Culture of the Don Land. Учебное пособие
.pdfour people, but also the other people of the world. They have become international.
In our region there are many ecological problems too. So the Southern Federal University deals with the problems of the river Don and the Sea of Azov. Every year delegations from Mobil visit our city and hold symposia on keeping our environment clean.
Pleven
The warmest friendship connects Rostovites with the Bulgarian city Pleven. Delegations of twin cities visit each other every year. There is Pleven square and Pleven Park in Zapadny district in Rostov where the famous Bulgarian roses bloom. The modern cinema bears the same name. There is also a shop, which is named after Pleven.
Dortmund
Partner relations between Rostov and Dortmund were established in 1977. Our chamber choir and folk ensemble «Kalinka» took part in the days of Dortmund in Rostov. Many complex activities were held in 1987, among them a TV-bridge between two cities, which has become the first in the history between Russia and Germany. Pupils of schools took part in this TV-bridge. The highest point of our partner relations have become the days of Rostov in Dortmund. In 1987 in Rostov there was organized an exhibition «A view of the life in FRG» in order to get closer acquaintance with our twin city.
In 1984 during the days of Dortmund in Rostov there was opened a square named after our partner Dortmund. In the middle of it there is a sculpture of a brewer, because Dortmund is famous for its brewery industry.
Le Man
In 1981 Rostov was visited by the delegation from Le Man. They talked about the partnership. In 1984 in Rostov one of the
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streets in western district was named after Le Man the French city. 1968 towns exchanged delegations. Amateur dance ensemble «Balalaika» showed unforgettable scenes of the quite Don and Don Cossacks' life. Le man citizens were delighted by the beauty of their dances.
Glasgow
Glasgow is a twin city of Rostov-on-Don. Partner relations between our cities were established in 1986. It is the biggest city of Scotland. Standing on the river Clyde, this city is Scotland's largest port and ranks third in the United Kingdom in value of exports, chiefly machinery, textiles, ships and whisky.
Manufacturing is dominated by heavy industries, primarily shipbuilding, locomotives and heavy machinery. Glasgow has always had a reputation of a grim city because of its greyness and Victorian architecture. In George square in Glasgow there is 80 foot tall column surmounted by a statue of sir Walter Scott. There are two universities in Glasgow. One of them was founded in 1458 and the last in 1963. The Glasgow art galleries are represented by the best renaissance and modern painters canvases and the museum houses items of scientific and technological interest. Every year delegations from Glasgow come to Rostov. It has become a tradition that the pupils of some schools exchange delegations too. Rostov and Glasgow successfully develop contacts on different levels.
Amateurs and professional actors of Rostov successfully performed at the festival of Glasgow. They laid down the stone of the garden of friendship, which got acquainted the people of Glasgow with our Don flora. In 1989 the days of Rostov were held in Glasgow.
Vocabulary notes:
coat-of-arms – герб chapel – часовня
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priest – священник
to ordain – предписывать, распоряжаться to refer – отсылать на рассмотрение
holy – святой
tamed – прирученный robin – малиновка
disciple – апостол (последователь) salmon – лосось
oak – дуб
hazel – орешник
to blame – обвинять
Activities:
1.Imagine you are a member of the foreign delegation which has come to Rostov. What would you speak to your guide about?
2.Role play.
The students are divided into two groups: Rostovites and guests from Glasgow. Rostovites are Cossacks, guests from Glasgow – the Scots.
3.Make up a discussion on the topic «The twin-cities».
4.Speak on:
the establishing of partner relations between Rostov and Glasgow,
places of interest in Rostov,
the origin of the word «Rostov»,
famous people,
the Rostov Region is associated with monuments of history and culture in the Don Region, etc.
5.Group project.
Competition on the topic «The twin-cities. Rostov – Glasgow».
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Оформление: флажки России и Великобритании. Эмблемы участников: печать Войска Донского u «чертополох» – шотландская эмблема. Группа делится на 2 части: «ростовчане и жители Глазго». Для конкурсов выбирают капитанов команд. Конкурс состоит из нескольких заданий.
1.Т.: «Today we are going to have a quiz between our twin-cities: Rostov and Glasgow. For this we are going to have teams and we need a quiz-master. We want 5 people in each team. Now choose a name for yourselves. Right. «The Cossacks» and «The Scots». Each team has prepared 5 questions. The captains of the teams read these questions»:
The Cossacks ask the Scots:
1) When were the partner relations between Rostov arid Glasgow established?
2) What places of interest in Rostov do you know? 3) What is the origin of the word «Rostov»?
4) What names of the famous people is Rostov associated with?
5) What monuments of history and culture in the Don region do you know?
Тhe Scots' questions:
1) Where is Glasgow situated?
2) What does the Glasgow's coat-of-arms portray? 3) What industries are developed in Glasgow?
4) Why is Glasgow called so?
5) What do you know about the history of Glasgow's cathedral?
2.And now, my dear friends, I want you to answer some questions without preparing, immediately: One team asks a question and the other one answers
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The Cossacks answer the questions:
1)What is the name of a missionary who founded a chapel on the Clyde bank?
2)What architecture prevails in Glasgow?
3)What does this rhyme mean?
Here is the bird that never flew.
Here is the tree that never grew.
Here is the bell that never rang.
Here is the fish that never swam.
The Scots answer the questions:
1)When was Rostov founded?
2)Give the names of the theatres in Rostov.
3)What twin cities of Rostov do you know? 3. A Geographical task.
Т.: «Now one member of each team goes to the world's map
and shows on it the countries and the twin cities of Rostov». The students from both teams come up to the map of the
world and show countries and partner towns of Rostovon- Don.
4. A Competition of captains:
Look at the sights of Glasgow and Rostov (pictures), guess and tell about them in details;
Tell us about the coats-of-arms of Rostov and Glasgow. What do they portray?
Ask your partner questions about Glasgow and Rostov (each captain asks three questions to his rival).
5. A Competition for performing a song or a poem. Members of each team must sing a Scottish or English
song and recite a poem by an English poet. (the students can recite poems by R. Berns, H.W. Logfellow, sing different English songs: «Donna», «Yesterday», «My Bonny is over the ocean», «Clementine», etc.)
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6. Summing up the results of the competition.
The players with the highest score win. The best team is awarded with souvenirs.
THEATRICAL LIFE OF ROSTOV-ON-DON
Find the answers to the following questions:
1.When was Rostov Academic Gorky Drama Theatre founded?
2.When was Rostov Youth Theatre created?
3.When was Rostov Puppet Theatre organized?
4.What is one of the oldest Light Opera Theatre of the Russian province?
Rostov Puppet Theatre
The decision to organise a Puppet Theatre in Rostov-on- Don was taken in 1935. For the last 30 years the Theatre has been headed by Vladimir Bylkov, a student of Sergei Obraztsov. Bylkov has staged more than one hundred performances at Rostov Puppet Theatre, and a lot out of this number entered the «golden fund» of the Don-land culture. Among these shows are: The Bedbug by V.Mayakovsky, The Divine Comedy and: The Devil's Mill by I.Shtok, Gods in Love by B.Gador and S.Darvas, The Naked King by Ye. Schwarz, Kashtanka by A.Chekhov, Le Petit Prince by Antoine SaintExupery, The Ugly Duckling and The Inch-Girl by H.Ch.Andersen, Printinpram Circus by D.Kharms, Bambi by F.Zalten, Mowgli by R.Kipling, etc.
The company consists of 19 actors, 6 of them being Merited Artists of the Russian Federation. The Theatre has a 250seat auditorium. Its today's repertoire counts 30 shows.
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Rostov Musical Comedy Theatre
(now Music Theatre)
Musical Comedy Theatre is among the oldest light opera theatres of the Russian province. It was founded in 1919 and reorganised in 1931. The repertoire of the Theatre has always been an accord of the best creations of those classics representing the genre (Offenbach, Strauss, Kalman, Lehar) and the musicals written by Russian composers. A significant place among the latter has been given to Don-land authors and playwrights.
The cast of the Theatre includes many gifted artists. Among these are Merited Artists of Russia M.Krasilnikova, N.Kleimyonov, M.Voinarovskaya, V.Burlutski, V.Gostishchev, V.Druzyakin; Artistic Director, Honoured Art Worker of Karelia L.Vilkovich; conductors A.Goncharov, R.Shchukin; actors N.Makarova, V.Zakiyev, Ye.Khandak, Ye.Boytsova, R.Makarov, dancers O.Glukhova, R.Smakov and others. It has become a tradition that graduates of Russian musical schools are invited to the Theatre company. Now the theatre occupies a new building in B.Sadovaya street and is called Music Theatre.
Rostov Academic Gorki Drama Theatre
Rostov Academic Gorki Drama Theatre was founded in 1863, when a resident drama company was organised in Rostov-on-Don. For more than 135 years of its existence, the Theatre has changed its buildings, artistic, trends, creative guides, yet it has always remained the leading theatrical group in both Rostov and the South of Russia.
On the threshold of the 21st century the Academic Gorki Drama Theatre is still among the leading theatres of the country. It is distinguished for its original, varied repertoire, polymorphous stage direction, traditionally good actors. The company in-
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cludes People's Artist of the USSR M.Bushnov, People's Artists of Russia I.Bogodukh, A.Krzhechkovskaya, T.Yablokova, K.Abashina, Merited Artists of Russia N.Gordinskaya, E.Demchenko, M.Kazakova, N.Sorokin, G.Starodubtseva, I.Telnov, T.Shkrabak and many others.
Rostov Theatre for Young Spectators (Now Youth Theatre)
Rostov Theatre for Young Spectators (the only Russian theatre of the kind which was granted the title «academic») originates from the first Don-land professional children's theatre created in the year 1930. Today it has a magnificent building of its own which is considered a monument of the late 19th century architecture.
The company consists of thirty actors, these being graduates of the best Russian theatrical schools, and a bind. A number of performances staged by Rostov Theatre for Young Spectators were included in the programs of international festivals and toured in France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Mexico, Turkey, and Japan.
From the year 1989 on, Rostov-on-Don became one of those festival centres referred to the International Association of Theatres for Children and the Young (ASSITEJ). Once every two years the Russian ASSITEJ Centre, together with Rostov Theatre for Young Spectators, holds MINIFESTs which have become now world-known. The best shows selected by different national ASSITEJ organisations, take part in these events.
Activities:
1.Read the text and discuss the given information.
2.Make up questions to the texts and ask your groupmates to answer them.
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3.Try your hand at journalizing. Prepare a small report of (about) theatrical life in Rostov.
4.Round table. Take the roles of an artistic director of the theatre, a theatrical critic, a journalist and a theatre-goer. Discuss the problems of modern theatres, their repertoire.
5.Make up a group discussion of Rostov theatres.
SUPPLEMENTARY READING
THE ROSTOV DRAMA THEATRE Find the answers to the following questions:
1.When and where was the first theatre made of stone built in Rostov?
2.Who built it?
3.When was the Rostov Gorky Drama Theatre built?
4.Who was the author of the Theatre design?
5.Do you know what the first performance, staged at the Theatre, was?
6.Can you name any famous actors who worked on the stage of our Drama Theatre?
The first Theatre in Rostov made of stone, was built by Asmolov in 1883 on Taganrogsky Avenue (Budyonnovsky), not far from the present-day House of Officers. The construction of the Rostov Theatre of Drama was an outstanding event in the cultural life of our city. It was built in 1934-1935 on the waste land separating Rostov and Nakhichevan. The design of the theatre building was drawn up by a well-known Soviet architectsacademician V.Shchuko and Professor V.Qelfraikh. The majestic building was created out of metal, concrete and glass in the form of a tractor and impressed everybody with its beauty and grandiosity. The superb edifice is set off by the picturesque greenery of
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Theatre Square. At the time it was built, it was the largest Theatre in Europe. It is recognized in all the architecture books of the world as one of the greatest architectural styles of the 30's.
The Theatre opened its doors in November of 1935. The first performance staged at the Theatre was 'The Optimistic Tragedy» by Vs.Vishnevsky. It was produced by A.Tairov.
Many outstanding actors of the Soviet Theatre and Cinema worked on the stage of our Drama Theatre in the 30's. It is here that the Rostovites applauded to the art of M.Shchepkin and V.Maretskaya, N.Mordvinov, P.Loboda, and G.Leondor. The audience watched the creative work of the producers M.Sinelnikov, A.Tairov, and Yu. Zavadsky.
The theatre building was destroyed by fascist occupants and in 1963 the building was restored. The repertoire of the modern Theatre of Drama includes plays by Russian and foreign playwrights. In 1993, for the first time, the Theatre opened its season with four premieres. These performances were staged by producers who represented Moscow and St. Petersburg Theatres and brought in new methodics and styles.
We must mention one more interesting fact in the life of our favourite Theatre. In 1993 the People's Actor of our country, State Prize winner of Russia, M.Bushnov marked his unusual life and creative work jubilee. He is 70 and for 40 years he has been working in Rostov, 30 of which he spent in the Drama Theatre after its restoration. M.Bushnov is a very talented and gifted actor. He is the pride of our Theatre. Our Theatre is very popular with the Rostovites and is warmly welcomed in other countries.
Vocabulary notes: impress – впечатлять
superb – роскошный, великолепный edifice – здание, сооружение
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