Supplementary texts

KYIV

Ancient and eternally young Kyiv is one of the largest political, cultural and administrative centre of Ukraine. It was founded more than1500 years ago. In population it ranks the 3^rd after Moscow and St. Petersburg. It has about 3 mln. inhabitants. It occupies an area of 800 sq.km.

Kyiv is one of the oldest cities in Europe and that’s why it is interesting for our visitors from the point of view of its present day life and ancient history. The city has many places of historical importance. One of them is known as the Old Kyiv Hill situated on the slopes of the Dnipro River. The monuments we admire in Kyiv have been bequest by the civilization of Old Rus (9-13c.c.). By then the Slav tribes from the East had become settled. According to the Old Rus chronicles Kyiv was founded by 3 brothers (Kyi, Shchek, Khoryv) and their sister, Lybid in 482. And in honor of the eldest brother the town was named Kyiv which meant Kyi’s town. It was not very big and covered 5 acres (2 ha).

Due to its location on the Dnipro river, a great waterway from Varangians to the Greeks, Kyiv rapidly expanded and in the 9c. It became the political center of a mighty state Kyiv Rus Ukraina. The state was one of the most flourishing in Europe, the country-maintained close relations with Byzantium and Greece, that outstanding center of civilization.

Many monuments in Kyiv are devoted to the memory of Great Patriotic War heroes: the monument to General Vatutin, who was the commander-in-chief of the troops that liberated Kyiv; the Obelisk of Glory at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the park of Eternal Glory. The complex-museum of the Great Patriotic War was erected in Kyiv.

The beautiful monument to the revolutionary military leader Shchors is situated in Shevchenko Boulevard. In Kyiv green parks and squares there stand the monuments to the outstanding Ukrainian writers and poets: the monument to Taras Shevchenko, the monument to Lesya Ukrainka, the monument to Gregory Skovoroda and many others.

As it was mentioned before Kyiv is situated on the banks of the Dnipro river. It has some bridges to connect one part of the city with the other. Embankment is a very beautiful place in Kyiv.

Khreshchatic is the main street lined with multi-storied buildings, shops and department-stores, hotels, restaurants and cafes. It is a wide beautiful modern street.

The cultural life of the city is rich and many-sided. Most of Kyivs’ state buildings, theatres and educational institutions are in the centre of the city. There are some famous buildings and monuments dating from the ninth to the twelfth centuries, like the St. Sophia’s Cathedral, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, the Golden Gate, the monument to Princess Olga, Apostle Andrew, and Cyril and Methodious – the first educators of Slavonic people.

There are many stadiums, sports grounds, swimming-pools, skating-rinks, cycling tracks, rowing stations, tennis courts, football pitches and other facilities in Kyiv.

The city has a great number of educational institutions for students of various specialities. It is the seat of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences.

UKRAINE

Ukraine is one of the largest countries of the former Soviet Union. Its territory ranks the 3^rd after the Russian Federation and Kazakhstan, it occupies 603.7 thousand sq. Km. As to the population it is the second after the Russian federation which is about 48 million.

By its territory and by population Ukraine can be compared with such a big European state as France. The Ukrainians constitute 78% of the inhabitants, while the representatives of almost every nationality of the former Soviet Union live on its territory.

Ukraine is situated in the centre of Europe. It has common borders with Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Moldova, Russia, Byelorus, in the south it is washed by the waters of the Black and Azov seas.

Today Ukraine is a sovereign and independent state. This was the aspiration of the Ukrainian people expressed during the nation-wide referendum of December 1, 1991 when 92% of the population who took part in this campaign voted in favour of it.

Ukraine has its own parliament (Verkhovna Rada), the government (the Cabinet of Ministers), Constitution, a flag (blue and yellow), a state coat of arms (trident), an anthem (Neither Glory nor Freedom of Ukraine have perished yet), the state language.

This country is represented on the international arena. It is a charter-member of the UN and participates in the activities of many international organizations.

The territory of our country has an astonishing variety of landscapes. We have high mountains, vast steppes, endless forests, beautiful rivers and lakes. The largest lake of Ukraine is Swityaz, its total area is 24.2 square kilometers and the depth is 58,5 meters. Ukraine has 131 rivers, among them are the Dnipro with its tributaries such as the Desna, the Prypyat, the Dniester, the Bug, the Donets.

The flora and fauna of our country are extremely rich. Almost all kinds of animals and birds can be found on the territory of our vast land.

Our country has many industrial raw materials, it has rich deposits of iron, metals, coal, oil, gas, different ores, marble and other natural resources. Ukraine has metallurgical and heavy industries.

The fertile black soil and the favourable climate have long facilitated the growth of agriculture in Ukraine.

Ukraine has an ancient history. The state of Kyiv Rus situated on the territory of the present Ukraine was set up in the 9-th century. It was a powerful feudal state with highly developed culture and various crafts widely known throughout Europe.

From the 13-th century Ukraine was continuously struggling against invasions by the Tatar-Mongols, the Turks, the Crimean Tatars, Lithuanian and Polish rulers, who pursued a policy of merciless national oppression. The long struggle of the Ukrainian people for independence ended victoriously under the leadership of B. Khmelnitsky.

Ukraine has its own original culture and art. Ukraine has many professional theatres and Philarmonic societies. The National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, the Grihory Veryovka Ukrainian People’s Choir, the Dance Company of Ukraine are known not only in the country but all over the world.

GREAT BRITAIN

Great Britain known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, is situated on the British Isles. The British Isles consists of Great Britain, Ireland and some 5,500 smaller islands. The total area of the United Kingdom is 244,027 square kilometers. Great Britain is divided into 55 administrative counties. The largest island in north-west Europe-Great Britain-is separated from Ireland by the Irish Sea, and from the Continent by the English Channel and the Strait of Dover.

The surface of England and Ireland is rather flat. The highest mountain in the United Kingdom is Ben Nevis in Scotland (1343 m). There are many rivers in Great Britain but they are not very long and deep and they do not freeze in winter. The chief rivers are the Severn (220 miles) and the Thames (215 miles).

Great Britain is known for its typically maritime climate with frequent rains, strong winds and continuous fogs.

The population of Great Britain is nearly 56 million people. England has more people than the other parts of the British Isles. About four fifths of the population are urban and only one fifth is rural.

Great Britain is a parliamentary monarchy. Queen Elizabeth II is the head of the state. In practice she reigns but does not rule. The country is governed in her name by the Government. Parliament is the supreme legislative body. It consists of two Houses: The House of Lords and the House of Commons. The Prime Minister is usually the head of the party which is in power.

Great Britain is a highly developed industrial country. Shipbuilding is one of the principal industries of Great Britain. For centuries Britain has been the leading shipbuilder in the world.

Coal is the main source for the development of British industry. The biggest centers of iron and steel industries are situated in the neighbourhood of coal basins. They are Newcastle, Glasgow, Cardiff, Middlesbrough, Sheffield. The district around Birmingham is a land of factories and mines.

Coal-mining, metallurgy, textile, shipbuilding are the older branches of industry. The new industries are the chemical, electro-technical, automobile, aviation and electronics.

Big cities and towns such as London, Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Sheffield and Birmingham have enterprises of nearly all branches of industry, old and new. The main centers of cotton and woolen industry are Leeds, Bradford and Manchester.

London, Liverpool and Glasgow are the biggest English ports. The products of British economy, for example, automobiles, textile, machinery, electronic equipment and many others are exported to many countries of the world.

Agriculture is one of the largest and most important activities in Great Britain. The greater part of the land here is used for sheep-, cattle-, and dairy farming. Vegetables are grown in all parts of the country. The chief crops are wheat and barley.

LONDON

London is the capital of Great Britain, one of the world’s three largest cities (the other two are New York and Tokyo).

The Romans founded a settlement on the river Thames 2000 years ago. They called it Londinium. London became a prosperous trading centre during the Middle Ages. Since that time it has continued to grow in size and prosperity. There are more than 10 thousand streets in London. About 7 million people live there.

There are four main parts in London: the City, Westminster, the West End and the East End. The very centre of London is Trafalgar Square. There is Nelson’s Column with the statue of Admiral Nelson on the top (185 feet high). In the north of Trafalgar Square there is the National Gallery. It exhibits all schools of European painting from the 13-th to the 19-th century and includes works by Rubens, Leonardo da Vinci and Rembrandt.

Not far from Trafalgar Square there is a little street with very ordinary houses. This is Downing Street and for the last 200 years at house Number 10 the Prime Minister of England has resided.

Downing Street leads to Whitehall. In Whitehall was a palace where from the 12-th to the 16-th century the England kings and queens were living. Now it is just a street of government offices.

A little further we can see Parliament Square. Westminster Abbey is on one side, the House of Parliament on the other. The building of the House of Parliament is not old, it dates only back to the 19-th century and is in Gothic style. One of the most beautiful and distinguished of all English buildings is Westminster Abbey, founded in the 11-th century. There are many tombstones, monuments and statues there. For nearly 1000 years all the kings and queens of England –41 in all – have been crowned there and many of them are buried there too. There is the Poet’s Corner where many Britain’s greatest poets and writers are buried: Dickens, Hardy and Kipling. You can see memorials to Shakespeare, Burns, Byron, and Walter Scott.

Next we can walk along one side of St. James Park to Buckingham Palace – the Royal residence. The vast house is comparatively new and it has no style. However, great importance is still attached by the British to that place. Here you can see one of the most colourful and stirring of all London ceremonies, the changing of the Guards. The ceremony starts at 11.30 a. m. and takes between 30 and 40 minutes.

NATIONAL TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF UKRAINE

“KYIV POLITECHNICAL INSTITUTE”

The University is one of the oldest and largest higher educational institutions in our country. It was founded in 1898 and had only four faculties: mechanical, chemical, engineering and agricultural. At that time the number of students reached three thousand.

The names of a lot of prominent scientists can be mentioned in connection with the history of the university. D.I. Mendeleev, the creator of the periodic system of chemical elements, the distinguished naturalist Timiryazev and many others gave much effort to the organization of the KPI. The first rector of the university was Professor V.M. Kyrpychov, an outstanding scientist in the field of mechanics and strength of materials. The lives and activities of the scientists M.Zhukovsky, I.Sikorsky, S. Timoshenko, S. Korolyov, the first designer of space rockets; B.Paton, Director of the Institute of Welding and President of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences; V.Chelomey, A.Lyulka, M.Kravchuk, S.Serensen and others were closely linked with our university.

There are 20 educational departments, 9 educational-research institutes and 13 other scientific subdivisions (design bureau, engineering centres). 58 Academicians and Corresponding Members of Academies of Sciences, 2 000 Professors, Associate professors, assistants work, 40 500 students study at the University. Among them there are 1 500 foreign students from 43 countries and 500 postgraduates including citizens of other countries.

In addition to science and technology departments, the new ones have been opened recently at our university, namely: Management and Marketing, Law, Sociology, Linguistics, Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Medical Engineering, Physical Training and Sports. Now the young people have the opportunity to obtain a second education in humanities in addition to technical specialities, and to become qualified interpreters, managers, lawyers and economists. NTUU “KPI” provides education for free (government-sponsored studies) or at a reasonable tuition fee.

There are: students’ polyclinics, Palace of culture and arts, sports complex on the territory of the University. At present there are about 30 buildings to house the University and 21 hostels. The students have at their disposal large lecture rooms, labs equipped with up-to-date equipment, the excellent library with numerous reading-halls. The University has a special Preparatory Department for foreign students, where applicants during 10 months study Mathematics, Physics, Informatics, Biology, Chemistry and other subjects necessary for further mastering of the university program. Training is conducted in Ukrainian, Russian or English.

NTUU “KPI” cooperates fruitfully with 101 technical universities from 38 countries of the world, international organizations: UNESCO, NATO, Salzburg Seminar; well-known firms: MOTOROLA, SIEMENS, FESTO, SAMSUNG, INTEL and others, takes part in international education and scientific projects and programs.

NTUU”KPI” was among the first universities of Ukraine that joined the community of the European Universities, and signed the Magna Charta of the European Universities (“Magna Charta Universitatum”) in September 2003.

Diplomas and scientific degrees are Bachelor, Master of Sciences, Master of Languages, Candidate of Sciences (PhD equivalent), Doctor of Sciences at faculties.