Be ready to speak about Belarus. Use information from the text as a help to your topic.

Text 2. Minsk

Read the text and do the exercises that follow it.

Study the following vocabulary before reading the text:

a convent – женский монастырь

Minsk is the capital of the Republic of Belarus, its political, economic, scientific and cultural centre. It is one of the oldest and most beautiful cities in our republic. Its name was first mentioned in chronicles in 1067.

Minsk is situated on the river Svisloch. Its population is about 2 million.

During the Great Patriotic War Minsk was destroyed by German invaders almost completely. It was liberated on the 3rd of July, 1944. In 1974 Minsk was honored with the title of Hero-City for people’s courage and heroism during the Great Patriotic War.

In post-war years the city was rebuilt anew. Modern Minsk has numerous plants. It is also a big traffic centre with a large network of railways, roads, airlines and some Metro lines.

Minsk has a highly developed industry. Hundreds of industrial enterprises produce tractors and automobiles, motor-cycles and bicycles, TV-sets and radio-sets, refrigerators and washing machines‚ watches‚ electronic devices, textile, footwear, food and other goods. Such enterprises as “MAZ”, “Horizont”, “Atlant” and others are famous not only in our country.

Minsk is also an educational centre. There are 16 state higher educational establishments, the biggest of which are the Belarusian State University and the Polytechnical Academy.

The cultural life of the people in the Belarusian capital is varied and interesting. In Minsk there are 6 theatres, a number of concert halls, a circus, a lot of cinemas, palaces of culture, libraries and clubs. The most famous theatres are the National Academic Opera Theatre, the National Academic Ballet Theatre, the National Yanka Kupala Theatre, the Gorky Russian Drama Theatre.

Among the most interesting museums one can mention the Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War, the National Art Museum, the Y. Kypala and Y. Kolas Literary Museums, the Museum of Local History and Folklore‚ the Museum of the First Congress of Social Democratic Workers’ Party of Russia.

The citizens of Minsk are proud of their city. It is beautiful at any time of the year. There are a lot of large parks and gardens in our capital. A lot of tourists come to Minsk to see its sights: the Bernardin Monastery and the Bernardin Convent (the oldest buildings in the city, both constructed in the 17^th century), the Mound of Glory and other places of interest.

Exercises

1. Use text 2 to reproduce the sentences with the following words and word combinations:

to be honored with smth., to be varied and interesting, sights, to be proud of, a number of, to be mentioned, to be destroyed, to be rebuilt, to be known, to work on smth., goods, reputation, non-state schools, both in our country and abroad.

2. Use the text to complete the sentences:

1. Minsk was first ... in 1067.

2. Many people come to Minsk to see ... .

3. The Academy of Sciences ... on the problems in different fields of sciences.

4. Minsk has ... industry.

5. The capital is a big ... center.

6. German invaders ... the city almost completely.

7. The title of Hero-City was ... to Minsk in 1974.

8. In ... years people rebuilt Minsk ... .

3. Decide if the following statements are true or false:

1. Kiev stands on the river Svisloch.

2. The population of Minsk is about 2 mln.