Reading Text. Where To Go And What To See In Kyiv.

1.Read and say what new things you’ve learned from the text.

Khreshchatyk, the beautiful many-faced, brightly-lit main street of Kyiv, hasn’t always been like this. Originally it was Khreshchata Dolyna covered with forests and ravines. At the beginning of the 19^th century the first wooden houses were built there, later stone buildings were erected. Practically all of them were ruined during the Great Patriotic War but later were restored by the Kyivites. The street leads to Independence Square, the main square of Kyiv which now together with Khreshchatyk, is the favourite place for entertainment for the citizens and guests of the city.

Museum lovers will find hundreds of beautiful exhibits in the Museum of Ukrainian Fine Arts whose 21 galleries contain valuable collections of Ukrainian icons, pictures and sculptures from the 14^th to the 20^th century, including some works by Taras Shevchenko. His other paintings, manuscripts and personal belongings can be found in the Taras Shevchenko State Museum in Shevchenko Boulevard and in the museum in Kanev, his burial place. Another rich collection of pictures and sculptures can be seen in the Russian Arts Museum, which is the third largest after those of Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Theatre-goers will never be bored in Kyiv as there are theatres to all tastes: the Taras Shevchenko National Opera and Ballet House with wonderful singers and dancers, the Ivan Franko Ukrainian Drama Theatre, the Lesya Ukrainka Drama Theatre, the Tchaikovsky Conservatory, the Kyiv Philharmonic Society, the Musical Drama Theatre and many others, all with wonderful highly-professional performers.

Wherever you go in Kyiv, you will see either a beautiful old building or a monument, a green park or an amazingly decorated church – it is so full of places of interest that it’s difficult to name even half them.

The present and the past live side by side in Kyiv, and both lovers of history and people who are interested in the contemporary life of the capital, will find something to their taste in the busy streets of Kyiv.

2.Answer the questions:

1.Which of Kyiv’s theatres would you like to go to and why?

2.Which of Kyiv’s museums do you want to visit? Why?

3.Which part of Kyiv are you interested in more: the old or the modern one?

4.If you go to Kyiv, will you visit Kyivo-Pecherska Lavra? Yes/No? Why?

5.Would you like to go down the Dnieper by boat as far as Kanev? Yes/No? Why?

3.Complete this letter.

Dear Mum!

I’m writing from Kyiv, the c______of Ukraine. We are staying in a large hotel on Khreshchatyk street. This is the m_____ street of the c______.

Kyiv looks like a l_____ park with its beautiful greenery and trees.

Yesterday we met some really friendly people who took us to round Kyiv s______ tour. We visited the L_______ Monastery. The c________ of this monastery are really unique. We saw the M________ P_______ and the G_______ G_______. We went to the M_______ D_______ Theatre. Its p_______ are highly-professional.

We were impressed by great number of c________ and ch_______. They r_____d that Kyiv is the centre of Orthodox Church.

So we are having a lovely time.

See you when I get back. Miss you.

Dan.

4.Tell your friends about your (imaginary) visit to Kyiv.