Л.С. Пасынков Россия - независимое государство (английский язык)

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7.What is the geographical position of the Kuznetsk basin?

8.What kinds of trees grow up in the Siberian forests?

9.What is the climate of Kuzbass?

10.What Kuzbass rivers do you know?

1. Summarising.

Match the summary with the correct paragraph.

Electrical energy: the characteristic The coal industry description

The characteristic of Kuzbass climate The important waterways of Kuzbass

The place where the gifts of nature are concentrated One of the Russia’s biggest centres of metallurgie The chemical centre of the western part of Russia The general information about the Kemerovo region

The average summer and winter temperature in Kuzbass The main wealth of Kuzbass

The specialisation of Kuzbass machine-building industry The description of Kuzbass forests

The per cent correlation of the industrial structure of Kuzbass

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PART IV

MOSCOW

Moscow is the capital of Russia, its political, economic, commercial and cultural centre.

Moscow is the largest metropolitan area in Russia with the population of about 10 million people, one of the largest cities in the world. The city is situated on low hills on the banks of the Moskva River. The original settlement was founded where the Kremlin now stands. Because of its central location in the heart of European Russia, Moscow became a focal point for important trade routes.

Moscow was first mentioned in the chronicles in 1147. It is the official date of the foundation of Moscow, though the settlement had been there for some time before. It was fortified and became a market town in the late 12th century. The town was almost totally destroyed in 1237 and 1293 during the Tatar invasion. In the early 14th century Moscow became the political and religious centre of the north-eastern part of Russia. It was again captured by the Tatars in 1382. By the end of the 15th century, Moscow extended its rule over most of central and northern Russia. Its rulers continued to build fortifications around it.

The transfer of the capital by Peter the Great to St. Petersburg in 1712 brought a period of decline to Moscow. In 1812 came the Napoleon's conquest and the city was destroyed by fire. The city was rebuilt within a short period. In the 19th century Moscow became a centre for industry and commerce, as well as a leading cultural, scientific and political centre.

Moscow is the seat of the Government of the Russian Federation. Moscow is the Russia's largest industrial city. Nearly 30 percent of the

city's workforce is employed in industry and industrial research. Some of Russia's largest plants are located in or around Moscow. Metallurgy, metal processing and engineering are the largest industrial sectors. Other large sectors arc textiles, clothing and footwear, chemical and petrochemical industries, electronic instruments and automation equipment.

Moscow, apart from its political, administrative and economic functions as the capital of Russia, it is its leading cultural centre. It is the seat of the Academy of Sciences. The Russia's largest University, over 80 scientific, research institutions, technical colleges and academies of music and art are situated here. The city also contains the Lenin Library, with one of the largest and richest archives in the world, over 80 museums, the famous Bolshoi and Maly Theatres, opera and ballet. It is one of the world's largest publish-

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ing centres. Moscow is the Russia's main tourist attraction.

ST. PETERSBURG

St. Petersburg is the second largest city in Russia and one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It was founded in 1703 by Peter the Great as the «Window to the West». Thousands of workmen were brought from all parts of Russia to build a new city on the swampy land at the mouth of the Neva River. Peter the Great was in a hurry. The work was fast and hard, and workmen dropped dead by the hundreds. But the work went on. St. Petersburg, a city of great beauty, with palaces, cathedrals, churches, government buildings became the capital.

Under later rulers the new capital of the Russian Empire grew rapidly in wealth and beauty. Architects were brought from western Europe to lay out the city in harmonious squares. Buildings were constructed of grey and rosecoloured granite. The Hermitage Palace and the Winter Palace, the homes of the tsars, were equal to any in Europe.

When the first world war began in 1914, the German-sounding name, St. Petersburg, was changed to Petrograd. After the Great October Revolution the city was renamed after Lenin.

During the Great Patriotic War the city suffered a great deal. The German armies laid siege to it in 1941, and for the next year and a half it was cut off from the rest of the country. No food could be brought in, and people died of starvation. Daily shelling and air raids destroyed parts of the city, thousands of people were killed. Rebuilding took years.

Now St. Petersburg is an important industrial, cultural and educational centre. The population of the city is over 5 million.

St. Petersburg is indeed a wonderful city. At every turn there is something to catch your eye. The Winter Palace, the Hermitage, the Russian Museum, St Isaac's Cathedral, the Peter-and-Paul Fortress, the Admiralty building attract thousands of tourists from every country of the world.

Petersburg's many museums house some of the world's famous art collections. The Hermitage, for example, contains the richest collection of pictures in the world; The city is called Northern Venice because there are 65 rivers and canals there with artistically decorated bridges. It's also famous for its beautiful white nights.

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PUSHKIN

Pushkin is the most important Russian writer of all time, like Shakespeare in England or Dante in Italy. Pushkin provided the standards for Russian arts and literature in the 19th century.

Pushkin was born in Moscow in 1799 into an upper-class family In 1811 he entered a lyceum at Tsarskoye Selo. The education offered at the lyceum shaped Pushkin's life.

He graduated from the lyceum in 1817 and began to work in the foreign office in St. Petersburg.

In 1820 the foreign office transferred Pushkin to Ekaterinoslav, and later to Odessa for writing anti-tsarist poetry. In 1824, for his letter against the tsar, he was exiled to Mikhailovskoye. In 1824, Tsar Nicholas I allowed Pushkin to return to Moscow.

Pushkin felt in love with Natalya Goncharova, who was 16 then, and in 1830 they got married. His wife was suspected of an affair with Baron Georges d'Antes; this became the subject of gossip. Pushkin challenged d'Antes to a duel. Pushkin was wounded and died two days later.

Pushkin was the Russia's greatest poet. In his works he was first influenced by 18th century poets, and then by Lord Byron. Finally he developed his own style, which was realistic but classical in form.

His earliest long poem was romantic «Ruslan and Lyudmila» (18181820). A series of verse tales followed «The Prisoner of the Caucasus», «The Robber Brothers», «The Fountain of Bakhchisarai», and «The Gypsies». They were inspired by Byron's poetry.

In 1823 Pushkin began writing his masterpiece «Eugene Onegin», a novel in verse. «Eugene Onegin» became the linguistic and literary standard. It is a commentary on the life of the early 19th century Russia. It is noted for brilliant verse.

He also wrote other long poems, including «Bronze Horseman» (1833), the finest collection of lyrics in Russian literature.

Pushkin created also a number of masterpieces in drama and prose. «Little Tragedies» and «The Stone Guest» are among the best works in the world history of drama. Pushkin's love to Russia's past resulted in his historical drama, «Boris Godunov» (1825). «Tales of the Late I.P.Belkin», «Dubrovsky», «The Captain's Daughter» are the most important of his prose works. Pushkin's use of Russian influenced the great Russian writers Turgenev, Goncharov, Tolstoy.

Pushkin's early death shocked the country. Pushkin, called by many «the sun of Russian literature», belongs among the foremost poets and writers of the world.

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IVAN THE TERRIBLE

Probably one of the most famous figures in Russian history is Ivan IV, called the Terrible because of his cruelty.

He ruled in the period when boyars, Russian hereditary landlords were fast losing their political power, their lands, and sometimes, due to Ivan IV, their lives. On the other hand, more and more power was given to dvoryane, service landlords.

The three-year-old Ivan IV became grand prince in 1533, after the death of his father, Vasili III. At first his mother, Yelena Glinsky, ruled instead of his son. After her death in 1538 the Shuiskys and Belskysi struggled for the throne. In 1547 Ivan IV was crowned tsar of all Russia. In 1549 the first zemsky sobor was held.

Ivan IV decided that all landowners should begin military service when they were 15, and serve till the end of their lives. He created also a standing army, streltsy. This was necessary because Russia had many enemies. Tatars of Kazan, Astrakhan and the Crimea continued to raid the territory of Russia.. The Livonian Knights blocked Russia's access to the Baltic Sea.

Ivan first began a campaign against Kazan and defeated it in 1552. In 1554-1556 his armies took Astrakhan, thus getting for Russia the Volga Valley and the way to the Caspian Sea.

The tsar's chief interest lay in trade with the West through the Baltic, He began a war against Livonia which lasted 24 years and ended in nothing: in the end Russia lost everything it had conquered earlier during the war.

In 1553, Ivan fell seriously ill. Thinking he was close to death, he wanted boyars to give an oath in their loyalty to his son Dmitry. Boyars did- n't want to; moreover, one of them, a close companion of Ivan IV, suddenly escaped to Lithuania. Ivan IV left Moscow for the town of Alexandrov, and set up a state within a state, called «Oprichnina». The rest of the land was called «Zemshchina», where the boyar duma continued to govern. He also organised a new guard, Opritchniki, who were famous for their cruelty.

They numbered several thousands and killed many boyars and other people Ivan thought of as enemies. They also confiscated their property. The Oprichniki were ordered to wipe out «treason» in both Oprichnina and Zemschina. Ivan's cruelty lead to a number of rising. The Oprichnina was abolished in 1572.

Ivan IV died in 1584. Though known for his cruelty, he is also famous for Russia access to the Baltic and for beginning the struggle with boyars, who were hereditary landlords, for the power of dvoryane, service landlords. He is undoubtedly one of the most famous figures in Russian history.

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HOBBY CLUBS IN RUSSIA

Sport, travel, collecting, amateur, arts and folk crafts are most popular in Russia.

The popularity of hobby clubs is growing steadily. There is a wide range of clubs all over the country. They specialize in tourism, books, health promotion, environmental protection, history, movies, drama, etc. There are clubs where young people as well as those who are over 30 can simply get acquainted. Clubs membership may vary from a few individuals to several thousand. Hobby clubs, usually sponsored by enterprises or cultural centres can also be district, city or even nation-wide. Some of them charge membership fees used for the purchase of all kinds of gear and equipment.

Thus, the All-Russia Society of Stamp Collectors has a membership of about two million adult collectors and the same number of children. There is a stamp collectors’ club in virtually every Russian city and town.

The Society uses the annual membership fees for publishing its own magazine and stamp catalogues as well as for organization exhibitions. At them members of local branches buy stamps, exchange collections and learn the latest news about stamp collecting.

As for winter swimming clubs, their members include thousands of people in different parts of the country. The brave people who dare to swim in big ice holes are known as “walruses”. They often swim together with their families, infants including. Specialists claim that such “walruses” are less susceptible to colds, and their children develop much faster than other children.

The first amateur song writer’s clubs were set up over 30 years ago. They bring together poetry lovers, those who compose their own songs and sing them to the accompaniment of their guitars.

In their free time they sing the songs, they have written, around the campfire in woods, at cultural centres and even at stadiums.

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Составители

Людмила Сергеевна Пасынкова Наталья Юрьевна Мамонтова

Россия–независимое государство

(английский язык)

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