attracts tourists to Russia? What would you show your foreign friends in
your home town?
Millions of people all over the world are fond of travelling. They travel
to see other countries and continents, to discover different ways of life,
to meet different people and to practise foreign languages. It goes without
saying that travelling broadens the mind. While travelling we can see and
learn a lot of things that we can never learn staying at home and watching
TV or reading books. That’s why a lot of foreign people come to Russia to
get acquainted with Russian culture, with Russian customs and traditions.
Russia has always been a country of mystery attractive for foreigners.
There are lots of villages and towns in Russia famous for their specific
crafts: painted boxes in Palekh, wooden tableware in Khokhloma and toys in
Dymkovo. Thousands of foreigners visit Russia to enjoy the typical Russian
log houses, decorated with wood carvings.
Tourists like to visit old Russian towns and cities famous for their
ancient architecture. They are especially attracted by Russian orthodox
cathedrals, churches and monasteries. One of the most interesting old
cities in Russia is Novgorod, or Novgorod the Great, as it was called in
the old times. It is a treasury of architecture, painting and applied art
created over the 11th to 17th centuries. The first records of the city on
the Volkhov River date back to the year of 859. Now Novgorod has expanded
far beyond its former limits. It is an important industrial and cultural
centre, located on the busy highway linking Moscow and St. Petersburg.
The focal point of the city is the Detinets, or the Kremlin. The present-
day Kremlin stems largely from the 15th century. Several alterations made
in the 16th and 17th centuries were minor and did not affect its
appearance. Novgorod’s contribution to the development of Russian culture
is outstanding. No other city excels Novgorod in the number of ancient
monuments of architecture. The Novgorod Museum of History, Architecture and
Art shows visitors the history of the medieval Novgorod. Its artistic value
lies primarily in its collection of medieval icon painting.
There is a lot to see in Russia, but first of all foreign tourists visit
the capital of our country, Moscow, its political, economic, commercial and
cultural centre. They dream of visiting Red Square, which is called the
heart of Moscow. Perhaps, the most ancient monument of Red Square is St.
Basil’s Cathedral. With its nine beautifully painted cupolas, it is a real
masterpiece of ancient Russian architecture.
If you come to Moscow for the first time, you should by all means visit the
Kremlin, which is very impressive. On the territory of the Kremlin you can
see old cathedrals, the Bell Tower of Ivan the Great, the State Kremlin
Palace, the Tsar Cannon and the Tsar Bell, the biggest cannon and bell in
the world. The tallest Kremlin tower, the Spasskaya Tower, has become the
symbol of the country.
If you leave the Kremlin by the Trinity Gate you will come to the
Alexandrovsky Gardens. The first thing to do in the Gardens is to stand by
the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, still and silent. Not far from the
Alexandrovsky Gardens, behind the Bolshoi Kamenny Bridge, you will see
Christ the Saviour Cathedral, with its huge beautiful gilded dome.
Foreigners are usually surprised by the number of churches and cathedrals
in and around the city. There are also a lot of beautiful palaces, old
mansions and monuments in Moscow.
There are more than 80 museums in our capital. The largest museums are the
Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, whose collections include works of art of the
ancient Orient and ancient Egypt, and the State Tretyakov Gallery, which
houses a rich collection of Russian painting and Russian icons. Other
unique museums in Moscow are the State History Museum, the All-Russia
Museum of Decorative, Applied and Folk Art, the Polytechnical Museum and
many others. Moscow is famous for its theatres, too. The best-known of them
is the Bolshoi Opera House. Drama theatres and studios are also very
popular.
Another interesting place to visit in Moscow is the All-Russia Exhibition
Centre which occupies an area of 530 acres. The Exhibition Centre is
situated in a beautiful park. The most admired feature of the Exhibition
Centre is its fountains. The “Friendship of the Nations” and the “Stone
Flower” fountains are the most beautiful. The Exhibition Centre is a large
cultural and commercial complex where different international exhibitions
and fairs are held.
One of the most famous sights of the city is the Moscow Metro and a journey
by Metro will be unforgettable. In the Metro you do not feel as if you’re
underground. This is due to the unique architecture and the artistic design
of the stations, which are more like palaces. No two stations are alike;
most of them have their own appearance.
Of course, every foreigner should visit St. Petersburg, the second largest
city in Russia and one of the most splendid cities in the world. It was
founded in 1703 by Peter the Great at the mouth of the Neva River. Now it
is an important industrial, cultural and educational centre.
St. Petersburg is indeed a wonderful city: at every turn there is something
to catch your eye. The Winter Palace, St. Isaac’s Cathedral, the Peter-and-
Paul Fortress, and the Admiralty Building attract thousands of tourists
from every corner of the world. Petersburg’s many museums house some of the
world’s most famous art collections. The Hermitage and the Russian Museum,
for example, contain the richest collections of pictures in the world.
The city is called the Northern Venice, because there are 65 rivers,
branches and canals there with artistically decorated bridges. It’s also
famous for its beautiful white nights.
There are a lot of Hero-cities in our country. And I would recommend that
my foreign friends visit one of them. Volgograd is a legendary city,
because here in 1943 the Soviet Army won the great and glorious victory
over the fascists. The city was completely ruined during the war, but now
it is a beautiful city again. It stands on the banks of the great Russian
river Volga. The symbol of Volgograd is the Mamaev Hill. It was the centre
of fighting during the heroic defence of Stalingrad. Now there is a great
memorial there. Besides, you can visit the Stalingrad Battle Panorama
Museum, which is situated on the bank of the Volga River. The centre of
Volgograd is the Square of the Fallen Heroes. In the middle of it there is
a granite obelisk and the common graves of the heroes of the Civil War and
the Great Patriotic War. At the foot of the memorial you can see the
Eternal Flame. Now Volgograd is a big industrial and cultural centre.
There are a lot of other interesting towns and cities in Russia, which are
all worth visiting.
6. Every country is special. What comes to your mind, when you think of the
UK and its people?
The British Isles is the name for a collection of about 4000 islands,
including Great Britain and Ireland. Great Britain, known as Britain or GB,
is the name for the largest of the Islands in the British Isles. It
includes England, Scotland and Wales. The United Kingdom or UK is a
political term which includes England, Scotland, Wales and Northern
Ireland. All of these countries are represented in Parliament in London,
and the abbreviation UK is used on most official documents produced by
Parliament. Everybody from the UK is British, but be careful: only people
from England are English. People from Wales think of themselves as Welsh;
people from Scotland as Scottish; people from Northern Ireland as either
British or Irish.
Britain is split into counties. The word county describes an area with its
own local government. County councils are elected to run things, such as
education, housing, town planning, and rubbish disposal. They look after
things like roads, libraries and swimming pools.
The British flag, known as the Union Jack, is a combination of three flags:
the Saint Andrew’s cross, the Saint Patrick’s cross and the Saint George’s
cross.
The Saint Patrick’s cross is the former flag of Ireland. Saint Patrick is
the patron saint of Ireland. He was born about AD 390. He converted the
Irish to Christianity. Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated on 17 March. The
symbol of Northern Ireland is a shamrock and a red hand.
The Saint George’s cross is the English flag. Saint George is the patron
saint of England. He was a soldier famous for saving the Princess Cleolinda
from being eaten by a dragon. Saint George’s Day is celebrated on 23 April.
The symbol of England is a red rose.
The Saint Andrew’s cross is the Scottish flag. Saint Andrew, a fisherman,
was one of the 12 apostles who followed Jesus Christ. Paintings of Saint
Andrew often show him being crucified on an X-shaped cross. Saint Andrew’s
Day is celebrated on 30 November. He is the patron saint of both Scotland
and Russia. The symbol of Scotland is a thistle.
The Welsh flag shows a dragon. Saint David, the patron saint of Wales,
converted Wales to Christianity and established the Welsh church. Paintings
of Saint David show him with a dove on his shoulder. Saint David’s Day is
celebrated on 1 March. The symbol of Wales is a daffodil or leek.
London is the capital city of England and the UK. It is a place where the
invading Romans first crossed the River Thames. They built a city and
called it Londinium. This original site of London is now called the City of
Страницы: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
