Writing

15 September 2005

Dear Sam,

Thank you for your letter! It was great to hear from you so soon! How are you? 1 miss you so much. In your letter you asked me to tell you about Moscow. Well, it is a very beautiful city especially in autumn when all the trees are of different colours.

I often go for a walk with my friends and we enjoy all the beautiful sights of the capital. The heart of Moscow is the Kremlin. It's an ancient fortress with beautiful churches inside. There you can see the Tsar-Cannon and the Tsar-Bell, the biggest cannon and bell in the world. My favourite place in Moscow is the All-Russia Exhibition Centre, which is famous for its fountains. It is especially attractive in autumn and we often go roller-skating there.

Moscow is a unique city, where history and modern life are brought together. On the one hand, you can enjoy traditional Russian holidays and take part in celebrating Maslenitsa and other Russian festivals, but on the other hand, Moscow is a modern 24-hour city where you can visit different theatres, cinemas and exhibitions.

You should by all means visit Moscow and 1 would be glad to meet you and show you all interesting sights. I will also show you my school, which is very modern and well-equipped. By the way, will you tell me about your school and school life? Do you have any clubs at school? How do you usually spend your spare time?

Please write back. I look forward to your reply.

Bye,

Ivan Petrov

1 December 2005

Dear John,

Thanks for your letter. I'll do my best to answer your questions.

Well, first of all, if you come to Russia in May, most places will be quite warm, but if I were you, I would pack a pullover too as the evenings can get a bit cold. And don't forget an umbrella. It often rains in spring.

If you enjoy visiting museums, galleries or theatres, spend a week in Moscow. There are a lot of different museums and galleries. The most famous of them are the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts and the State Tretyakov Gallery. If you are fond of ancient Russian architecture, you could also try the towns of the Golden Ring, which are famous for their churches, cathedrals and monasteries.

If you have enough time, I would recommend you to visit St. Petersburg, the second largest city in Russia. There you can enjoy numerous palaces and park complexes. Don't forget your camera — you will take a lot of great photos! Let me know what you want and I'll try to book all the tours for you.

As to Russian food, I think you'll enjoy traditional Russian dishes such as cabbage soup and borsch, pelmeni (meat-filled dumplings), Russian salad and, of course, pancakes with caviar or honey. Make sure you try kvass (a beverage made from fermented rye bread)!

That's all for now,

Best wishes,

Andrew