Vladimir
On the left bank of the Klyazma River about 180 kilometres from Moscow the ancient Russian town of Vladimir lies. Nowadays Vladimir stretches for 15 kilometres along the Klyazma and has a population of circa 340 thousand people.
Our ancient town was founded, according to different sources, either in 1108 or in 988 and was named in honour of its founder Prince Vladimir Monomakh (or Prince Vladimir the Red Sun). Later Monomakh’s grandson Andrei Bogolubsky moved his court here. He wanted to create a new capital, richer and more beautiful than Kiev. That’s why Vladimir is famous for its remarkable ancient architecture. Visitors can’t help admiring the Assumption Cathedral, the white-stone Dmitrievsky Cathedral and the majestic Golden Gates, which saw the invasion of Mongol hordes. These wonderful monuments of the past attract crowds of tourists not only from other parts of the country, but also from abroad.
The Assumption Cathedral, or the Grand Cathedral of Dormition towers over the Vladimir Plato like a legendary giant. At first it had only one dome. Then four domes were added to it on four sides. Its inner and outer walls were painted. Later it was twice captured by Tatar-Mongol invaders and burnt down. It has been reconstructed many times. You can’t but admire the stone carved walls, the elegance of form. It is also famous for the works of Andrei Rublyov and Daniil Chorny whose frescoes decorate the gallery, the altar and the walls.
The Cathedral of St. Demetrius or the Dmitrievsky Cathedral was built in the late 12th century in the yard of Prince Vsevolod the Big Nest. The medium sized cathedral is an outstanding white-stone monument of old Russian architecture. The names of old architects have not come down to us, but thousands of people admire their masterpiece. It certainly owes its beauty to the carved decor of the outer walls which looks like lacework.
The Golden Gate, a rare monument of the old Russian military architecture, holds a special place among the city sites. It combines a fortress, a church and a triumphal arch which gave a warm welcome to Prince Alexander Nevsky. The Golden Gates saw the invasion of the Mongol hordes that took gold from the gates to their country. In the museum there is an exposition devoted to the defenders of the Russian land from foreign invaders. There are also pictures of Alexander Suvorov, the banners of Russian regiments, which liberated the Bulgarian people from Turkish oppression; Russian and foreign weapons of different periods are also exhibited here. The museum also introduces the information about the heroes of the Great Patriotic War.
The Church of the Intercession of the Holy Virgin on the Nerl River is an Orthodox church and a symbol of medieval Russia. The church is situated at the confluence of the Nerl and the Klyazma Rivers in Bogolyubovo, 13 km north-east of Vladimir. The single-domed monument is built out of white stone, and has rich carved ornament. What makes it unique is its perfect proportions and location. Standing in the water meadows the church has never been flooded.
Many famous historical personalities had once walked in Vladimir streets, such as Alexander Nevsky, Dmitry Donskoy, Alexander Suvorov, Taras Shevchenko, Alexander Herzen. The Stoletov brothers were born here. Alexander later became an outstanding physicist. Our school is named after him. Nikolay became a famous commander. Both of them are honoured in the name of our university. Many prominent people lived here: the distinguished scientist Academician Blagonravov, poets K. Balmont, A. Bezymensky and writer S. Nikitin, composer S. Taneyev. We are proud of them.
Vladimir is also a sporting centre. We’ve got many stadiums, gyms and swimming pools and skating rinks. The USSR, European and Olympic gymnastics champion N. Andrianov lived here. Other famous athletes are L. Burda, Y. Korolev, A. Prokurorov, A. Reztsova, P. Kuznetsov.
Our town is an important cultural and educational centre. There are more than 40 schools, a lot of vocational schools and colleges, 3 universities, 18 various libraries in Vladimir. There are several theatrical groups as well as two permanent theatres: the Puppet and the Drama ones. The latter is more than 160 years old. People come to the Taneyev Concert Hall. Our town is also famous for its Chamber Choir, which founder is Eduard Markin. Pictures by the artists of the Vladimir landscape painting school, such as K. Britov, V. Yukin, V. Kokurin, are on display in Italy, France, and Japan. The Vladimir school of graphic arts is also well-known in Russia.
Vladimir has a number of museums: the History Museum, the Museum of Crystal, the exhibition “Old Vladimir”. The Palaty houses the Children Centre for Culture and Education.
Monologues and Dialogues to Topic 3:
Speak about Vladimir. Remember to mention:
its geographical position,
some facts from its history,
its cultural and educational role,
your opinion of the city.
Speak about Vladimir. Remember to mention:
where it is located,
some facts from the city history,
Vladimir as a cultural centre,
Vladimir as a sporting centre.
Speak about Vladimir. Remember to mention:
some glorious pages from its past,
some places of interest which attract people’s attention,
some outstanding people whose names are connected with Vladimir,
your opinion of the city.
Speak about Vladimir. Remember to mention:
what makes Vladimir architecture so prominent,
what role the Golden Gate has had during the centuries,
one of many Vladimir churches and cathedrals,
any museum you would advise tourists to visit.
One of you is a guide in Vladimir. Another is a British tourist interested in Russian history and culture. Give a tour over Vladimir and compare the pages of its long history to those of Great Britain.
Your American friend is to make a project on any ancient city. As he /she has been to Vladimir, he / she asks you to help write a story about Vladimir, its history, architecture, outstanding people. Do not forget to mention its modern life as well.
Moscow
Moscow, the capital of the Russian Federation, is one of the biggest industrial, scientific and cultural centers in the world. For centuries it has been the traditional heart of Russia, the holy city of Russian Orthodoxy. Our capital is situated on the Moskva River. It is considered that the Prince of Suzdal, Yuri Dolgoruky, founded it in 1147, according to the chronicles. At the beginning the settlement occupied the territory of the present-day Kremlin. Now the total area of the city is about 900 square kilometres. Unlike many other cities it managed to preserve a typically Russian image. This is an unpredictable city, full of surprises. Walking along a modern street you turn round the corner and find yourself face to face with a medieval church or a wooden house that witnessed so many outstanding events of Moscow glorious history and hosted so many famous people.
Though Moscow is young as compared with Athens, Rome, or even London, you can hardly imagine the history of Russia or the world without it.
In 1237 Moscow fell under the yoke of the Tatars. And it was Moscow Prince Dmitri Donskoy who led the Russian troops to a victory in the Battle of Kulikov Field. Thus, Moscow became the symbol of the freedom and independence of Russian people.
In 1755 Moscow University, the first one in Russia, was opened. It is alma mater of prominent Russian scientists and scholars.
During the Patriotic War against Napoleon in 1812 Moscow was captured by the enemy troops and completely ruined by the great fire. But afterwards it was reborn in its new beauty as a legendary phoenix.
It was the capital of tsarist Russia, the USSR, and now it is the capital of the Russian Federation. Moscow is a political, administrative, economic, educational and cultural centre of the country. It is the seat of the Russian State Duma and the centre of the political life of our state.
There are a lot of places of interest in Moscow. The city is famous for its historical monuments, museums, art galleries and theatres, beautiful palaces, old mansions, cathedrals and churches.
When getting to know Moscow, it is best to start with the Kremlin, for the town sprang from there and today it has become the state centre of government. The Kremlin’s main function in the past was that of defending the Muscovites from enemies. The Kremlin was the mightiest fortress in Europe at the end of the 15th century; even now you are struck by the powerful appearance of its walls and towers. The most famous of them, the Saviour (Spassky) Gate Tower, faces onto Red Square. It took its name from the icon of the Saviour, which hung above the gate as a sign of special reverence (=respect) for the icon. All, who went through the gate, including the tsars, had to take off their hats. The first striking clock was installed in it. Now we listen to the beating of the Kremlin clock each time as a significant event is going to happen.
In the Kremlin there are a great number of things and places to wonder at. The Tsar Bell, the biggest bell in the world, stands on a stone pedestal there. It weighs 200 tons. After the fire in the Kremlin in 1737 the bell cracked and a piece of 11, 5 tons broke off it. But this monument of artistic casting of the 18th century, decorated with portraits of the tsars, still amazes the visitors.
However, nearby there stands another example of outstanding casting – the Tsar Cannon with its fate similar to that of the Tsar Bell: just as the latter never rang, so the first never fired a single shot, though it was intended to defend the Saviour Gate of the Kremlin.
Red Square is the main square in Russia. As it looks today, it is recalled and remembered by people all over the world. It is not very big, but its artistic appearance impresses you by its variety of forms, all in strict harmony. The history of the square goes many centuries back. It was first mentioned in the 15th century with the name ‘krasnaya’ meaning ‘the finest, the most beautiful one’.
There are more than 80 museums in Moscow. The largest museums are the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts and the State Tretyakov Gallery. Other unique museums include the All-Russia Museum of Folk Arts, the Andrei Rublev Museum of Early Russian Art, Mikhail Glinka’s Museum of Musical Culture and lots of others.
Moscow can be called a theatreland. The whole country is proud of the Bolshoi Opera House, the Maly, and the Art Theatres, which are known all over the world. The history of these places makes a brilliant chapter in the chronicles of Russian art. In 2000-2001 Moscow was the stage for the world theatre festival, which lasted for about half a year.
Visitors can find a lot of other sights to see in Moscow, such as the Moscow University area and the observation platform from where you can see a panorama of Moscow and all the monumental buildings like the Ukraine Hotel, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the apartment house in Krasnaya Presnya embankment, and others. Arbat and New Arbat streets as well as the Exhibition area also attract tourists.
Moscow is an industrial centre with highly developed engineering, electric, light, and chemical industries. It is interesting to mention that Moscow is a port of five seas as the Moscow-Volga Canal links Moscow with the Baltic, White, Caspian, Black seas and the Sea of Azov.
Moscow is surely one of the world’s scientific centres. The Russian Academy of Sciences, the oldest Russian university, named after M. Lomonosov, many colleges, scientific institutions are located here.
Moscow is the country’s largest sport centre and it often becomes a scene of international sports festivals. Our capital hosted the 22nd Olympic Games in 1980 and the Good Will Games in 1986.
Moscow is growing day after day and it is becoming more and more splendid. Some old buildings are repaired; a lot of new buildings are constructed in different districts of the capital. Among the new sights that have appeared recently are the Monument on Poklonnaya Gora and the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in the centre of Moscow.
Of course, like all big cities, Moscow is a noisy place. The traffic is heavy both in the daytime and at night. During the rush hours trolleybuses and trams are overcrowded, but the Muscovites prefer travelling by the Metro, which is the fastest and the most reliable means of transportation. By the way, they say that its first stations, built in 1930-60s, are the finest ones in the world. Moscow faces many problems, but, nevertheless, its future is bright.
Monologues and Dialogues to Topic 4:
Speak about Vladimir. Remember to mention:
its geographical position,
some facts from its history,
its cultural and educational role,
your opinion of the city.
Speak about Moscow. Remember to mention:
why Moscow is so important for Russia,
its world known sights you can name,
the role Red Square plays in our history,
whether you like Moscow and why.
Speak about Moscow. Remember to mention:
Red Square,
the Kremlin,
its transportation system,
your favourite sight in the capital.
Speak about Moscow. Remember to mention:
the role Moscow plays in our history,
symbols of Moscow,
its cultural and scientific institutions,
if you often visit Moscow and why.
One of you is a guide in Moscow. Another is an American tourist interested in Russian history and culture. Give a tour over the capital and compare the pages of its long history to those of the United States.
Both of you are taking part in a school exchange with the USA. You are to prepare a presentation about our capital. Discuss the plan and your choice of illustrations to be included.