Text 4 kaluga.

Exercise 1. Look through the next text “Kaluga” and find the proper names which you can see in the list of the given above. Remember their translation.

Exercise 2. Read the text to yourself and be ready to fulfill the tasks.

Kaluga is one of the oldest Russian cities. It stands on the banks of the Oka River. At every step we can come across with many fine monuments dating back to the 16^th-17^th centuries. In different parts of the city we can see old churches and cathedrals. The oldest of them are churches of the 17^th century “of Cover on the Ditch” and of St. George “past the hill”. Several years ago St. Trinity Cathedral renewed its work. It is interesting that its dome is the third in size in Europe. There are a lot of other churches here. The most famous are “of Women Myrrh Bearers”, of St. John the Precursor, of St. Nickolas the Miracle Worker, the Cathedral of St. Kozma and Domian, the Church of Lord’s Transiguration which is the Representation Church of Pafnuty-and-Borovsk monastery.

There are many other architectural monuments in Kaluga. Among them there is the building of the Local Lore Museum. The museum itself was established in 1897. Since 1922 it has been placed in the former town estate of the merchant Zolotaryov that was built in 1805-1808. Remained wall and ceiling murals, highly artistic bas-reliefs and encrusted floor belong to the work of first-class painters, architects and marble-masters in Russia of the beginning of the 19^th century, worked in the workshop of Compioni. Two exposition departments – of history and nature of the land of Kaluga – are arranged in the museum halls. The museum unites 10 subsidiaries, situated in the region districts.

One of the most precious private residences of the first decades of the 19^th century of the Bilibins (Chistokletovs) merchants houses the Kaluga Regional Art Museum. It was organized in 1918 on the bases of the collection of doctor Nikanor Ivanovich Vasilyev, the gratis given to the city. At present the museum contains about 7000 works of painting, graphics, architecture and decorating and applied art. Over 200 of them are exposed in the halls of ancient Russian (16^th-18^th centuries), Russian (18^th-20^th centuries) and West-European (16^th-19^th centuries) art. Art works of painters, such as Tropinin, Levitsky, Aivazovsky, Shyshkin, Polenov, Yaroshenko, Surikov, Savrasov, Korin, Grigoryev, Fonvizin and others are exhibited in the museum. The museum has two subsidiaries: in Tarusa and Ulyanovo picture galleries.

The Korobovs Chambers is the first stone building in Kaluga built in the 17^th century. According to the legend Marina Mnishek lived in this house but the documents say that the building was constructed several years later her coming. Now it is the branch of Kaluga Local Lore museum. The Makarovs chambers are of the similar design.

The Stone Bridge across the Berezuyevsky Ravine was built in 1780 in honour of Kathenine II’s visit to Kaluga. There are only a few bridges of such design in Europe. The whole architectural complex including the Central Park of Culture and Rest, the Stone Bridge and the building of Prisutstvennye Mesta (Places of the Attendance) was designed by the architect Nikitin.

An Inn Yard (Gostiny Dvor) was built in memory of the past. It was an old trade centre in the 18^th-early 19^th centuries.

Many famous people visited Kaluga. N.V.Gogol spent several years in Kaluga and wrote here a part of his famous “Dead Souls” (Myortviye Dushi). There is a memorial in the place of the house where he lived. You can see it in Tsiolkovsky park. The Decembrists were exiled to Kaluga and in Pushkin street you can see a memorial plate on one of the houses. It tells that Obolensky lived here. Also in Pushkin street there is a house where Shamil lived during his exile. Certainly Kaluga is connected with the name of Pushkin. In Polotnyanyi Zavod not far from Kaluga there was an estate of the Goncharovs. Now it is a museum with a wonderful park. And certainly Kaluga has been visited by cosmonauts of Russian of foreign countries and by scientists who work in the field of space exproration.

Now Kaluga is an important industrial centre because there are some industrial enterprises in it. There are more than 50 secondary schools in Kaluga. Some of them are schools-gymnasiums and lyceums. Young people can continue their education at vocational and technical schools. If they want to get higher education they can enter higher educational schools some of which are branches of famous Moscow and St. Petersburg universities and institutes.

Kaluga is also a cultural centre. Citizens like visiting our Drama theatre which is more than 250 years old. Children can see performances of Kaluga Puppet theatre and the theatre of the Young Spectator. Also people can go to a concert hall, an exhibition hall and cinemas in Kaluga. Pupils, students and researchers have the possibility to work in the libraries. The richest one in Kaluga is the library named after V.G.Belinsky.

The main streets of Kaluga are straight and wide. Bus, trolley-bus lines stretch the city in different distance.

Kaluga is decorated with many parks and squares. The oldest one is the Central Park of Culture and Rest. Here one can enjoy the scenery of the Oka and its picturesque banks from the observation platform of this park. The next favourite place of spending free time is the Square named after cosmonaut Volkov. Many sports and cultural events are held here. Due to the greenery Kaluga is called “a corner of St. Petersburg”.

Day after day Kaluga is growing. New residential areas appear in former outskirts of the city.

Exercise 3. Choose the sentence which covers the main idea of the whole text.

1. Kaluga is an ancient city and is beautiful due to its old architecture.

2. Kaluga is both an ancient and a modern city.

3. There are a lot of churches, architectural monuments and modern buildings in Kaluga.

4. Kaluga is our native city and we can get to know its history in the halls of the Local Lore Museum.

5. There are a lot of places where to go to in Kaluga.

Exercise 4. Arrange the following points of the plan according to the contents of the text.

1. Proofs of the fact that Kaluga is a cultural centre.

2. Churches of Kaluga.

3. The possibilities of getting education.

4. The fate of the former private residences in Kaluga.

5. Parks and squares of Kaluga.

Exercise 5. Correct the statements according to the contents of the text. Begin your sentence with: “I’m sorry but you are wrong…”, “I can’t agree with you …”, “According to the text…”, “You are partly right…”, etc.

1). The oldest churches of Kaluga are the Church of “Cover on the Ditch” and the Church of St.John the Precursor.

2). The Local Lore museum has been housed in the Zolotaryovs’ town estate since 1897.

3). In the expositional departments of the Local Lore Museum we can get to know about the history and nature of Kaluga land.

4). Kaluga Regional Art museum was organized due to the collection of the merchant Chistokletov.

5). In the halls of the Art museum we can see the works of Russian art from the 12th century.

6). The Korobovs’ Chambers is the only stone building in Kaluga built in the 17^th century.

7). Nikitin designed only the Stone Bridge which is unique in Europe.

8). There are few establishments in Kaluga where people can get higher education.

9). There are no places in Kaluga where children and adults can see theatrical performances.

10). From the observation platform in the Central Park one can admire the view of Kaluga.

Exercise 7. Answer the questions using the information of all three text devoted to Kaluga and you own knowledge.

1). When was Kaluga founded?

2). What role did Kaluga play in the history of Russia?

3). What happened on Kaluga land during the Tatar-Mongol yoke?

4). What events took place on Kaluga land at the beginning of the 17^th century?

5). What role did Kaluga play in the war of 1812?

6). What places in Kaluga region are connected with the events of the Great Patriotic War?

7). What monuments devoted to the Great Patriotic War do you know in Kaluga?

8). What monument is situated at the entrance of the city?

9). What churches and cathedrals can we see in Kaluga?

10). What buildings are both architectural monuments and museums in Kaluga?

11). What is included into the architectural ensemble designed by Nikitin?

12). Can you prove that Kaluga is a cultural centre? Do, please.

13). Why is Kaluga called “a corner of St.Petersburg”?

14). Can you prove that Kaluga is growing day after day? Do, please.

15). Do you know what famous people visited Kaluga?