Vocabulary

the Alabin Museum of History and Local Lore – Историко-краеведческий музей имени Петра Алабина

the Art Museum – Художественный музей

The Museum of History of Volga Military District – Военно-исторический музей приволжского военного округа

the Frunze Museum – Музей имени Фрунзе

Stalin’s Bunker – Бункер Сталина

the Drama Theatre – Драматический театр

the Opera and Ballet Theatre – Театр оперы и балета

the Square of Glory – площадь Слава

the Eternal Fire – вечный огонь

the Puppet Theatre – Кукольный театр

the Theatre for Young Spectators – Театр юного зрителя

the Circus – цирк

provincial - провинциальный

industrial - промышленный

scientific - научный

highly developed - высокоразвитый

oil processing industry – нефтеперерабатывающая промышленность

population - население

a rectangle-shaped cloth – прямоугольное полотно

horizontal bars – горизонтальные полосы

sign - надпись

represent - представлять

azure field – лазурное поле

educational - образовательный

offer - предлагать

contain - содержать

exhibit – выставлять

outstanding - выдающийся

attract - привлекать

rest spot – место отдыха

dismantle - демонтировать

spectator - зритель

square - площадь

dedicate - посвящать

embankment - набережная

to be worth seeing – стоит посмотреть

Ответьте на вопросы

1 When was Samara founded?

2 Where is it situated?

3 Which industries are there in Samara?

4 What is the emblem of Samara?

5 Why Samara is often called ‘the city of students’?

6 Which museums of Samara do you know?

7 What are the popular rest spots in Samara?

8 What is the largest square in Europe? Where is it situated?

9 Which theatres of Samara do you know?

10 What is your favorite place in Samara?

Samara

Samara is a big industrial, cultural and educational centre of the Volga region and the whole country with the population of about 2 000 000 people. It was founded in 1586. It is to be stressed that its economy grows rapidly. In 1941 many industries were evacuated from Moscow, Leningrad, Voronezh and other cities accompanied by thousands of workers. Samara is growing and extending every day. Our metro received first passengers in 1987.

The city has many attractions for tourists and holiday-makers, the guide-book about our city will show you many museums, various historic monuments, several theatres, such as Opera and Ballet House, the Drama Theatre, the Puppet Theatre, Samart and Philharmonic Society.

The Drama Theatre is one of the oldest theatres in the Volga region and a remarkable piece of classical architecture of the 19^th century. In front of the Drama Theatre there is Stalin’s bunker. It’s very deep. It has twelve floors and is much deeper than Hitler’s bunker which has only five floors. When the Great Patriotic War began, Russian government was moved from Moscow and the bunker was built in 18 months under the emergency conditions.

The most important for our cultural life is the Museum of Local History, Geography and Nature Study which is situated on the crossways of Krasnoarmeiskaya and Frunze streets. The Art Museum in Kuibyshev street houses a fine collection of masterpieces by Russian painters of the 18^th and 19^th centuries. Old district, which is known under the name of Old Samara, is now being restored. One of the most unique old buildings in our city is the church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Frunze street.

In recent years many shopping centres such as “Aquarium”, “Petrovsky”, “Coliseum”, “Nevsky” and others have been mushrooming.

The emblem of our town is the ibex but some people think that the man with wings is also our emblem. This huge monument is erected in the Square of Glory. In three minutes of slow walk you will see the Circus and the Sports Palace. Any resident of Samara will tell you that the city’s main attraction is the Volga. In summer hundreds of ships come to the city like snow-white swans over the sparkling waves. Many legends are composed about wild beauty of the forests and cliffs of the Zhiguli Hills. Now they have become an open air museum.

Опираясь на клише и информацию в следующем тексте, подготовьте экскурсию по Москве.

Клише

Welcome to … - Добро пожаловать в

My name is… - меня зовут

I’m your guide. – Я – ваш гид

I’ll take you round the city – Я покажу вам город

I’ll show the most interesting sights of the city – Я покажу самые интересные достопримечательности города

Let’s start our tour with … - Давайте начнем наш тур с …

It’s better to start with … - Лучше начать с …

Let’s go to … - Давайте пойдем (поедем) в …

You can see … - Вы можете увидеть …

Let’s have a look at … - Давайте посмотрим на …

You’ll admire … - Вы получите большое удовольствие от …

Look attentively at … - Посмотрите внимательно на …

Concentrate your attention on …- Сосредоточьте свое внимание на …

I’d like to attract your attention to…-Хотелось бы привлечь ваше внимание к…

Pay attention to… - Обратите внимание на …

It is important to stress …– Важно подчеркнуть …

There’s no exaggeration in saying that … -Нет никакого преувеличения , что…

It goes without saying… - Само собой разумеется …

to gain popularity – завоевать популярность

to be famous for… - быть известным …

The best place to go to find out more about … - Лучшее место для посещения, чтобы узнать больше о …

Let’s stay for a while on (at) … - Давайте остановимся ненадолго на (в)…

We also invite you to …- Мы также приглашаем вас в …

No doubt – несомненно

Perhaps the best place to end the excursion is … - Вероятно, самое лучшее место для завершения нашей экскурсии …

I hope the excursion was very broadening – Надеюсь экскурсия была очень познавательной

Samara

The history of Samara starts with the prediction “At this place there will be founded a town which will be generous and never be destroyed”, made be metropolitan of Moscow and all Russian Church Alexei, Samara heavenly patron. In 1357, passing by the confluence of 2 rivers – Volga and Samara – he stopped in the hermitage situated on the bank of the Volga River in the year 1357. At that time Samara was just a small settlement, as it is shown on the maps, drawn in the year of 1367 by brothers Francesco and Dominico Pizziano, the Venetian merchants.

In 1586 Duke Gregory Zassekin by order of Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich founded the fortress on a high right bank of the Samara River on the Volga meadow lands to keep the Great Trade Route under control and to protect the eastern boundaries of the country. This year of 1586 is officially known as a year of the “birth” of samara. Nowadays Samara is one of the largest cities in Russia with the population of 1 133 000 people and the city area of 350 square km. known by its rich culture and friendly people.

Let’s go around the historical part of the city, called “Gorod”.

We’ll start from the heart of the Old Town – the Revolution square (old name – Alexeyevskaya – in honor of St. Alexi). It was intended for trade and after a fire in the end of the 19^th century it has become a public place. In 1889 a monument to Alexander II was erected in the centre of the square. The emperor was presented in an overcoat. At the bottom there were 4 figures, which personified 4 historical events: a release of peasants, conquest of the Caucasus, liberation of Bulgaria from the Turkish occupation, gain of Central Asia. In 1918 a sculpture and all bronze details were removed. The square got the new name “Revolution square”. In 1927 the sculpture of Lenin was put up to the pedestal.

Revolution square is located at the crossroads of Kuibyshev and Ventseka streets. We’ll follow Kuibyshev Street ( old name – Dvoryanskaya) which is also called sometimes “Minor Nevsky” for its resemblance to the main street of St. Petersburg. This street, as well as Leningradskaya Street attracts the citizens with a large variety of different shops and boutiques, cafes and restaurants. Walking along it, you will see many historical buildings of all kinds of styles, from classical Russian to gothic, have a chance to visit a movie theatre and museums, take a walk in the shady Strukov Garden. It was called so in memory of the former chief of the Salt Department Strukov. His garden was confiscated and granted to the city. By the end of the 19^th century the garden became one of the best parks on the Volga River.

At the end of Kuibyshev Street, on the right of the Strukov Garden we can see the Drama theatre and the Monument to Chapaev. The building of the theatre was designed by the architect M. Chichagov and was constructed in 1888, on one of the best places on the bank of the Volga River. The building was built in two different styles – classicism and Moscow medieval architecture style. An interesting fact about the Monument to Chapaev (erected in 1932) is that it has a twin-brother”, which you can see now in front of the military academy in ST. Petersburg.

Kuibyshev Square, the main city square, occupies the territory of 575х325 m. Its old name is Sobornaya Square. In May 1869 the construction of a beautiful cathedral in the Byzantine style by the architect E.Zhiber was started on it. The cathedral was very large – with the capacity of more than 2500 people. The construction was finished on April 1894. However, the cathedral was destroyed in 30s of the 20^th century. Sobornaya Square was renamed into Kuibyshev Square, and in three years the monument to V.V.Kuibyshev was placed there. The temple ceded the place to the Opera and Ballet House. During the World War II the Bolshoi Theatre staged its performances here.

Samarskaya and Glory Squares are also very popular places. There is a Palace of Sports, the circus, the building of Samara Province Duma, the Glory Square with the eternal fire, the building of Regional Administration, and the St. George Cathedral there. People from all over the city come here to enjoy a beautiful view of the Volga River and the embankment. Samara embankment is a place worth seeing – it is the longest in Europe – more than 7 km. of beaches and green alleys for walkers, joggers and roller-bladers. Hundreds of open air cafes, bars, restaurants and amusements.

We’ll finish our trip around Samara at the building of the railway station. Opened in 2001, it is one of the largest in Europe – 85 metres high, with the viewing point on top. Every day its hospitable walls meet more than 9000 travellers.