4. Find English equivalents for the following words and expressions

Западные и восточные страны
Начать производить (товары)
учреждать
купец
Период быстрого экономического роста
возводить
Вторжение и захват
Народное ополчение
Рукопашная схватка
Согласно легенде
расцвет
Главный транзитный пунтк

TEXT 1 Yaroslavl region: history (part 2)

1. Read and translate the text

2. Write out the unknown words with transcription and translation

Yaroslavl is situated on the junction of two rivers: the Kotorosl and the Volga. The Kotorosl runs into the much larger Volga at a beautiful place called the “Strelka” (“Junction”), where there are fountains. It’s part of a picturesque embankment with pagodas running along the banks of both rivers and is a nice place for a stroll. Yaroslavl was founded at that spot in 1010 by Prince Yaroslav the Wise of the Rostov Principality. He came to this place in order to secure the borders of his principality, to baptize the pagans who lived in a settlement there and to stop these pagans attacking the merchant ships travelling between the Volga cities. The pagans sent a female bear – their tribe’s sacred animal – against the prince, but Yaroslav the Wise killed the bear with his pole axe. That’s why you can now see a bear with a pole-axe on the coat of arms of Yaroslavl. Now Yaroslav had conquered the tribe, he ordered a fortress to be built, thus founding the base of the present-day city.

In the eleventh century Russia was invaded by Tarter hordes. The inhabitants of Yaroslavl resisted the oppressors until the famous battle on Tugova Mountain in 1238. The occupation lasted another 150 years until the Kulikovskaya Battle 1380. Once the ravages had ended, Yaroslavl started growing very quickly. At the beginning of the seventeenth century it became the capital of Russia and in 1761 the first Russian theatre was founded here by Fyodor Volkov. Today you can still see and visit this birthplace of Russian theatre, situated on Volkov Square.

The city expanded quickly due its advantageous location on the trading route between Europe and Asia and Yaroslavl merchants soon became extremely wealthy. The town became very large and important and by the seventeenth century there were already more than eighty foreign embassies. All the merchants and wealthy people wanted to build churches and so a specific architectural style developed. There were more than seventy churches within the centre of the city alone. You can still see most of them, though some were used as gymnasiums or warehouses under Communism. The most beautiful is situated on Soviet Square and is named after Elijah the Prophet. It was built in the sixteenth century during the period of architectural blossom and contains exquisite frescos. In the seventeenth century the large monastery of the Transfiguration of Our Saviour was built. Behind the thick, white walls that served as a fortress, there are beautiful churches and a bell-tower. Today it houses both a history and natural history museum.