Russian people are open-hearted, hospitable, and friendly. They like to
invite guests to their homes and cities; they like to give traditional
souvenirs to their foreign friends such as matryoshka dolls, beautifully
painted mugs, plate and spoons from the village of Khokhloma, Palekh boxes,
art books, badges and etc.
We are proud of our famous and talented poets and writers such as Alexander
Pushkin, Michael Lermontov and many others. We are proud of our famous
composer Peter Tchaikovsky and one of our famous artists, Isaak Levitan. We
can see his paintings and the paintings of other outstanding Russian
artists, such as Repin, Vasnetsov, Shishkin, Surikov, Benua, Korovin, etc.,
in the Tretyakov Gallery. It is one of the most famous and well-known
picture galleries in our country and in the world. It is situated in the
centre of Moscow and is named after its founder Pavel Tretyakov. He began
to collect Russian paintings in 1856. He was a famous patron of arts. In
1892 Tretyakov donated his collection to Moscow.
Russia is proud of its famous sportsmen who win a lot of gold, silver and
bronze medals in different international sports competitions.
So, I’m very proud of my country, my native city and the people who brought
a lot of fame to my country. And I invite everyone, who has never been to
my country, to visit it, and to see its achievements with their own eyes.
8. What famous people from Russia would you tell your foreign friends
about? Which famous British and American people do you admire? What
made/makes them famous?Each country is proud of its famous people, and
Russia is among them. I’d like to tell you about Russian famous writers,
poets and musicians, because I’m fond of literature and music. A. Pushkin
is the most important Russian writer and poet of all time. He is like
Shakespeare in England. He provided the standards for Russian arts and
literature in the 19th century. In 1823 Pushkin began writing his
masterpiece “Eugene Onegin”. It became his linguistic and literary
standard. It is a commentary on the life of early 19th century Russia.
Pushkin also wrote a lot of other poems and created masterpieces in drama
and prose. All Russian people know Pushkin. Galleries and museums were
named after him. In the centre of Moscow there is a monument to Pushkin
built by the famous Russian architect Opekunshin in 1880. Pushkin’s
memorial museums in different cities attract many visitors. One of the
other famous poets and writers in Russia was M. Lermontov. He won fame as a
poet after his poem on Pushkin’s death had been published. Lermontov’s
poems “Demon”, “Mtsyri”, his great novel A Hero of Our Time and his play
“Masquerade” are masterpieces of Russian literature.As for me I like
reading F. Dostoevsky and L. Tolstoy. They are famous Russian writers. I
like M. Bulgakov; Master and Margarita is one of the world’s masterpieces.
I often go to Patriarch’s Pond where the book begins. It has a special
atmosphere even now. I go there to be inspired. I like reading poetry, and
Anna Ahmatova is my favourite. Russian’s famous musicians and composers
such as Sergei Rachmaninov and Peter Tchaikovsky are recognized all over
the world. Tchaikovsky composed a lot of symphonies and created beautiful
music for operas and ballets. His famous operas “Eugene Onegin”, and
“Iolanta” and his famous ballets “The Swan Lake”, “The Sleeping Beauty” are
masterpieces. His memorial museum was opened in 1894 in Klin not far from
Moscow. And the international Tchaikovsky Music Competition started in 1958
in Moscow. S. Rachmaninov was an outstanding Russian composer and pianist.
He became famous with audiences around the world for his piano
performances.Great Britain is also proud of its famous people. And I’d like
to tell you about one of its famous writers A. Conan Doyle. He invented
Sherlock Holmes, one of the most famous characters and detectives. Arthur
Conan Doyle was born in Scotland. He was a doctor. In 1882 he moved to
England to set up a practice. One of the doctors he worked for, was the
model for Dr. Watson. Conan Doyle’s medical knowledge was a great help in
his detective stories. He started the fashion of the detective stories.
Nowadays I don’t know a person who doesn’t like detective stories. We know
a lot about Sherlock Holmes. We even know his address – 221 “B” Baker
Street in London. If you go to London, you won’t find 221 “B” Baker Street.
But instead, you can go to a pub called “The Sherlock Holmes” in
Northumberland Street (near Trafalgar Square). In that pub there is a room
like his room at 221 “B” Baker Street, as described in Conan Doyle’s
stories. There is also the stuffed head of a hound. It is said to be the
original “hound of the Baskervilles”. A lot of tourists visit this pub.
When Conan Doyle began to get tired of writing detective stories, he
“killed” Holmes in one of his stories. But the public didn’t like it. Conan
Doyle had to write another story in which Holmes came back. So we can say
that Conan Doyle was a famous British writer. He became popular because of
his love for people.I also admire American famous people. I’d like to tell
you about Walt Disney, the pioneer of animated cartoons. He is famous for
creating such cartoon characters as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Pluto, Goofy
and others. He was born in 1901 in Chicago. His father was a carpenter,
farmer and building contractor. So the family changed homes several times.
In 1917 Walt entered a Higher School in Chicago, where he took photographs,
made drawings for the school paper and studied cartooning, for he wanted to
get a job as a newspaper cartoonist. After World War 1, in which he
participated as a truck driver for the American Red Cross in France and
Germany, he returned to Kansas City. There he met Ub Iverk who turned into
his partner for life. They started a small studio of their own and began
making short animated advertising films. In 1927 Mickey Mouse appeared.
Disney himself provided the voice for Mickey. Then the other cartoons
appeared. Gradually, the Disney studio turned into a big enterprise and
began to produce a variety of cartoons for children. And it was he, who
initiated plans for a huge amusement park, which is known as Disneyland. A
lot of grown-ups and children visit this park and remember the person who
founded it, Walt Disney. And, of course, they remember Walt Disney because
of his remarkable cartoons.
9. What would you tell your foreign friends about traditional Russian
holidays and celebrations? What do you think your British friends will tell
you about their traditional holidays and celebrations?
Every country has its own national holidays, but there are holidays that
are common for many countries. People all over the world know New Year’s
Day, Christmas and Easter. In Russia, New Year’s Day is the most popular
holiday; but in the West people pay more attention to Christmas.
Christmas
New Year’s Day is a family event in Russia. People begin to prepare for
this holiday beforehand. Everything is rush and bustle. There is a great
air of expectation. People decorate their New Year trees with tinsel,
various baubles and coloured lights. They usually put their presents under
the tree. When the Kremlin clock strikes 12 they see the New Year in.
There are also dates and events in our country that are memorable to
Russian people. They are Victory Day, the Day of Reconciliation and
Harmony, Women’s Day, the Day of Spring and Labour, Independence Day,
Country Defendant’s Day, Constitution Day, and Maslenitsa. Besides, there
are many professional days in our country: Teacher’s Day, Miner’s Day, etc.
Christmas in Russia is celebrated on 7 January. It is celebrated with all-
night services in churches. Country Defendant’s Day is celebrated on 23
February. This holiday is devoted to soldiers and officers and everyone
else who defended the country or is in the Army. Women’s Day is celebrated
on 8 March. It is a day-off. Men and boys try to please their mothers,
sisters and friends by giving them presents and flowers. Maslenitsa marks
the end of winter and the beginning of spring and Lent. During this
festival people make pancakes, sing and dance traditional songs and dances,
and visit each other. Maslenitsa and Easter are movable holidays. Easter is
the main Orthodox festival. People colour eggs and enjoy traditional
Russian dishes. Churches hold special services on this day.
The Day of Spring and Labour is celebrated on 1 May. On this day people
prefer to go outdoors and take part in all kinds of outdoor activities.
Victory Day is celebrated on 9 May – it celebrates the end of the Soviet
Union’s participation in World War II in Europe. People put flowers at the
tombs of the soldiers who were killed during the war. The main ceremony is
held in Moscow. People lay flowers in Moscow’s Park Pobedi and at the Tomb
of an Unknown Soldier. Independence Day is celebrated on 12 June. On this
day Russia became an independent country after the break up of the Soviet
Union in 1991. This is an official holiday. The Day of Reconciliation and
Harmony is celebrated on 7 November. It used to be the greatest official
holiday, celebrating the anniversary of the October Revolution. Now this
day is marked by marches and demonstrations. For many people it’s just a
day-off. The Constitution Day is celebrated on 12 December. It celebrates
the new Constitution of 1993.
There are fewer public holidays in Great Britain than in other European
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