Dialogues. — Mike, are you proud of your native country?

L.

— Mike, are you proud of your native country?

— Of course, 1 am. Russia is the largest country in the world and it is very rich.

— What do you mean?

— I mean that it has thick forests and high mountains, long rivers and deep lakes. What is more, it is rich in mineral resources: oil, gas, coal, diamonds and gold.

— That's great! And what are the longest rivers in your country?

— The longest river on the European territory of Russia is the Volga, and the main Siberian rivers arc the Ob, the Yenisei and the Lena.

— And what about the mountains? Are they very high?

— The Caucasus is the youngest and the highest mountain system in Russia, whereas the Urals are the oldest mountains and they are not very high.

— Every country is proud of its people. What can you say about the Russians?

— Whoever comes to Russia, they all say that Russian people arc wonderful. They are kind and hospitable, clever and inventive. There arc a lot of talented people in my country. People all over the world know the names of A. Pushkin, P. Tchaikovsky and Yuri Gagarin.

— I can't but agree that Russia has produced a galaxy of outstanding people.

 

2.

— The land of Russia varies greatly, doesn't it?

— Yes, it does. We have thick forests and vast plains, high mountains and deep valleys.

— And what are the main mountain systems?

— The main mountain chains arc the Caucasus, the Urals and the Altai. The Caucasus is the highest mountain system and Mount Elbrus is the highest mountain in the Caucasus, in the Russian Federation and in the whole Europe.

— And what about the Urals? Are these mountains high?

— Oh, no! This mountain chain is rather old, that is why the mountains arc not very high. The Urals form a natural border between Europe and Asia. They are famous for their valuable minerals and gemstones.

— Well, I know that vegetation in Russia is as diverse as its landscapes. Is that true?

— Yes, you are right. Russia is so big that there are six vegetation zones stretching across the country. In Russia you can find almost all kinds of trees: birches, maples, oaks, cedars, larches, fir-trees, pines, iron and cork trees, and even lianas.

— And what about animals?

— Oh, Russia is rich in animals too. You can find white bean? and polar foxes in the north; wolves, elks and roes in the forest zone; and tigers and leopards in the Far East.

— Really? That's great!

 

3.

 

— Can you compare the Russian and American politic systems?

— It's not very difficult. These two systems are very much alike.

— Really? What do they have in common?

— First of all, both systems consist of three branches of power: legislative, executive and judicial.

— Well, I know that the legislative branch of the federal government in the USA is represented by Congress, which is made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

— You are quite right. The same situation is in Russia. The Federal Assembly represents the legislative branch of power. And it is also made up of two houses: the Federation Council and the Duma.

— And what about the executive branch?

— Both Russia and the USA are presidential republics. But in the USA the President and his Administration represent the executive branch of federal government whereas in Russia the President also has his Administration, but it is not part of the Federal Government, which represents the executive branch.

— And which branch of power does the Russian President represent?

— Well, the President is involved in the work of both the legislative and executive branches.

— And judicial branches? Are they different or alike?

— They are very much alike. In both countries the Supreme Court represents the judicial branch of power.

—And can you compare Russian and American Constitutions?

— It's not an easy question. I can only say that American Constitution was written more than 200 years ago and it's still working whereas the Constitution of our country has been changed several times.

— When was the new Constitution of the Russian Federation adopted?

— The Russian Federation is set up by the Constitution of 1993 after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

— What does the Constitution guarantee?

— It guarantees the rights of the citizens of Russia. The most important rights and freedoms are the freedom of press, the freedom of religion, the right to vote, the right to education, the right to go to court, have a lawyer and many others.

— American Constitution also guarantees these important rights and freedoms. Now I see that the political systems in these two countries are very much alike.

4.

 

— Russia is visited by millions of tourists every year. There are a lot of attractions in Russia, but first of all foreign tourists come to Moscow, the capital of our country. What would you recommend visitors to see in Moscow?

— If you come to Moscow for the first time, you should by all means visit the Kremlin, which is very impressive. Here you can admire ancient cathedrals and churches, the Bell Tower of Ivan the Great, the Faceted Palace and the Armoury. You can also see the Tsar Bell and the Tsar Cannon, which are a good example of the early masters' work.

— I know that the Kremlin was rebuilt several times, wasn't it?

— Yes, it was. Originally it was built of oak logs, and in 1367 Prince Dmitri Donskoi built a wall of white stone around the Kremlin. Only a hundred years later tsar Ivan III built new walls and towers of red brick, as we see them today.

— And where shall we go after the Kremlin?

— If you leave the Kremlin by Trinity Gate, you will come to the Alexandrovsky Gardens and see the eternal flame burning at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. There are always a lot of flowers in honour of the soldiers who died in World War II. From here you can easily get to Red Square, which is the heart of the city, and enjoy a wonderful view of St. Bazil's Cathedral.

— I think it'll be great. Are there any monuments in Moscow?

— Of course, there are. In Red Square you can see a monu­ment to K. Minin and D. Pozharsky, which is one of the most ancient monuments in Moscow. And if you go down Tverskaya Street, you'll see a monument to Yuri Dolgoruky, the founder of Moscow, and a monument to Alexander Pushkin, a famous Russian poet.

— And what are the most interesting museums in Moscow? j

— If you are interested in fine arts, you certainly ought to visit the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts and the State Tretyakov Gallery. It would be interesting to visit the Polytechnical Museum, which holds displays featuring humanity's technological progress throughout the centuries.

— Moscow is a city of theatre-goers and its theatres are famous, all over the world Is that so? — Exactly! And the best way to spend an enjoyable evening is to visit the Bolshoi Theatre, which is world-famous for its operas and ballets. Next to the Bolshoi Theatre there is the Academic Maly Theatre, the oldest drama theatre in Moscow. Moscow theatres are extremely popular with Muscovites.

— And what is your favourite place in Moscow?

— Most of all I enjoy visiting the All- Russia Exhibition Centre. It is situated in a beautiful park and has a lot of beautiful fountains. Its territory is rather large, but there is no need to walk a lot, since the area is served by minibuses. It is a wonderful place to spend free time and to have fun. Both children and grown-ups can enjoy many attractions such as the Big Wheel which is the largest in Europe.

— Well, I see that Moscow is a very large city and it will take long to see its main sights.

— Yes, indeed. The area of Moscow is 1, 100 square kilometres. Its cultural and architectural heritage is huge and diversified. I have told you only about the main musts for the visitor. But there are a lot of other places which are no less interesting.

 

 

5.

— Hello! Where are you from?

— Hello! I'm from Russia.

— What is your home city?

— My home city is Moscow, the capital of Russia.

— Are there any places of interest in Moscow?

— Of course. There are many of them: the Kremlin, Red Square, Arbat Street, a lot of museums, galleries and monuments, churches and cathedrals.

— What is the centre of Moscow?

— It's Red Square. There are a lot of interesting places in Red Square. The most ancient monument of Red Square is St. Bazil's Cathedral. You can see Lobnoye Mesto near the Cathedral. It was erected in the 16th century.

— What was it used for?

— The tsar's orders were read from it. It was also used as a place for execution. The Lenin Mausoleum is in the centre of the square too. It was originally made of wood and in 1930 it was rebuilt and made of stone, brick, marble and granite.

— Are the streets wide or narrow in Moscow?

— They are both wide and narrow. There are a lot of modern houses in Moscow but you can see old houses too. They are being reconstructed or pulled down.

— And what is the area of the city?

— It's over 1, 000 square kilometres.

— What is the population of your city?

— It's over 10 million people.

— You live in a great country. Who is your country proud of?

— My country is proud of its people who brought fame to their country. My country was the first to launch a man into space. Nobel prizes for science, literature and peace have been won by Russian citizens. In the fields of art, media and sport Russia enjoy international reputation. Russia has nuclear weapons, a strong army and remains a widely-respected country.

— What traditions do people in Russia keep?

— People in Russia keep their old traditions and are very proud of them. They celebrate religious holidays such as Easter, Christmas and Maslenitsa. They eat traditional food for Maslenitsa such as pancakes with honey, caviar or sour cream. They colour eggs, bake kulich cakes, make a paskha out of cottage cheese for Easter.

— Are the Russians religious people?

— Many of them are. The main church in Russia is the Orthodox Church, but there are other religions too. The Orthodox Church has survived during the hard times and now we speak about a rebirth of religion in our country.

— What are the symbols of Russia?

— The national emblem of Russia is the double-headed eagle. Our national flag is made up of three stripes: white, blue and red. Another symbol of Russia is the Spasskaya Tower, because the Kremlin clock made in the 16th century is on it. You see, you have a lot of questions. That's why I invite you to visit my country and to see everything with your own eyes.