Barnaul

Barnaul is the administrative center of the Altai Territory. It stands on the left side of the great Siberian river Ob. The beginning of mining industry in Altai and foundation of Barnaul in 1730 are closely connected with the name of industrialist Akinfy Demidov. In 1727 he selected a picturesque wooded site in the mouth of the Barnaul river to build a copper melting works. In addition to the copper which had originally attracted the Demidovs, substantial deposits of silver were soon found as well. The city was founded as a centre of mining industry and soon became an important industrial and trading centre. In 1771 it got the city status.

The total area of Barnaul is 321 square kilometers. About 621,700 inhabitants live in the city. Barnaul is a city blending the old and the new. Its location, history, culture, entertainment, educational and athletic facilities make it unique to the country and to the world.

Barnaul is one of the most highly developed industrial cities of Siberia. Its main industries are machine building, engineering, chemistry and many others. Its numerous huge and small plants produce engines and boilers, machines and tools, chemical and textile goods, furniture and tires, faceted diamonds, beer and cheeses and other big and small items.

The city is divided in five administrative districts. The main street is Lenin Avenue. It is a wide avenue stretching through the city for 9 kilometers. Square of Soviets is Barnaul's central square. The visiting card of the city is the building of the largest provision store “Under the spire” in October square.

The cultural life of the city is very rich. There are 5 theatres in the city: The Altai Drama Theatre, the Musical Comedy Theatre, the Puppet Theatre, the Youth Theatre, and the Philharmonic Society with the organ. Every night they open their doors to lovers of drama, musical comedy, classical, pop music and dance. We have several museums in the city: The Altai State Regional Studies Museum, the Museum of History of Altai Literature, Arts and Culture. The pride of the city is the Fine Arts Museum, which houses quite a few masterpieces by old and modern artists. The biggest library is the Regional Library named after V. Shyshkov. Barnaul is famous for its festivals “Night in the Museum”, Shukshin’s readings, and the international festival “Holiday of Cheese”.

The monuments of the city are its history alive. The column called «Demidov’s Pillar» was founded to mark the centenary of mining industry in Altai. The Eternal Fire was lit in memory of those who perished in the October revolution and Civil War. The Memorial of Glory on Victory Square is dedicated to the soldiers of the Great Patriotic War. Citizens come here on the Victory Day and newlyweds lay flowers at the foot of the monument on their wedding day.

Barnaul is also a big research centre. There are nine higher educational institutions, a great number of colleges and secondary schools in the city. The two largest universities of the city - the Altai State University and Polzunov Altai State Technical University - are included into the hundred of the best institutions of university level higher education of the country. Altai State Pedagogical Academy is the oldest in Barnaul. There are also Medical University, Agrarian University, the Altai State Academy of Culture and Arts and others. They train teachers and doctors, engineers and economists, lawyers and social workers and other specialists for industry, business, and agriculture.

Barnaul is worth seeing. The historic down town area with its wooden houses decorated with quaint wood carving, the blue-domed cathedral, the small cozy shops and cafes attract lots of tourists. Today Barnaul is growing and becoming more and more beautiful.

Coat of Arms of Barnaul consists of a shield divided into two parts horizontally. The upper part is one-third of the shield. It presents white prancing horse on a green background. At the bottom of the coat of arms on a blue background among silver rocks is a steaming red furnace - a symbol silver-production.

Glossary:

1. mining industry - горное дело; горная промышленность; добывающая промышленность

2. deposit - месторождение

3. industrialist [ɪn'dʌstrɪəlɪst] промышленник, предприниматель; бизнесмен, делец; фабрикант

4. a copper smelting works – медеплавильный завод

5. industry ['ɪndəstrɪ] - индустрия, промышленность, производство; industrial [ɪn'dʌstrɪəl] ) индустриальный, промышленный; industrialist [ɪn'dʌstrɪəlɪst] промышленник, предприниматель; бизнесмен, делец; фабрикант

6. inhabitant [ɪn'hæbɪt(ə)nt] - житель, обитатель

7. entertainment [ˌentə'teɪnmənt] - 1) увеселительное мероприятие, 2) развлечение, веселье, досуг

8. engineering [ˌenʤɪ'nɪərɪŋ] -машиностроение

9. Siberia [saɪ'bɪərɪə] – Сибирь

10. textile ['tekstaɪl] - goods текстильные товары

11. tire ['taɪə] -1) шина 2) покрышка || надевать покрышку

12. faceted ['fæsɪtɪd] - огранённый, многогранный; шлифованный

13. item ['aɪtəm] -1) а) пункт, параграф, статья, номер (программы) 2) отдельный предмет

14. administrative [əd'ministreitiv] - административный

15. society [sə'sajəti] - общество

16. to mark the centenary [sen'tiːn(ə)rɪ] - отмечать столетие

17. The Eternal Fire - вечный огонь

18. in memory of - в память (о ком-л. или о чём-л.)

19. Civil War - Гражданская война

20. higher ['haɪə] educational institutions - высшие учебные заведения

21. to be worth seeing - стоит посмотреть

22. down town - центр города

23. cathedral [kə'θiːdr(ə)l] - кафедральный собор

24. shield [ʃiːld] - щит (герба)

25. symbolize ['sɪmb(ə)laɪz] - символизировать

Task 1. Answer the following questions:

1. When and where was Barnaul founded?

2. What are the main industries of Barnaul?

3. What parts of the city do you like the most?

4. What is your favorite theatre?

5. What are the historical monuments of the town?

6. What monuments of the city do you consider the most impressive?

7. Does the city have traffic jams? Where?

8. Does the city have any areas with upmarket shops?

9. What is the historical downtown like?

10. Why is the horse depicted on the shield? What do you think about it?

Task 2. Study the vocabulary. Problems of the city:

Pollution (the air and the water are no longer as pure as they were)

Traffic jams (every day, particularly in the rush-hour, the streets get so packed with traffic that travel is very slow or even comes to a standstill. This is particularly stressful for commuters.)

Vandalism (pointless destruction of other people’s property)

Overcrowding (too many people live in too small place)

Slums (certain parts of the city which are poor and in a very bad condition)

Crime and civil offences: mugging (хулиганство, групповое нападение); burglary (квартирная кража со взломом); illegal [ɪ'liːg(ə)l] parking (парковка с нарушением установленных правил); drink/drunk driving DWI (driving while intoxicated); speeding, joy riding/a joy ride (угон автомобиля с целью покататься на нём); litter throwing.

Task 3. Decide which adjectives describe a city and which describe a country. Give reasons.

Polluted, scenic, crowded, relaxed, noisy, quiet, peaceful, lively, picturesque, healthy, natural, dirty, entertaining, busy, slow, modern, remote, and healthy.

Eg. A city is polluted because of the many cars and factories.

Task 4. Read the text and act as you are a guide.