Yoshkar-ola

If you look at the map of our Motherland you will see a lot of great and small cities and towns. Among them the city of Yoshkar-Ola, our native city, takes quite a modest place. It is not so famous as Moscow, St. Petersburg, Suzdal or Novgorod but Yoshkar-Ola is a wonderful city with its modern architecture, green parks and boulevards and its own history which dates back to the 16th century.

Yoshkar-Ola is the capital of the Mari Republic, its political, economic, cultural and scientific centre with the population of about 280,000 people.

The city has 4 theatres (The Shketan Mari National Theatre, The Konstantinov Russian Drama Theatre, The Puppet Theatre, The Sapaev Opera and Ballet Theatre), 2 institutions of higher education (Mari State University and Mari State Technical University), the Museum of Local Studies, the Fine Arts Museum, a lot of schools, libraries and recreation centres.

For a long time Yoshkar-Ola has been an important industrial centre with more than 50 enterprises producing refrigerators, radio-parts, tools, bicycles, vitamins, artificial leather, fur goods, clothes, furniture, etc.

Yoshkar-Ola is the administrative and political centre of the republic. The residence of the Mari President is located there. The government of our republic works there too. They occupy a 7-storey grey building in Leninsky Prospect, one of the busiest thoroughfares of the city. Opposite the building of the Government there is one of the highest buildings – the “Yoshkar-Ola” hotel.

The “Yoshkar-Ola” hotel and the Government building are part of the modern architectural ensemble. Another architectural ensemble can be seen in Lenin Square which is the heart of the capital. It is very attractive. One can't but admire the buildings of Mari State University, Mari Technical University and the Mari Theatre of Opera and Ballet. In the centre of the square there is a monument to V.I. Lenin by the famous sculptor M. Manizer. This monument reminds us of our past.

One of the most impressive places of interest is the Memorial to the Military Glory erected in honour of those who perished in World War II. The Memorial with its monument and the Eternal Fire adds much to the beauty of the city famous for its green streets and parks. Due to numerous green spaces the city is especially beautiful in summer and in spring when it is buried in green trees and bright flowers.

The city of Yoshkar-Ola is new and young. Here and there you can see modern construction sites. The city is constantly changing and striding to its future.

8. Complete the sentences using information from the text.

1) The city of ... was founded ... .

2) You can't but visit ... .

3) You can't but admire ... .

4) The city of … is famous ... .

5) The history of ... dates back to … .

6) As far as I know the city is rich in ... .

7) Due to … .

9) This monument reminds us of ... .

9. Complete the sentences with the words given below.

Impressive; especially; attractive; buildings; architectural; green spaces; Memorial.

1) The … ensemble including the … of Mari State University, Mari Technical University and the Mari Theatre of Opera and Ballet is very …

2) The … to the Military Glory is one of the most … places of interest.

3) Yoshkar-Ola is … beautiful in summer and in spring due to numerous …

10. Answer the questions:

1) Where is Yoshkar-Ola situated?

2) When was it founded?

3) Is it a very old city rich in architectural and historical monuments?

4) What was the city famous for?

5) What places of interest would you advise a visitor to see in Yoshkar-Ola?

6) What makes the city especially attractive?

7) What do you think about the future of Yoshkar-Ola?

11. Read the text.

Moscow

Moscow is the capital of Russia. It is a big ancient city and one of the biggest and most beautiful cities in the world. Moscow is a political, industrial, scientific, financial and cultural center of Russia. It is the seat of the Russian Federal Government. All official guests of our state visit Moscow. The population of the city is over 9 million people. The city offers numerous tourists an astonishing variety of scenes. In Moscow one can meet the past and the present, the old and the modern. Moscow is famous for its historical places.

The city lies in the central zone of the Great Russian Plain, between the Rivers Volga and Oka, on the banks of the Moskva River. It was founded in 1147 by Prince Yuri Dolgoruky. Red Square is the heart of our capital. People from all parts of the world come here to see the Kremlin with its famous monuments and museums.

The history of the Kremlin buildings dates back to the 11^th century, when it was wooden. Now it’s a magnificent fortress made of red brick with high walls and lots of churches. Among its attractions are the famous Czar Bell and Czar Cannon. The walls are reinforced by 20 towers, five of which are also gates. The most beautiful is Spasskaya Tower, which is famous for its architecture and the clock. The so-called Sobakina Tower is more than 180 feet high. It was once an important part of the Kremlin’s defenses. Its walls are more 12 feet thick at the foundations; it was built so solidly because it concealed a secret well (important in the time of siege) and also a way out to the Neglinnaya River. The Kremlin stretches for 2 km and 200 m and it is 5 m high, it looks grand. The Kremlin is the seat of the government.

Moscow’s history covers about two thousand years, though the official “birthday” of the city is in 1147. By the 13^th century it had become the center of the Moscow principality. By the 15^th century, Moscow has established its paramount rule over various Russian principalities and its urban area was over three square miles. A hundred years it had grown into the capital of a strong and prosperous state, one of the largest in the world. More than once it has been ruined and restored. It was destroyed by the Mongolian Tatar invasion, Lithuanian and French armies. Today it’s rapidly changed, becoming a huge European city which tries to preserve its past and at the same time to fulfill the functions of a modern city. The mayor and the Moscow Government do their best to create the atmosphere of the old Moscow with its unique cathedrals, many buildings of great historical value.

There are more than 80 museums and places of interest in Moscow. At the north end of Red Square is the History Museum built in typical Moscow style in 1874-83. It houses the largest collection of historical material and documents about the origin and history of the peoples and the city. One of the famous museums is Tretyakov Gallery where one can see the wonderful masterpieces of art. Other unique museums in Moscow include the Pushkin Museum of Fine arts, the all-Russia Museum of Folk Arts, the Andrei Rublev museum of Early Russian arts, the Alexei Bakhrushin theatre, museum, Mikhail Glinka Museum of Musical Culture and many others. The beautiful building of the theater, called Bolshoi Theater, is situated in the center of the Theater Square. This theater has survived two fires and makes a great impression on tourists.

On Vorobyovy hills is the largest university of Russia. It was named after Mikhail Lomonosov, the outstanding Russian scientist of the 18^th century. It is a magnificent 36-storey building. There are also 9 underground floors there. From the top of the Moscow University you can have a splendid view on Moscow. Many students from different cities of Russia and from other countries study at this University. The tourists can have an enjoyable excursion about Moscow by the riverboats.

Moscow is also a great manufacturing center. Hundreds of plants are situated along the banks of the Moskva River and in the suburbs of the city. They produce clothing, chemicals, electronics, cars, toys.

Moscow is the port of five seas due to the Moscow Canal built in 1937, which connects the Moskva River and the Volga. Four airports in the suburbs of Moscow and nine railway stations connect Moscow with the whole world.

Moscow is green and beautiful. There are many parks in it.

The Moscow Underground (the Metro) is famous all over the world. The first metro line was built in 1935; it was 11.6 km long and had only 13 stations. The Moscow metro is not only a convenient means of transport but also a unique engineering and architectural structure. Most of the stations are deep underground, but they are sections of the lines that are on the surface. No two stations are alike: each one has its own architectural and artistic design. They are light, spacious and well decorated. Valuable types of stone and wood from various parts of Russia have been used to face the halls, tunnels and escalators of the stations.

1. What new facts about Moscow have you learnt from the text?

2. Answer the questions.

1. What kind of a city is Moscow?

2. When was the city founded?

3. What is the symbol of Moscow?

4. Where is the Kremlin situated?

5. What Moscow museums do you know?

6. What is the oldest university in Russia?

7. Why is Moscow the largest transportation center?

8. Why is Moscow Metro famous all over the world?

1. Agree or disagree with the following statements:

1. Moscow can hardly be called a metropolis.

2. The centre of Moscow is Arbat.

3. The Kremlin is famous for its towers.

4. The city has a poor transportation network.

5. The Moscow metro is popular with tourists from different countries.