A Visit to Moscow

This is a conversation between a Russian girl Natasha and a Canadian tourist named Edward. Natasha is going along Tverskaya Street. Suddenly she bumps into a young man standing on the pavement with a map in his hands.

- Oh, I am so sorry!

- Don`t worry! That`s OK. I shouldn`t have stood here like a lamp-post. Oh, sorry, but I don`t know your name.

- My name is Natasha Mironova. I`m a first-year student at Moscow State University. And what`s your name? Where are you from?

- My name is Edward Wright. I`m from Canada.

- Do you live in Ottawa?

- No, I`m from Toronto. I`ve come to Russia, because I`ve heard so many nice things about this country. They say Russia and Canada have many common features. I arrived in Moscow only yesterday and now it seems to me that I`ve lost my way.

- Then I`ll try to help you. Where do you want to get to?

- Well, I wanted to see the Moscow Kremlin.

- Then you should go along Tverskaya Street until you get to Okhotny Ryad. There you should go down to the subway . Get out of it at Manezhnaya Square and then turn to the right. You`ll get to Alexandrovsky Garden. Go through it along the Kremlin wall and you`ll see the Borovitsky gates. This is where the entrance to the Kremlin is located.

- Thank you very much. But I`m afraid, I can`t remember everything at once. Could you please show me the way?

- With pleasure. If you wish, I can tell you something about other sights in Moscow.

- That would be wonderful. I want to know as much as possible about the Russian capital.

- Then you should know a bit of its history. It was founded about nine centures ago by Prince Yuri Dolgoruki. It was first mentioned in chronicles in 1147. Nowadays Moscow is the largest city in Russia with its population of more than 8 million people.

- Since what time is Moscow the capital of Russia?

- Ivan the Great made it the centre of the new united country. Though Peter the Great moved the capital to St. Petersburg, Moscow remained the heart of Russia. After the October Revolution it became the capital again.

- I`ve heard about it though history isn`t my cup of tea. I think that the best known places in Moscow are the Kremlin and Red Square. Am I right?

- Oh, yes, they have more historical associations than any other place in Moscow . There you can see the masterpieces of old Russian architecture: the Kremlin and St. Basil`s Cathedral.

- There is a photo of the cathedral in my guide-book.

- It`s much more beautiful in reality.

- I have also heard a lot about the Tsar Cannon and the Tsar Bell. The cannon and the bell are the biggest in the world. Where can I see them?

- They`re in the Kremlin. There you can also see the Bell Tower of Ivan the Great, the Palace of Congress and many other sights.

- Natasha, I`m in Moscow for only a few days. What places of interest would you advise me to visit?

- Well, there are a lot of tourist attractions in Moscow. This city is famous for its old churches. You`re sure to admire the Temple of Christ the Savior. Besides, it`s not so far from the Kremlin.

- I`m very interested in museums. I`ve heard, that there are over eighty museums in the city.

- I advise you to visit the Pushkin Fine Arts Museum and the Tretyakov Gallery. By the way, do you like music?

- Yes, very much. I`d like to visit the Bolshoi theatre.

- Oh, there you can get a lot of wonderful impressions. And you ought to see Moscow State University, where I study. This magnificent building is situated on the Vorobyev hills.

- I`d love to visit it. But how can I get there?

- You can get there by metro. But to tell the truth, the metro is always crowded.

- I`ve already noticed that nearly everyone in Moscow is in a hurry. I would also like to see the Moscow Zoo. I`m very fond of animals.

- So am I. The Zoo is really worth seeing.

- It`s a pity that I can`t stay here longer. On Saturday I leave for St. Petersburg. But there I shall realize my dream and see the Hermitage. And please tell me Natasha, are all the Muscovites as hospitable and friendly as you?

- Oh, yes. Moscow is always glad to welcome the guests.