One of Our Traditions

Red Square is the heart of our capital. It is the oldest and the most beautiful square in the city. People from all parts of the world come here. They see the Kremlin with its famous monuments and museums. They hear the sound of the Kremlin Clock which is well known to all those who listen to Moscow radio.

Not so long ago big parades and holiday demonstrations took place on November 7 and May 1 in Red Square. This square looked very beautiful on those days. It was full of people with flags and flowers in their hands. Red Square was the place where children came after they join the Pioneers. Now the tradition of visiting Red Square on May, 9 remained as well as a tradition with cosmonauts to come here before space flights.

During the war my great-grandfather was an officer of the Soviet Army. He fought many heroic battles and marched as far as Berlin. On May 9, 1945, the war was over. Everybody was happy. It was the greatest victory of the Soviet people. "Let's make May 9 our meeting day", the soldiers and officers said, "let's meet every year in Moscow in Red Square." And so they do now. It has become a tradition dear to them all.

I asked my great-grandfather to take me to Red Square. I wanted to meet the heroes of the war, to listen to their stories, to speak to them.

I was happy to see the war veterans who were in Red Square on Victory Day. As a tradition the first place we went to was the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Everybody wanted to honour the memory of those who died to defend peace and happiness of our Motherland.

We took our place at the end of the long line and walked slowly to the memorial. We moved along the alley and first I saw blocks of red stone with earth from the Hero Cities under them. The people brought a lot of flowers to the memorial. We honoured the memory of the heroes with a minute of silence. We watched the soldiers on duty, we saw the Eternal Flame burning at the monument. We read the great and simple words, "Your name is unknown, your feat is immortal".

When we passed along Red Square, my great-grandfather and his friends remembered two historic parades that took place many years ago. I wanted to know more about those days and invited one of my greatgrandfather's friends to come to our school museum of war glory.

My schoolmates and I greeted the war veteran with flowers. He told us about heroic battles. We listened to his story of the glorious parades. On November 7, 1941, when the enemy was near Moscow, Soviet soldiers marched across Red Square and promised to defend the capital to the last. The soldiers took this oath and went to the front right after the parade. On June 24, 1945, the Victory Parade took place in Red Square. Moscow welcomed the war heroes. Soviet soldiers threw down 200 enemy banners at the foot of the Mausoleum.

We shall always remember what our great-grandfathers and grand­fathers have done for peace on earth. We shall do our best to live in peace and friendship with all peoples.

There is a good song with very dear words in it, "It is joy with the eyes full of tears, it is a holiday of people with grey hair on their temples". These words tell about Victory Day.

The tradition began many and many a year ago but it is living nowadays. The veterans of the wars following the Great Patriotic War, now very young but with grey hair, come to Red Square, to meet their co-troopers.

Задание 4

Студент должен

• Прочитать и перевести диалог «Мой любимый праздник» («My favorite holiday») и составить свой диалог на основе прочитанного о своём любимом празднике.