Holidays in Russia

There are many national holidays in Russia, when people all over the country do not work and have special celebrations.The major holidays are: New Year’s day, Independence Day and National Reconciliation Day.

New Year’s day is the first holiday in a year. It is very popular. There is a New Year tree in every house and in the streets. Father Frost and Snow Maiden present children and adults with gifts. People see the New Year in the midnight on the 31^st of December. They greet the New Year with wine glasses of sparking champagne and say toasts “Happy New Year!” People consider New Year’s Day to be a family holiday.

Christmas is renewed holiday in our country.It is celebrated on the 7^th of January. The holiday is connected with the birth of Jesus Christ. On that day Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem.

Day of Defender of Motherland is celebrated on the 23^rd of February.We congratulate our fathers, grandfathers and young men with the presents.

Women’s Day is celebrated on the 8^th of March. We congratulate all the girls, mothers and grandmothers with this holiday. Usually they get flowers, cards and present s. On the 8^th of March all the boys and men try to be polite, they help to cook meal and do everything about the house.

May Day is called now the Day of Spring and Labour.The members of the Trade Unions have their demonstrations on this day.

Victory Day is the greatest national holiday in our country. On the 9^th of May 1945 the Soviet Army and its allies completely defeated the German fascists and the Great Patriotic War ended for our people. We lost 30 million people during this war. Many veterans meet on this day. They also participate in the military parade on the Red Square and lay wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. On the 9^th of May there are many people in the streets, squares, parks. Young people usually give flowers to the veterans and thank them for the victory.

Independence Day is a new holiday in our country. On the 12^th of June 1992, the first President of Russia was elected.

The 7^th of November is the National holiday. In November 7, 1917 the Revolution was in Russia. We have celebrated this day as the Day of the Revolution for many years. Now it is called the National Reconciliation Day. Different parties have their meetings and manifestations on this day. They express their points of view at the development of the situation in Russia.

Topic 7

MOSCOW

Exercise 1. Study the following words and word expressions.

1. frontier - 2. settlement - 3. prince - 4. to grow into a wealthy city - 5. under Ivan the Terrible - 6. to transfer the capital to - 7. to remain - 8. target - 9. to destroy - 10. the present day - 11. the seat of the government - 12. a major city - 13. engineering - 14. cathedral - 15. church - 16. monastery - 17. unique - 18. to be represented - 19. to cease - 20. fortress - 21. chime - 22. masterpiece - 23. magnificent - 24. to hold receptions - 25. in honour of foreign ambassadors - 26. the Tsar Cannon - 27. the Tsar Bell - 28. Cathedral of Vasily the Blessed - 29. Cathedral of Christ of Saviour - 30. shopping center - 31. to display - 32. relics - 33. millennium - 34. B.C. (before Christ) -

граница поселение, поселок князь превратиться в процветающий город при Иване Грозном перенести столицу в оставаться мишень разрушать современный местонахождение правительства крупный город машиностроение собор церковь монастырь уникальный быть представленным прекращать крепость бой часов шедевр великолепный устраивать приемы в честь иностранных послов царь Пушка царь Колокол собор Василия Блаженного собор Христа Спасителя торговый центр выставлять реликвии тысячелетие до нашей эры

Exercise 2. Read and translate the text.

MOSCOW

Moscow is the capital of Russia, its administrative, economic, political and educational centre with the population of about 10 million people.

Its total area is about 1000 square kilometres. The city was founded by Prince Yuri Dolgoruky in 1147. At that time it was a small frontier settlement. By the 15-th century Moscow had grown into a wealthy city. In the 16-th century under Ivan the Terrible, Moscow became the capital of the state of Muscovy. In the 18-th century Peter the Great transferred the capital to St. Petersburg, but Moscow remained the heart of Russia. That is why it became the main target of Napoleon’s attack in 1812. During the war of 1812 three quarters of the city were destroyed by fire but by the middle of the 19-th century Moscow was completely rebuilt.

The present-day Moscow is the seat of the government of the Russian Federation. President of Russia lives and works here; governmental offices are located here, too.

Moscow is a major industrial city. Its leading industries are engineering, chemical and light industries.

There are a lot of beautiful palaces, old mansions, cathedrals, churches, monasteries and monuments in Moscow.

Moscow is known for its many historical buildings, museums and art galleries as well as for the famous Bolshoi, Maly and Art theatres. There are more than 100 museums in Moscow. The largest museums are the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts and the State Tretyakov Gallery. The Tretyakov Gallery houses a unique collection of Russian painters. Almost all famous Russian painters are represented there. The Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts displays cultural and artistic relics of various times and nations, from the 4-th millennium B.C. up to the present. Other unique museums in Moscow include the All-Russian Museum of Folk Arts, the Andrey Rublev Museum of Early Russian Art, Alexey Bakhrushin Theater Museum, Mikhail Glinka Museum of Musical Culture and many others.

Moscow has a large concentration of educational institutions, and its centers of higher education draw students from throughout Russia. Moscow Sate University (1755) is the leading educational institution. The city’s many specialized educational institutions include the Moscow Timiryazev Academy of Agriculture and the Moscow P.I. Tchaikovsky State Conservatoire.

The oldest part of Moscow is the Kremlin. This is the main tourist attraction in Moscow. The Kremlin stands at the heart of the city. The word “Kremlin” means “fortress” and the Moscow Kremlin used to be a fortress. Twenty towers of the Kremlin wall were constructed at the end of the 17-th century. By that time Moscow had already ceased to be a fortress. The towers were built for decoration and had no military significance. Five of towers were gates.

If the Kremlin is a symbol of Russia, then the Spasskaya Tower is the symbol of the Kremlin. It was built in 1491 and got its name from the icon of the Spas. The star-topped tower is 71 metres high. It is notable for its clock, whose melodious chimes are well-known to all those who listen to Moscow radio. At the first sight the clock does not seem very large but this impression is an illusion. Its diametre is 6 metres 12 cm and the figures are 72 cm high. The melody is produced by ten bells, the smallest of which weighs 320 kg and the largest – 2,160 kg.

Granovitaya Palata is a masterpiece inside the Kremlin wall. Moscow tsars held magnificent receptions in honour of foreign ambassadors there.

The Tsar Cannon and the Tsar Bell attract crowds of tourists too.

Outside the Kremlin Wall there is the famous Red Square. Tourists can look at the magnificent Cathedral of Vasily the Blessed, the Lenin Mausoleum and the monument to K.Minin and D.Pozharsky.

Moscow is growing day after day and is becoming more and more beautiful. Some old buildings are being repaired, a lot of new buildings appear in different districts of Moscow. Among the new sights that have appeared recently are the Monument in Poklonnaya Gora and the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in the centre of Moscow.

Exercise 3. Answer the following comprehension questions.

1. What is the role of Moscow in Russia?
2. When was Moscow founded?
3. When did it become the capital?
4. What is the history of Moscow?
5. What is Moscow known for?
6. Does the Tretyakov Gallery house a unique collection of Russian paintings?
7. What industries are there in Moscow?
8. What museums do you know in Moscow?
9. Why is Moscow called a city of science and learning?
10. Why is the Spasskaya Tower the symbol of Russia and Moscow?

Exercise 4. Complete the sentences.

1. Moscow is situated on the banks of the river...
2. Its population is...
3. One of busiest shopping centers in Moscow is...
4. The place of meetings and demonstrations in Moscow is called...
5. By the 15-th century Moscow had grown into...
6. President of Russia lives and works in...
7. Moscow has a large concentration of...
8. The word “Kremlin” means...
9. Granovitaya Palata is...
10. The Tsar Cannon and the Tsar Bell attract...

Exercise 5. Agree or disagree with the statements, making use of the following expressions.

- It is right... - It is not right, I’m afraid…

- I agree that... - On the contrary.

- I believe that... - I wouldn’t agree with you here.

1. The capital of Russia, Moscow, was founded by Prince Yuri Dolgoruky in 1150.
2. In the 18-th century Peter the Great transferred the capital to St. Petersburg.
3. The towers of the Kremlin wall were built only for decoration.
4. Granovitaya Palata is a masterpiece, it is situated in St. Petersburg.
5. The present day St. Petersburg is the seat of the government of the Russian Federation.
6. The most popular museums in Moscow are the Tretyakov Gallery, the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts and the Andrey Rublev Museum of Early Arts.
7. The Tretyakov Gallery houses a unique collection of Eastern painters.
8. The word “Kremlin” means “palace”.
9. There are ten towers in the Kremlin.
10. Among the new sights are the Monument in Poklonnaya Gora and the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in the centre of Moscow.

Exercise 6. Translate the sentences into English.

1. Москва – административный, экономический, политический центр России и один из крупнейших городов страны.
2. Население Москвы – около 10 млн. человек, общая площадь – 1000 кв.км.
3. Москва была основана Юрием Долгоруким в 1147 году.
4. Из пограничного поселка Москва превратилась в процветающий город, столицу Московии.
5. Москва осталась центром России.
6. Москва – крупный промышленный город, город науки и образования.
7. 25 башен Кремлевской Стены были построены в 17 веке.
8. Москва знаменита своими художественными музеями, в которых размещаются уникальные коллекции произведений русских и зарубежных художников.
9. Кремль привлекает миллионы туристов каждый год.
10. Москва становится краше с каждым днем.

Exercise 7. Retell the text, using the following key-words.

Population, total area, wealthy city, to transfer, government, to locate, cathedral, church, city of science, to include, relics, tower, museum, theater, magnificent, monument, heart of city, to attract, to appear, to repair.

Exercise 8. Prove that:

1. Moscow is the political centre.
2. Moscow is the educational centre.
3. Moscow is famous for its places of interest.
4. Moscow is growing day after day.

Exercise 9*. Compare:

1. Moscow and any other city of our country.
2. Moscow and any foreign city you know.

Exercise 10*. Make up a short summary of the text.

Exercise 11. Act as a guide. What would you tell the tourists about Moscow? Where would you

take them first of all?

Exercise 12. Read the text and say what new information you have learned. Use the information

in the topic “Moscow”.

Moscow, the capital of Russia, is one of the biggest, industrial, scientific and cultural centres of the world.

Moscow is a modern cit. The number of streets constantly increases. The largest one is Leninsky Prospect, which is 15 kilometres long, and the widest one is Leningradsky Prospect. Moscow underground is one of the most beautiful in the world, it has about 2 hundred stations and is almost three hundred and forty kilometres long.

There are 9 railway stations in Moscow and 5 airports around the city. International Sheremetievo Airport is among them.

In the city there are many stadiums. One of them was built for the 22^nd Olympic Games in 1980, when Moscow was the host of the Games.

At the end of the University Prospect on the Lenin Hills there is a high building, the 32-storey Moscow University.

The city is famous for its parks, for its botany garden where hundreds of trees and plants from all over the world are gathered.

In the Alexandrovsky Garden there is the tomb of the Unknown Warrior. It is a simple memorial to the soldiers who died for the country in World War II.

There are many exhibitions and concert halls. The Tretyakov Art Gallery was named after the Moscow merchant and great lover of art Pavel Tretyakov, who spent most of his life and his sizable fortune on his collection. Not long before his death Tretyakov gave his collection to the city of Moscow. The Gallery reflects the history of Russia, the life and ideals of its people.