My Native Town Zaporizhzhya

population – населення

visitor – відвідувач, турист

to appreciate – цінувати

to stretch – протягуватися

the Cossacks – козаки

creek – гирло річки

to be worth – мати значення

to inhabit – заселяти

invasion – військове вторгнення

struggle – битва

plant – завод, фабрика, підприємство

artifact – пам’ятка культури

"No to Ukraine you haven't been,

If Zaporizhzhya you haven't seen"

P. Rebro

Zaporizhzhya is one of the largest cities in Ukraine. Its population is nearly 900.000 people. Thus Zaporizhzhya is a tourist center. All the visitors highly appreciate the architecture of the arrow straight Lenin Avenue with its "Ubileiny Service Centre", the Palace of Marriages, and other buildings. The green parks with old trees are expertly combined with broad and straight streets, playgrounds, flower-beds.

Zaporizhzhya lies in the South-East of Ukraine and stretches along the square banks of the Dnieper. The beautiful and unique decoration of Zaporizhzhya is the island Khortitsa. Many hundred years ago the freedom loving Cossacks lived on the territory of the island. This place was called "Zaporizhka Sich". It became one of the main places of struggle of the Ukrainians for their independence. The Khortitsa with its pine and mixed forests, with its creeks on the river Dnieper is worth seeing and visiting. The river Dnieper and the island Khortitsa are extolled in legends.

The town is more than 200 years old. It got its present name in 1921 and before that it was called Alexandrovsk in honour of Alexander Golitzin. Historians state that the territory had been inhabited by people from time immemorial. But Slavs lived there and left this area because of the Golden Horde invasion. In the 15th century the Zaporizhzhya Cossacks became the masters of the land. The Zaporizka Sich was a mighty force of the Ukrainian people in the struggle against foreign invaders. But the Town appeared much later, during the period of the war against the Turkish Sultanate. In 1770 the military fortress was founded here and it was turned into the town.

Great changes have taken place in Zaporizhzhya since that time. The development of the town was promoted by the industrial revolution when the Dneproges and numerous plants were build. Zaporizhzhya became an important economical centre. It occupies one of the leading places in industrial development of our country. Zaporizhzhya today is steel which turns into air-crafts, machines, bridges and sea-liners. It is Titan without which we can't imagine modern achievements in science and technology.

Zaporizhzhya has more than 20 factories and plants such as "Zaporizhstal", "Dneprospetsstal", Aluminium, Transformer, "AvtoZAZ" and Abrasive plants.

There are over 100 general secondary schools, four universities and a lot of technical secondary schools and colleges in the town.

Zaporozhye lives a rich cultural life. You can enjoy the creative work of Drama theatre, the Theatre of Youth, the Puppet theatre and symphony orchestra, which is recognized as one of the best in the world. Painting, photo and sculpture arts are displayed in numerous exhibition halls such as Regional museum of Art and the central Exhibition Hall.

Monuments and historical artifacts are widely represented in museum of the region.

ANSWER THE QUESTIONS:

1. What is the population of Zaporizhzhya?

2. What do the visitors appreciate?

3. Where does it lie?

4. What is Khortiza?

5. What history does Zaporizhzhya have?

6. What changes have taken place in Zaporizhzhya since that time?

7. Where can you enjoy the cultural life of Zaporizhzhya?