Russia in 1917

In the nineties of the 19th century the centre of the wprld revolutionary movement shifted to Russia. The revolutionary crisis assumed here an exceedingly sharp form. Russia was burdened by the yoke of tsarist autocracy which could not cope with the military as well as other tasks the country was faced with during the war. Economic destruction, hunger and chaos in state affairs, enormous, discontent of the population and the military defeat of tsarism - all this facilitated the creation of a revolutionary situation in the country.

In February 1917, Russia was the scene of a revolutionary outbreak which resulted in the overthrow of tsarist autocracy and the abdication of the last monarch of the Romanov dynasty Nickolas II.

The Provisional Government under Kerensky that finally took power neither wanted nor was able to meet the vital needs of the people. Lenin, who returned from exile in Switzerland, called for preparation for the armed insurrection. Under Trotsky, who was already Chairman of the Petrograd Soviet, a military revolutionary committee was set up to direct the actions of the Red Guard, the sailors and soldiers. By the morning of 8 November, such strategic objectives as the State Sank, telephone exchange and post office had been successfully captured along with railway stations and bridges. The success of the operations of 7-8 November was largely due to the circumstance that there was virtually no opposition to them. The Provisional Government was no more.

The same night the second all-Russian Congress of Soviets made a reality the slogan "All power to the Soviets" and ratified a series of decrees: the Decree on Peace, which called for an immediate armistice and invited all peoples and governments at war to begin immediate egotiations for a just and democratic peace, the Decree on Land, which abolished without

compensation the private ownership of large estates. The Congress set up the Council of People's Commissars as supreme executive authority in Russia, with Lenin at the head. In the first days of Soviet power, Lenin drew up the "Declaration of Rights of the Working and Exploited People" which later formed the basis of the first Soviet Constitution.

Words and Word Combinations

movement п. движение shift v. перемещаться assume v. приобретать exceedingly adv исключительно sharp а. острый be burdened v. быть бременем yoke of autocracy ярмо самодержавия cope with v. справиться as well as conj. а также и be faced with v. столкнуться с проблемой destruction п. разруха hunger п. голод chaos п. хаос state affairs государственные дела cause v. вызывать, быть причиной enormous а. огромный discontent п. недовольство defeat п. поражение facilitate v. способствовать creation п. создание outbreak п. взрыв overthrow п. свержение abdication п. отречение от престола Provisional Government Временное правительство

take power захватить власть neither ... nor conj. ни ... ни meet the needs отвечать потребностям; удовлетворять(требованиям) exile п. ссылка call for v. призывать armed insurrection вооруженное восстание chairman п. председатель set up v. учредить capture v. захватить largely due to в значительной степени благодаря circumstance п. обстоятельство slogan п. лозунг immediate а. немедленный armistice п. прекращение огня negotiations п. переговоры just peace справедливый мир abolish v. упразднить, ликвидировать ownership п. собственность (владение) estates п. поместья executive authority исполнительная власть draw up (drew, drawn) v. составить

Questions:

1. Where did the centre of the world revolutionary movement shift to in the nineties of the 19th century?

2. Why did the revolutionary crisis in Russia assume an exceedingly sharp form?

3. What caused enormous discontent of the population in Russia?

4. What facilitated the creation of a revolutionary situation in the country?

5. What did the revolutionary outbreak in February 1917 result in?

6. Was the Provisional Government able to meet the vital needs of the people?

7. What did Lenin call for?

8. What committee was set up under Trotsky? What was its aim?

9. What strategic objectives had the Red Guard, sailors and soldiers captured by 7 November?

10. What Congress was held on the same night?

11. Did the Congress ratify a series of decrees? What decrees did it ratify?

12. What organ of executive authority (power) did the Congress set up?

13. What document laid the f o u n d a t i o n for the first Soviet Constitution?

Література:

1. Барановська Т.В. Граматика англійської мови. Збірник вправ: Навч. посібник. Видання друге, виправлене та доповненею – Мова англ., укр. – Київ: ТОВ “ВП Логос-М», 2007. – 384с.

2. Л.В. Мисик, А.Л. Арцишевська, Л.Р. Кузнєцова, Л.Л. Поплавська. Англійська мова. Комунікативний аспект. / За ред. доц. Мисик Л.В. – Підручник. – К.: Атіка, 2000. – 368с.

3. Гужва Т. М. Англійська мова: Розмовні теми: Навч. посіб. Для студентів фак. Інозем. Філології, університетів, ліцеїв, гімназій та коледжів. – Харків: Фоліо, 2005. – 414с.

4. Бессонова І. В. Англійська мова (за професійним спрямуванням). Навчальний посібник для дистанційного навчання. – К.: Університет «Україна», 2005. – 263с.

Практичне заняття 3

Тема: Послуги працівників готелю.

1. Read, translate and try to retell the text