horse, having a blue cape and holding a blue shield on a red field. According to another version, these three colours were associated with the robes of the Virgin Mary, the holy patroness of Russia. Yet, another interpretation of the three colours is that the order in which they are placed reflects the Russian social system under the monarchy: white represents God, blue the Tsar and red the peasants. Another very common interpretation is the association of colours with the main parts of the Russian Empire: white represents Belarus ("White Russia"), blue is Ukraine (or Malorossia, "Little Russia"), and red is "Great Russia". The National Flag Day is an official holiday in Russia, established in 1994. It is celebrated on 22 August, though it is not a day-off.

Задание 2. Образуйте однокоренные слова от исходных слов и заполните таблицу.

verb	noun (concrete)	noun (abstract)	participle / adjective
	relative
			constructing
		decoration
accept
		protection
	interpreter
		reflection

ТЕКСТ 3.THE COAT OF ARMS

Задание1. Ознакомьтесь с содержанием данного текстового материала и ответьте на следующие вопросы:

1. What information in the text "The Coat of Arms" attracted you attention?

2. Is this material actual and up-to-date? Give your comments.

3. When was the current coat of arms adopted?

THE COAT OF ARMS

The present coat of arms of the Russian Federation derives from the earlier coat of arms of the Russian Empire, and was restored in 1993. The use of the double-headed eagle as a Russian coat of arms goes back to the 15th century. With the fall of Constantinople and the end of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, the Grand Dukes of Muscovy came to see themselves as the successors of the Byzantine heritage. Ivan III adopted the golden Byzantine double-headed eagle in his seal, first documented in 1472. At about the same time, the image of a gilt, double-headed eagle on a red background appeared on the walls of the Palace of Facets in the Moscow Kremlin. The shape of the eagle can be traced back to the reign of Peter the Great (1682–1725), although the eagle on the present coat of arms is golden rather than the traditional, imperial black. During the reign of Peter the Great, further changes were made. However, a final form for the eagle was adopted by imperial decree in 1729, and remained virtually unchanged until 1853. The current coat of arms was adopted officially on November 30, 1993. Today, the imperial crowns on each head stand for the unity and sovereignty of Russia. The orb and sceptre grasped in the eagle's toes are traditional heraldic symbols of sovereign power and authority. They have been retained in the modern Russian arms despite the fact that the Russian Federation is not a monarchy. The modern coat of arms of Russia was instated by a presidential decree in 1993, and then by a federal law signed by President Vladimir Putin on December 20, 2000. The other main Russian coat of arms is the image of St George slaying the dragon. In its first form, as a rider armed with a spear, it is found in the seal of Vasili I of Moscow in 1390. At the time of Ivan III, the dragon was added, but the final association with Saint George was not made until 1730. Eventually, St George became the patron saint of Moscow and of Russia.

Задание 2. Образуйте однокоренные слова от исходных слов и заполните таблицу.