Culture of the Don Land. Учебное пособие

ravage – разорять, опустошать valiantly – храбро, героически

metropolitan – архиепископ, митрополит redoubt – (воен.) редут

bastion – бастион migration – переселение

refuge – (перен.) прибежище anti-diphtheria – антидифтерийный serum – сыворотка

Activities:

1. Make up questions to the underlined words:

1)Rostov grew rapidly and became a typical merchant town with numerous storehouses along the Don banks and large, solid houses of their owners in the centre of the town;

2)A deep moat ran round the fortress which had six gates;

3)The fire station was of great necessity for the town because fires were a common thing for Rostov;

4)Thanks to persistent efforts of Seraphim Arutynnov, a lawyer by profession, the daily newspaper «Priasovsky Krai» appeared in Rostov in 1951;

5)The first public telephone was installed in the central town park in May 1910;

6)The town of Nakhichevan-on-Don was built according to the plan designed in St. Petersburg.

2. You are going to give a talk about Rostov. Get ready with some interesting facts about your native city.

3. Imagine that you have invited your foreign friend to visit your native city. But he is not sure that he would like to come. Prove that Rostov and the Rostov Region are worth seeing. Do this in the form of a dialogue.

4. Read the text and be able to express your opinion on this question. Discuss it in the form of a group dialogue.

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The monument to Alexander II

Few people know that before the Great October Socialist Revolution of 1917 Rostov had a monument that was among the best highly artistic works of art of our country. It was the monument designed by Michael Osipovich Mikeshyn, the leading sculptor of Russia (1835-1896). By the way, you can find his monument to Bogdan Khmelnitsky in Kiev and the memorial «The Millennium of Russia» in Novgorod.

The monument to Tsar Alexander II was made 105 years ago exclusively on the donations of Rostovites.

Why did the Rostovites decide to build the monument to Tsar Alexander II in Rostov?

In Russia Tsar Alexander II was known as Tsar-Liberator. He freed peasants of the serfdom, the Slavs and the Armenians of the Turkish yoke, he prohibited corporal punishment of women, and he abrogated the law about (of) twenty-year military service. The Tsar visited the Don Land in 1837, 1850 and in 1872. He studied the way of life of the Don people and later he changed the laws on which the Don Cossacks lived. He allowed them to study in different educational institutions and to choose any trade they liked besides military service as it had been earlier. He also made a great contribution into the economic development of the Don Land. During the reign of Tsar Alexander II the first railway, the first lock, the first mine were built on the Don Land.

Unfortunately, the Tsar was murdered on March 1, 1881. The Rostovites were shocked when they learned this awful news. Fourteen days later the Town Duma decided to build a monument to the Tsar-Liberator in Rostov. They organized the competition for the best monument to him and the famous architect Mikeshyn won it.

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Rostov during the Great Patriotic War

Find the answers to the following questions:

1.Have you ever visited any places in the Rostov Region where underground fighters lived and acted during the Great Patriotic War?

2.What do you feel when you visit such places as Zmiyovvskaya Balka, the Eternal Flame in Karl Marx Square?

3.Have you been to the Artillery Hill?

4.What empresses you most of all when you listen to war veterans’ stories?

5.Did your relatives take part in the Great Patriotic War? Do you like to listen to their stories?

Peaceful life of Rostov-on-Don was violated by the invasion of Nazi hordes. In October 1941 the first fascist bombs fell on the city. The nearest way to the Caucasus led through Rostov. Rostov was a key city in the plans of the fascist general headquarters.

Hitler's general Kleist wrote: «Rostov is the key to the Caucasus... By turning this key we'll come as masters through the gateway leading to the oil of Baku and then to India». That is why the best Nazi troops such as the first tank army and the SS divisions «Viking» and «Adolf Hitler» stormed Rostov. The defenders heroically repelled the agression. Near the village of Bolshye Saly the battery of senior lieutenant Sergel Oganyan and the political instructor Sergei Vavilov destroyed about 30 fascist tanks. For two days and nights 16 courageous soldiers of different nationalities of our country – the Russians, the Ukrainians, the Armenians, the Azerbaijanians, the Kazakhs, the Tajiks, the Uzbeks and the Ossetes – led the unequal battle. They displayed exceptional courage and fortitude in this

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tough battle. Almost all heroes perished there but the tanks didn't pass through their positions.

For their heroic deed they were posthumously awarded the title of the Hero of the Soviet Union. In Bolshye Saly on the brotherhood grave of the fallen heroes there is a

monument where you can read the words: «They stood to the last man». And on the hill where there was Oganyan's battery, the «Artillery Hill» as it is called now; there is a magnificent memorial and the Eternal Flame.

The Hitlerite aggressors occupied Rostov on November 21, 1941. But it was liberated within 8 days on November 29. During those days of terminal occupation the fascists destroyed more than 100 largest buildings of the city, thousands of people were killed.

The fascists succeeded in coming to Rostov again on July 23, 1942. The black night of the fascist occupation lasted for almost seven months. The fascist invaders shot, tortured to death in a concentration camp, burned alive and killed more than 5 thousand people. Among them there were many women, children and old people.

On the territory of our region the Nazi aggressors annihilated more than 98 thousand people and about 85 thousand people were driven away to Germany for hard labour.

The Nazis inflicted heavy material loss upon the city equal to millions of roubles The largest plants, factories and industrial enterprises which were the pride and power of industrial city were completely smashed by the Nazis. Only six of 274 enterprises stayed safe. All the rest were badly damaged by bombings.

The city transport, waterand power supply systems were put out of action. Rostov railway station, the river port, the large railway bridge across the Don and many other ones, the

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Rostov-Bataisk dam were destroyed by the Nazis. They ruined the trolley-bus and tram parks.

In spite of the occupation the city was never defeated. It managed to stay alive and struggle. During the first weeks of terminal occupation groups of underground fighters were organized in all districts of our region. The partisans of Neklinovsky, Fyodorovsky and Taganrog districts were the first to begin the struggle.

A numerous underground organization headed by Mikhail Mikhailovich Trifonov (Yugov) operated actively in Rostov. About 120 people were members of this organization. They helped to liberate Rostov in February 1943.

In Rostov there were many other partisan groups such as «Tramvaishchik», «Klyatva» («Oath»), «Mstitel» which acted heroically in our city and region. More than 160 partisan detachments, underground organizations and patriotic groups operated actively on the Don at that time.

The main purpose of their struggle was to foil the enemy's plans of establishing a punitive regime. The partisans organized various actions against the fascist butchers. They exploded bridges, collected valuable intelligence data.

Death penalty was a usual everyday punishment for any even minor resistance. All those people who joined the underground movement lived and worked in constant danger. It was the greatest of love for their Motherland and the unshakable faith in the just and fair victory over fascism, that made the ordinary peaceful and peace-loving people join the fight against the most heartless and inhuman of conquerors and oppressors.

Freedom came to Rostov on February 14, 1943. The defeat of the German troops on the Don had a great military and political significance as it frustrated Hitler's plans of conquering the Caucasus.

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For heroism and courage displayed during the Great Patriotic War about 500 partisans were awarded different orders and medals.

For the heroic fight against the enemy, for selfless work during the years of the Great Patriotic War and for heroic deeds in the restoration of the city Rostov was awarded the 1- degree Order of the Great Patriotic War. Numerous documents, letters and pictures displayed in the Museum of Regional study reveal the courage of the Rostovites in the years of the Great Patriotic War. There you will be able to find much material about the fearlessness and self-sacrifice of the Rostovites in their struggle against the fascist Germany.

To mark the 63rd anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, Rostov-on-Don was awarded the honorary title “City of Military Glory”.

The streets and squares of Rostov widen the limits of the Museum of Regional study. You can find there memorial plaques, commemorating war heroes. Some of the streets bear the names of the heroes of the people's Volunteer Corps who devoted their lives to future flourishing of our native city and Motherland. These streets are named after these heroes: M.A.Varfolomeev, T.A.Malyugina, P.M.Yufimtsev, S.V.Vavilov, S.A.Oganov.

Come to the places of eternal glory and mourning such as Zmiyovskaya Balka and Karl Marx Square. Come to the Eternal Flame there, commemorating soldiers, underground fighters and partisans, civilians who were shot, tortured to death, burned alive, killed in gas chambers, who fell in the battles of war for freedom of our region, our native city and our Motherland. On the Victory Day a multicoloured sea of flowers covers these monuments. Old and young people, children bring their

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flowers to the Eternal Flame. War widows and war veterans bend their grey heads in unceasing sorrow and grief.

Vocabulary notes:

Nazi – нацист, фашист horde – орда

division – дивизия viking – викинг

senior lieutenant – старший лейтенант hitlerite – гитлеровец

concentration camp – концентрационный лагерь inhuman – бесчеловечный, жестокий

memorial plaque – мемориальная доска multicoloured sea – многоцветное море to violate – вторгаться, нарушать invasion – вторжение, набег

to repel – отражать нападение posthumously – посмертно

to torture to death – пытать, замучить до смерти to annihilate – уничтожать, истреблять

to damage – повреждать, наносить ущерб to foil the plans – срывать планы fearlessness – мужество, бесстрашие self-sacrifice – самопожертвование

Activities:

1. How can you prove that:

1)Rostov was a key-city in the plans of the fascist general headquarters;

2)Rostov had heavy material loss during the Great Patriotic War;

3)The call «Everything for the front, everything for the victory» found a broad response among the population of the Rostov Region;

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4) How do you understand a proverb «Better die standing than live kneeling»? (Speak about partisan movement on the Don).

2.Make up short dialogues using the task from above.

3.Write a letter to your foreign friend:

You’ve sent a picture book about Rostov to your foreign friend. He became interested in the monuments and memorial places telling about the Great Patriotic War. He knows very little about this war and asks you to write him about it. What would you write?

4. Speak on the situation:

Imagine that you are an excursion guide and tomorrow you are going to conduct an excursion about the places of your native city connected with the Great Patriotic War. What would you tell your excursion party about?

5. The group project.

A group is divided into 3 teams. Each team gets a task to find additional material about Rostov in the years of the Great Patriotic War.

Task 1 – «Rostovites-heroes of the Great Patriotic War». Task 2 – «Young defenders of our native city».

Task 3 – «The Don Cossacks – courageous defenders of our Motherland».

(Collect new material, make different albums with pictures, photos, look for video etc.)

6. Imagine that you are going to open the History Museum of the Rostov Region. (Collect different exhibits, recipes of the most typical Don dishes, traditional Don Clothes. Organize a fashion display; act out the wedding ceremony traditional in your native place.

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PARTNERSHIP OF ROSTOV-ON-DON

Find the answers to the following questions:

1.When did the partner relations between Rostov and 8 cities abroad begin?

2.What cities are the twin-cities of Rostov?

3.How do the cities develop their friendship?

4.When did the friendship between Rostov and Finnish town Kayani begin?

5.Why is it said that friendship knows no distances?

6.How do the towns develop their relations now?

7.What event caused the close relations between Rostov and Greek town Volos?

8.Why were these relations interrupted for some time?

9.What do the American town Mobil and Rostov deal

with?

10.What place in Rostov named after the twin city is the most beautiful?

11.How firm is the friendship between Glasgow and

Rostov?

The partner relations between Rostov and 8 cities abroad began in 1950-ies and are developing till the present day.

There is a firm friendship between Rostov and its twincities: Kayani, Volos, Dortmund, Gera, Le Man, Glasgow, Pleven, Mobil. The towns exchange delegations. Organize art and industrial exhibitions, friendship weeks, symposia, film festivals, sports meetings, concerts and theatrical tours have become traditional. It is justly said that friendship knows no distances.

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Kayani

Friendship between the twin-cities began in 1956 and the pioneers of the idea were Rostov and Kayani on the initiative of the former president of Finland Urcho Kaleva Kecconen.

Our football-players took part in the competitions in the twin-city and Kayani's folk ensemble and amateur school choir performed successfully in Rostov. An art exhibition of the works by Rostov artists was organized in Kayani. In 1983 one of the streets in Rostov was named Kayani Street.

Volos

The first partnership between Greek town Volos and Rostov began in 1955 in connection with the earthquake in Volos, our authorities came to the aid of the people affected by the disaster. The authorities of Volos expressed the gratitude for the aid and expressed their desire to fasten friendly relations between our cities. One of the streets in Rostov was named after Volos and one of the streets in Volos was named after Rostov. In 1965 our relations were interrupted because of the junta, which came to power.

Only in 1980 the relations were restored again and in Volos an art exhibition of Rostov artists took place and the team of our girls-volley-ball players held some matches.

Mobil

There are close relations between Rostov and the American city Mobil. These relations began in 1986 when Rostov was visited by the American writer from Mobil Jey Higginbotham. It was exactly he, who expressed the idea of the partnership of Rostov and Mobil. Having come back home, he organized a committee of partnership. Then there were meetings of the representatives of our youth in Mobil and Rostov. Visiting Mobil our countrymen have noticed unusual order and cleanness of the streets of this city. Ecological problems worry not only

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