Reading Texts Historical sights

In the 10th century Prince Volodymyr the Great expanded the city, and his son Yaroslav the Wise ordered many beautiful churches to be built, including the famous St. Sofia's Cathedral (1037), a wonderful architectural monument which miraculously survived all the invasions and fires and still charms the citizens and the guests of the city with its unique beauty. The Cathedral was erected at the exact place of the victorious battle over the Pechenegs so that other generations would remember the deeds of their forefathers. It was not only a place of worship, it was also a place of learning and preserving the wisdom of the past, because it is there that the first school and library in Kyivan Rus was founded. At the same time the first monks settled in the caves on the steep left banks of the Dnipro, giving the beginning to another place of worship and amazing architectural beauty — Kyivo-Pecherska Lavra. It was an outstanding cultural centre of Kyivan Rus where many famous people lived and worked: the Chronicle writers Nestor, Nikon and Joan, the painters Alimpiy and Grigoriy, the doctors Agapyt and Damian. Several times the Lavra was burnt to ashes by numerous invaders but each time it was restored, and now we can admire the wonderful churches and cathedrals of this architectural gem.

Another famous place in Kyiv is the Golden Gates which were one of the entrances to the city in ancient times and were usually opened to welcome very important guests. Now it has been turned into an interesting museum where you can wander around and imagine yourself in medieval Kyiv.

Opposite St. Sofia's Cathedral there is an impressive monument to Bohdan Khmelnitsky, the 17th century outstanding Ukrainian statesman and military leader who played an important part in Ukrai­nian history. If you walk up Shevchenko Boulevard you will be amazed by the beauty of Volodymyr Cathedral, whose icons and frescoes were painted by the famous artists Victor Vasnetsov, Mykola Nesterov and Mykhaylo Vrubel. In Andreivskiy Spusk your attention will be attracted by Rasstrelli's master­piece — Andreyvska Church, and Mykhaylo Bulgakov's readers will find his museum just round the corner from the church.

Where to go and what to see in Kyiv

Khreshchatyk, the beautiful many-faced, brightly-lit main street of Kyiv, hasn't always been like this. Originally it was Khreschata Dolyna covered with forests and ravines. At the beginning of the 19th century the first wooden houses were built there, later stone buildings were erected. Practically all of them were ruined during the Great Patriotic War but later were restored by the Kyivites. The street leads to Independence Square, the main square of Kyiv which now together with Khreschatyk, is the favourite place for entertainment for the citizens and guests of the city.

Museum lovers will find hundreds of beautiful exhibits in the Museum of Ukrainian Fine Arts whose 21 galleries contain valuable collections of Ukrainian icons, pictures and sculptures from the 14th to the 20th century, including some works by Taras Shevchenko. His other paintings, manu­scripts and personal belongings can be found in the Taras Shevchenko State Museum in Shevchenko Boulevard and in the museum in Kaniv, his burial place. Another rich collection of pictures and sculptures can be seen in the Russian Arts Museum, which is the third largest after those of Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Theatre-goers will never be bored in Kyiv as there are theatres to all tastes: the Taras Shevchenko National Opera and Ballet House with wonderful singers and dancers, the Ivan Franko Ukrainian Drama Theatre, the Lesya Ukrainka Russian Drama Theatre, the Tchaikovsky Conservatory, the Kyiv Philhar­monic Society, the Musical Drama Theatre and many others, all with wonderful highly-professional performers.

Kyiv has always been a very important scientific, educational and cultural centre. Among the best known higher educational establishments there are Shevchenko Kyiv National University, Kyiv Poly­technic University, International Independent University "Kyiv-Mohyla Academy", Kyiv State Con­servatory and many others. Kyiv is the home of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences and hundreds of research institutes. It is also a huge industrial centre but the air in the capital does not seem to be very polluted due to the nearness of the river and plenty of greenery.

Wherever you go in Kyiv, you will see a beautiful old building or a monument, a green park or an amazingly decorated church — it is so full of places of interest that it's difficult to name even half of them.

The present and the past live side by side in Kyiv, and both lovers of history and people who are interested in the contemporary life of the capital, will find something to their taste in the busy streets of Kyiv.

Give synonyms to the following words:

Old, strong, city, to call, large, beautiful, to continue, tomb, nation, numerous, modern, many, to reconstruct, well-known.

Find English equivalent to the following word combinations :

Вершина слави, стародавня пам’ятка, комерційний центр, об’єднатися у могутню державу, тривати 3 століття, вищий навчальний заклад, Ярослав Мудрий, ляльковий театр, величезний парк, музей західного і східного мистецтв, цінна колекція, древній собор, чудова церква, місто на пагорбах, унікальне поєднання історії і сучасності, Древня Русь, виглядати, зайнята садками, відомий своїми театрами, історичний музей.

Find the most suitable variant to complete the sentences:

1. Kyiv is an ….. city.

1. ancient

2. young

3. old

2. Kyiv stands on the river …

1. Desna

2. Dnister

3. Dnieper

1. Kyiv was named after ….

   1. its invader

   2. its founder

   3. architect

2. Kyiv is ….. years old.

   1. more than 1000

   2. more than 2000

   3. 5000

3. Kyiv become the capital …..

   1. in the 8^th century

   2. under Volodymyr the Great

   3. with the establishment of Kyivan Rus.

4. …. was erected at the place of the battle over the Pechenegs.

   1. Bohdan Khmelnitsky monument

   2. Kyivo-Pecherska Lavra

   3. St. Sofia’s Cathedral

5. The first monks gave the beginning to …

   1. St. Sofia’s Cathedral

   2. Andreyvska Church

   3. Kyivo-Pecherska Lavra

6. The golden gates were …. in ancient times.

   1. the only entrance to the city

   2. an interesting museum

   3. one of the entrances to the city.

7. Khreshchatyk is the main ….in Kyiv.

   1. square

   2. park

   3. street

8. Kyiv is an industrial centre but the air here doesn’t seem to be polluted due to…

   1. forests

   2. people

   3. the river and greenery

Match the sight with its description:

It was built in the eleventh century. The monks lived in caves under it. Famous monk Nestor wrote chronicle “The story of Begone Days” while living there. It incorporates a number of old build­ings, churches and museums. It was built in 1748 by the architect Rastrelli. From its terraces the famous Ukrainian writer Gogol used to look down at the lower town of Podil. It was built in 1882 in a new-Byzantic style by the architect Baretti. It is a tra­ditionally Slavic six-column, three-apse church crowned by seven cupolas. The height to the top of the cross on the main cupola is 48.9 m. The murals of the church interior were made by famous artists Victor Vasnetsov, Mykola Nesterov. It was built in l037 by Prince Yaroslav the Wise to commemorate the victory over the Pechenegs. It glorifies the wisdom of Christianity. A Ukrainian Orthodox monastery was founded in 1051 by monks Antony and Feodosy. In the 11th century it became the centre for the expansion and consolidation of Christianity in Kyivan Rus. The chroniclers Nykon, Sylvester, the artists Alimpiy, Hrihoriy, and the doctor Ahapit worked in the monastery. It is a part of a nature and architectural preserve on the right bank of the Dnipro river. According to the chronicle, the Kyivan Princes Askold and Dir died here. In 1810 a brick church-rotunda designed by the architect A.Melensky was built here. The first library and school were situated here. It was a centre for writing of manuscripts. Today it is a museum. 4) They were built in 1037 during the reight of Yaroslav the Wise. They were used as a watchtower, a main entrance into Kyiv. now it is a museum.

St. Volodymyr Cathedral St. Sophia Cathedral St. Andrew's Church Askold’s Grave Golden Gates Kyivo-Pecherska Lavra