Text 1 The History of Rostov- on-Don

Rostov- on-Don was founded on December 15, 1749, when the Temernitskaya Customs house was set up to control the trade with Turkey. The Customs house was built according to the edict of the Empress Elizabeth, the daughter of Peter the Great. Not far from the Customs house grew the fortress that got the name of the Russian Metropolitan Dmitri Rostovsky. Later the name was changed to Rostov (in 1806) and then to Rostov-on-Don.

Text 2

The Sights of Rostov-on-Don

Rostov-on-Don, the centre of Rostov Region, is a comparatively young city. It is situated on the right bank of the river Don. Rostov-on-Don is the largest city not only in the North-Caucasus area, but the entyre Southern Russia.

Trade has been growing on over the centuries in Rostov. You can trace it by the architecture of the city: the most impressive architectural ensembles are those of financial and commercial companies built at the end of the 19^th century. Merchants from Italy, Persia, Greece, Turkey and other countries used to come here and found this city a proper place to stay for permanent residence. There were nearly 20 foreign consulates situated in the centre of the city.

Bolshaya Sadovaya Street is the compositional axis of the city centre. Academician of architecture Pomerantsev (the author of Moscow GUM buildings) created here a whole ensemble of buildings in the Russian Barocco style.

There are many other architectural monuments in the city. Among them are the magnificent buildings of the State Bank and the Higher School of Economics (also in Bolshaya Sadovaya Street), the Buildings of the Central Post Office, the Museum of Fine Arts, and the Cathedral built in the Russian – Byzantine style. The best construction of 1930s is the Drama Theatre.

The names of many Russian writers are connected with the history of Rostov: Pushkin, Korolenko, Gorky, Fadeev, Pogodin, Shaginyan. Many other outstanding people used to come or stay here: composer Rakhmaninov, artist Saroyan, poet Mayakovski, theatre producer Zavadsky.

Such is a town on the high bank of the Don, centre of the Don Cossacks area.

Task 4. Read Text 3 to answer the questions.

1. What do you know about another famous city founded by Peter the Great?

2. What do you know about life and activities of Chekhov?

3. Have you ever been to Taganrog?

4. What are your famous places in this city?

Text 3 Taganrog

The emergence of this city (Tagan Rog) is connected with the first steps of the Russian Navy with the struggle of Russia for security of its southern borders. In 1696 Peter the Great visited this place to choose a place for navy harbour.

Taganrog is the second biggest city in the region. It is a large industrial and commercial centre as well as a sea port, popular resort and the birthplace of Anton Pavlovich Chekhov.

Now Taganrog is an important research, cultural and industrial centre in the south of Russia. It has a vast network of higher educational establishments, technical and vocational lyceums. Taganrog is situated on the shore of the Azov Sea about 35 km from Rostov-on-Don.

History can be found almost everywhere in Taganrog. Chekhov Library, Chekhov House, Literary Museum, Durov Museum, Taganrog Museum of Art and other sights stand as hallmarks of the Russian culture.