Text 3. Ekaterinburg

Ekaterinburg is not old. It was founded in 1723 by Vasily Tatishchev by the order of Peter the Great. Over the course of its history, it has proven to be a special and even unique city. From the very beginning it has been the center of mining and metallurgy and the first plant which rose on the bank of the Iset river, by the standards of those days, was one of the best not only in Russia but also in Europe.

Ekaterinburg has a unique mixture of different architectural, historical and cultural rarities. More than 60 monuments of history and culture are situated in the city and 40 of them are considered to be national because of their significance. That is way Ekaterinburg can be given the status of Russia’s most historical city.

The 18^th century Ekaterinburg was a wooden city and unfortunately very few buildings have survived. The city’s stone buildings appeared during the second half of the 18^th century. Mostly these were administrative buildings. In the early 19^th century a new architectural style – classicism – influenced Ekaterinburg landscapes. The Palace on Voznesenskaya Hill, with its luxurious park, is the most famous example of this style.

Many churches and chapels made the city’s panorama very beautiful and picturesque. In the beginning of the 20^th century there were about 50 churches, of which only 6 still stand today.

The Soviet period brought new trends to Ekaterinburg’s architecture. New tendencies in the development of world architecture have also affected the city. The most famous buildings of that period include the Urals Polytechnical Institute, the Railroad Administrative Building and the Philharmony.

The city’s history is full of events. Many expeditions to Siberia, Central Asia and Far East passed through Ekaterinburg. The city was visited by Russian tzars and members of their families. Here occurred the most awful tragedy – the assassination of the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II and all his family members – which took place in the basement of Ipatiev’s house on July 16, 1918. New Memorial Church will be built there soon.

Today Ekaterinburg is a large, lively city. It is not only the administrative center of the Urals, but also a great cultural center with a population of about 1.3 million people. Its banks, companies and enterprises do business with many countries of the world. Few other cities in the Urals have so many theatres, museums and art galleries or can offer such a wide variety of places of public entertainment.

Words and phrases to remember:

significance – значение, важность

to survive – сохраняться, выживать

to influence – влиять

a trend – направление

to occur – происходить

awful – ужасный

to offer – предлагать

Answer the questions:

1. When was the city founded? Who was its founder?

2. Why is the city considered to be the most historical in Russia?

3. What can you say about the city of the 18^th and 19^th century?

4. What were the changes in the 20^th century?

5. What can you say about Ekaterinburg of today?

6. Is Ekaterinburg your native city?

7. Do you like it?

8. Where do you like to spend your free time?

9. What places do you like most?

Ex. 1. Translate from Russian into English.

1. В начале века появились новые направления в архитектуре.

2. Никто не выжил в этой ужасной катастрофе.

3. Мы можем предложить вам большой выбор туристических поездок.

4. Телевидение оказывает (букв. имеет) огромное влияние на людей.

5. Важность этого открытия очень велика.

Ex. 2. Be ready to speak about Russia, its capital and Ekaterinburg.

UNIT 7

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