Unit 6. The Kremlin

5.6.1 Text

The Kremlin is the heart of Moscow. It is surrounded by a high wall of 2l/2 kilometers long, built by the Russian builders by order of Ivan III (1462-1505), and supervised by Italian architects. The twenty towers on the Kremlin wall, which give it a unique aspect, were built for decoration and have no military significance. They were constructed in the century when Moscow had ceased to be a fortress. Among the ancient buildings in the Kremlin are the churches and a tall bell tower built in 1600 by Russian architects under Boris Godunov and known as the Веll Tower of Ivan the Great. The largest cathedral, the Uspenski (Assumption), was built in 1475-1479 by Aristotle Fiorovante. There are some very fine old frescoes, some of which were restored in the XX-th century. It was there that the Russian tsars and emperors were crowned.

The Archangel Cathedral was built in 1505 by the Italian architect, Aleviso Novy. The tombs of the Moscow princes and tsars are here, among them the graves of Ivan the Terrible, of his son Ivan, and of his second son, Tsar Fyodor. The Blagoveshchensky (Annunciation) Cathedral was built in 1484 by architects from Pskov. It’s noted for the unusual oil paintings done in the fifteenth and the sixteenth centuries by Andrei Rublev and his pupils, the greatest artists of the time.

Facing the same square is a very beautiful building known as Granovitaya Palata (Palace) which was built in the end of the 15^th century by Marco Ruffo and Pietro Solari. In this palace the Moscow tsars held magnificent receptions in honour of foreign ambassadors. The Granovitaya Palace is connected with the enormous Grand Kremlin Palace.

Among other historical monuments in the Kremlin are the Tsar Cannon (sixteenth century) and the Tsar Bell (eighteenth century), both of enormous size and made by Russian masters. In a large wing of the Palace is the Armory and a Museum of Applied Arts where imperial collections of utensils, furniture, weapon and garments of eastern and western workmanship are on display.

In the north-eastern section of the Kremlin is a beautiful building of classic design built by the most famous Russian architect of the eighteenth century, M.Kazakov. In the square opposite this building is the former Arsenal, along the facade of which are numerous cannons captured by the Russian Army from Napoleon in 1812-1814.

5.6.2 Vocabulary. Pronounce the following words

to be surrounded by smth. – быть окруженным чем-либо

by order of – по приказу (кого-либо)

to be supervised by smb. – под руководством кого-либо

to cease to be a fortress – перестать быть крепостью

a bell tower – колокольня

Ivan the Great – Иван Великий

a cathedral – собор

to be restored – быть отреставрированным

a tsar – царь

an emperor – император

to be crowned – быть коронованным

the tombs of princes and tsars – гробницы князей и царей

a grave – могила

the greatest artist of the time – величайший художник своего времени

to face the square– выходить на площадь

magnificent - пышный

to hold receptions in honor of smb. – проводить приемы в честь кого-либо

a foreign ambassador – иностранный посол

the Grand Kremlin Palace – Большой Кремлевский дворец

the Tsar Cannon – Царь-пушка

the Tsar Bell – Царь-колокол

a wing – крыло

the Armoury – Оружейная палата

a Museum of Applied Arts – Музей прикладного искусства

an imperial collection – императорская коллекция

utensils – предметы быта

a garment – предмет одежды

to be on display – выставляться, экспонироваться

a building of classic design – здание в классическом стиле

5.6.3 Questions. Answer the questions upon the text

1 What is the history of the Kremlin towers?

2 When and what for were the Kremlin towers built?

3 What are the Kremlin cathedrals famous for?

4 What are the other famous buildings facing the same square?

5 What is there in the northern section of the Kremlin?

5.6.4 Translate into English

1 Кремль окружен стеной с 20 башнями, построенными для украшения и не имеющими военного значения.

2 Древние постройки Кремля включают церкви, колокольню Ивана Великого и относятся к 15-18 векам. (date back to)

3 Церкви Соборной площади известны своими фресками и гробницами царей.

4 В Успенском соборе короновали царей и императоров.

5 В Грановитой палате давали приемы в честь иностранных послов.

6 В Оружейной палате хранятся мебель, одежда и оружие из царских коллекций.

5.6.5 Find in the text the English equivalents for

1) быть окруженным чем-либо;

2) перестать быть крепостью;

3) Оружейная палата;

4) Царь-пушка;

5) иностранный посол;

6) выходить на площадь;

7) быть коронованным;

8) гробницы князей;

9) величайший художник своего времени;

10) предметы быта;

11) здание в классическом стиле;

12) Музей прикладного искусства;

13) предмет одежды;

14) выставляться.