VII. Make up dialogues about Russia.

Try to use the following expressions:

To cover the territory; To border on; To build a lot of hydroelectric powerstations; To hurt the ecological relevance; To form a natural border; In spite of catastrophe; To be moderate and continental; To create the cabinet; To go through profound reforms; To be of historic significance;

To make economic decisions; The elevation of the country; A qualitatively new level; To switch economy over to the market; To cope with; The government’s “shock therapy;” To be early to judge the success; The failure of the reforms; To pin one’s hopes on; To face smth.; To meet one’s needs.

 

 

UNIT VI.

MOSCOW

 

Read the text with a dictionary – to make sure you understand it in detail.

 

Moscow, the capital of Russia, is one of the largest cities in the world. It stands on the bank of the Moskva River. About ten million people live in the city. Moscow is famous for its historical and architectural monuments that were built by the outstanding architects and sculptors: Kazakov, Bazhenov, Mikhailov, Martos, Opekushin and others. There are a lot of marvelous sights in Moscow.

The best starting point of the tour around the city is Red Square, the central and the most beautiful square in Moscow. It is the place of parades, meetings and demonstrations. Here one can see the Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed, or St. Basil's cathedral, erected by architects Postnik and Barma to commemorate Russia's conquest of the Kazan Kingdom in 1552. It is a masterpiece of Russian architecture. Tourists can see the monuments to Minin and Pozharsky. The composition was designed by Ivan Martos in 1818 in memory of the Russian victory over the Polish invaders in 1612. The History Museum in Red Square is a magnificent building. Besides, it is one of the major scientific and educational institutions where we can follow the life of Russian people since ancient times. So a walk around Red Square gives anyone a sense of the past and beauty of our country.

The heart of Moscow is the Kremlin, a wonderful architectural ensemble with three magnificent cathedrals, the Bell Tower of Ivan the Great, palaces, fortress walls and 20 towers. On the five tops of the Kremlin towers one can see shining ruby stars. The clock that strikes every quarter of an hour is on the Spassky Tower. The Kremlin with golden domes and towers attracts everybody's attention and makes a strong impression on tourists and guests of the capital.

The Alexander Garden is situated near the Kremlin wall. In 1967 the Memorial architectural ensemble was set up over the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. There are always a lot of flowers at the foot of the monument, especially on Victory Day.

Some skyscrapers decorate Moscow, including Moscow University where young people from different parts of our country and abroad study.

Moscow is a scientific and cultural centre where there are lots of institutes, universities, libraries, museums, technical schools, colleges and secondary schools. The city leads a varied cultural life. It has a lot of cinemas, clubs, concert halls, more than 40 drama and musical theatres, including the Bolshoi Theatre with its famous world ballet and opera, the Art Theatre, The Maly Theatre, the Vakhtangov Theatre and others.

It is important to mention that the Obraztsov Puppet Theatre is famed the whole world over. From year to year it is packed with spectators. On the front of the Obraztsov Puppet Theatre there is a clock decorated with fairy-tale characters. This clock is one of a kind in the world.

Muscovites are proud of their museums: the Tretyakov Gallery, the Museum of Fine Arts named after A. S. Pushkin, the Kuskovo museum and Ostankino serfs Art Museum, Kolomenskoye, literary museums and art galleries.

At the Tretyakov Gallery one can see a lot of remarkable paintings by the outstanding Russian artists: Repin, Kramskoy, Ivanov, Serov, Perov, Phedotov, Levitan, Vasnetsov, Shishkin, Polenov and others. Crowds of people visit the Tretyakov Gallery admiring beautiful pictures.

The Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts is packed with fine collections of items from different countries. There are masterpieces by the great European painters: Rubens, Van Gogh, Henri Matiss, Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet, Rembrandt, Botticelli, John Constable and others.

Muscovites are fond of going in for sports. So, there are lots of stadiums, swimming pools, sportsgrounds and courts. The biggest stadium is in Luzhniki. It is a green park with many sports facilities: a swimming pool, a palace of sports, a skating-rink, tennis courts and other sportsgrounds.

Moscow was the host of the 22nd Summer Olympic Games in 1980. By that time the Olympic Village, a lot of hotels and sportsgrounds had been built. The central stadium in Luzhniki had been reconstructed.

The circus artist school in Moscow has been around for many years. It has a lot of wonderful traditions. The ‘old circus’ in the Boulevard Tsvetnoy is much older compared to the Vorobievi Hills Circus.

The citizens of Moscow enjoy spending their weekends in parks, forests, gardens, for example in the Park of Culture and Rest, in Izmailovo, Sokolniki, Fili and others, where one can see amateur actors, films, go boating and ride on different attractions.

By the 50th anniversary of the end of the Second World War a memorial had been erected on the Poklonnaya Hill. It has a museum and a monument of Nika, the Goddess of Victory.

Besides, the monument to Zhukov, the outstanding military commander, has been set up in front of the History Museum.

Certainly Moscow is worth seeing.

 

Reading comprehension