Unit 7. St. Petersburg

5.7.1 Text

St Petersburg; is the second largest city in Russia and one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It was founded in 1703 by Peter the Great as the «Window to the West». Thousands of workmen were brought from all parts of Russia to build a new city on the swampy land at the mouth of the Neva River. Peter the Great was in a hurry. The work was fast and hard, and workmen dropped dead by the hundreds. But the work went on. St Petersburg, a city of great beauty, with palaces, cathedrals, churches, government buildings became the capital.

Under later Rulers, the new capital of the Russian Empire grew rapidly in wealth and beauty. Architects were brought from western Euroре to lay out the city in harmonious squares. Buildings were constructed of grey and rose-coloured granite. The Hermitage Palace and the Winter Palace, the homes of the tsars, were equal to any in Europe.

When the First World War began in 1914, the German-sounding name, St Petersburg, was changed to Petrograd. After the Great October Revolution the city was renamed after Lenin.

During the Great Patriotic War the city suffered a great deal. The German armies laid siege to it in 1941, and for the next year and a half it was cut off from the rest of the country. No food could be brought in, and people died of starvation. Daily shelling and air raids destroyed parts of the city, thousands of people were killed. Rebuilding took years.

Now St. Petersburg is an important industrial, cultural and educational centre. The population of the city is over 5 million.

St. Petersburg is indeed a wonderful city. At every turn there is something to catch your eye. The Winter Palace, the Hermitage, the Russian Museum, St. Isaac's Cathedral, the Peter-and-Paul Fortress, the Admiralty building attract thousands of tourists from every comer of the world.

Petersburg's many museums house some of the world's famous art collections. The Hermitage, for example, contains the richest collection of pictures in the world. The city is called Northern Venice because there are 65 rivers and canals there with artistically decorated bridges. It's also famous for its beautiful white nights.

5.7.2 Vocabulary. Pronounce the following words

Peter the Great – Петр Великий

a swampy land – болотистая местность

at the mouth of – в устье (какой-либо реки)

to be in a hurry – торопиться

to drop dead by the hundreds – падать замертво сотнями

under later rulers – при более поздних правителях

to grow rapidly in wealth and beauty – быстро богатеть и хорошеть

to lay out the city – разбивать город

to be constructed of granite – быть построенным из гранита

the Hermitage Palace – Эрмитаж

the Winter Palace – Зимний дворец

to be equal to any in Europe – не уступать любому в Европе

a German – sounding name – название, звучащее на немецкий лад

to be renamed after – быть переименованным и названным в честь (кого-либо)

to suffer a great deal – сильно пострадать

to lay siege to – начать блокаду

to be cut off from the rest of the country – быть отрезанным от остальной части страны

to die of starvation – умирать от голода

daily shelling and air raids – ежедневные бомбежки и воздушные налеты

at every turn – на каждом повороте

to catch one’s eye – привлекать внимание

to house smth. – размещать что-либо

a world’s famous art collection – всемирно знаменитая художественная коллекция

5.7.3 Questions. Answer the questions upon the text

1 How was St Petersburg built?

2 What kind of city was built by the workmen?

3 When was the city renamed?

4 What happened to the city during the Great Patriotic war?

5 What kind of city is St Petersburg?

6 What museums and other sights is St Petersburg noted for?

7 What else is St Petersburg famous for?

5.7.4 Translate into English

1 Санкт-Петербург, второй по величине город России, был основан в 1703 году.

2 Тысячи рабочих, приведенных из всех частей России, построили великолепный город.

3 При более поздних правителях западные архитекторы спланировали город, рабочие построили здания из серого и розового гранита.

4 По красоте Санкт-Петербург не уступает любому из европейских городов.

5 Город пострадал во время блокады, от бомбежек и налетов.

6 После войны Ленинград был восстановлен.

7 Великолепные тысячи туристов из разных стран.

8 Санкт-Петербург знаменит также своими белыми ночами и всемирно известными музеями, которые содержат богатейшие художественные коллекции.

5.7.5 Find in the text the English equivalents for

1) не уступать любому в Европе;

2) сильно пострадать;

3) начать блокаду;

4) Зимний дворец;

5) разбивать город;

6) умирать от голода;

7) привлекать внимание;

8) размещать что-либо;

9) быстро богатеть и хорошеть;

10) болотистая местность;

11) торопиться.

5.7.6 Put the questions to the underlined words and expressions

1 St. Petersburg was founded in 1703 by Peter the Great as the “Window to the West”.

2 Architects were brought from Western Europe.

3 After the Great October Revolution the city was renamed after Lenin.

4 During the Great Patriotic War the city suffered a great deal.

5 The population of the city is over 5 million.

6 St. Petersburg is famous for its beautiful white nights.

7 The Hermitage contains the richest collection of pictures in the world.

5.7.7 Read and learn the dialogue by heart

- Where do you come from?

- I came from Leningrad.

- What is the name of this city now?

- Some years ago its previous name was restored. It is St. Petersburg again.

- When was your native town founded?

- It was founded at the very beginning of the 18^th century.

- What are the historical landmarks of your city?

- First of all it was founded as the capital of the country. So it was for a long time. But in 1918 the city of Moscow became the seat of the government for the second time. My native town is a heroic city. It over came the hardships of the Second World War and blockade. I suppose it is the most beautiful city of Russia.

5.7.8 Text

Peter the Great

Peter the Great went down in Russian history for having rejected the Muscovite past. He enthusiastically made Russia closer to West. He was a giant among his contemporaries and a man of genius.

Peter intended to modernize his country and raise it to the first rank of European powers. He engaged skilled foreigners from Prussia, Holland, Great Britain to bring the latest western technology to Russia.

Peter had a passion for navigation. As a founder of the Russia navy, Peter first started to develop the Russian fleet in 1695. He wanted to capture from the Turkey the fortress town of Azov and gain access to the Black Sea.

In 1703 Peter the Great captured the Swedish fortress of Nyenschanz on the River Neva, and on an island nearly he ordered to construct the Peter and Paul Fortress, the first building of the future city of St. Petersburg.

In order to maintain the huge armed forces of Russia, Peter I had to reform many of the traditional administrative, social and fiscal structures of the country. One of the first major steps was to introduce compulsory military service. Another action was to replace the traditional Muscovite hierarchy of titles of the nobility with the Table of Ranks, a system closer to western models.

The Tsar’s reforms extended to many different fields: law, police, military discipline, the navy, commerce, the sciences, the fine arts and education. He introduced a simplified new Russian alphabet. He devoted his whole mind and energy to his mission in life: to add to his empire and to hack a window open on Europe.

The city of St. Petersburg was founded by Peter the Great in 1703 as a harbour for the Russian fleet. It was built as a fortress from which Russia could threaten the Swedes, and as spiritual centre of the new European Russia. The construction of St. Petersburg was undertaken at a great speed. Forty thousand peasants were engaged in the building of Russia’s new capital. Many of them suffered from disease and malnutrition and met their end in the marshlands.

Peter the Great’s rule had been harsh and his reign was full of radical changes. He died in 1725 at the age of fifty-two. Long after his death, he remained a dominant figure in the minds of the people. Catherine the Great commissioned the most famous monument to him, the Bronze Horseman. The monument was designed by the French sculptor Falconet. It was unveiled in St. Petersburg in 1782 with great pomp and ceremony.

5.7.9 Pronounce the following words

to reject – отвергать

navy – военно-морской флот

access – доступ, выход

to maintain – содержать (зд. армию)

fiscal – финансовый

to introduce – вводить

compulsory – обязательный

nobility – дворянство

Table of Ranks – «Табель о рангах»

simplified – упрощенный

to hack – прорубить (зд. окно)

harbour – гавань

to threaten – угрожать

disease – болезнь

malnutrition – плохое питание

marchland – болото

harsh – жесткий

to commission – поручать

the Bronze Horseman –Медный всадник

to unveil – торжественно открыть

pomp – пышность

5.7.10 Answer the questions upon the text

1 What kind of person was Peter the Great?

2 Can Peter be considered as a father of Russian fleet? Why did Peter start to develop the fleet?

3 What was Peter’s greatest wish?

4 What building did Peter the Great order to construct after capturing the Swedish fortress on the River Neva?

5 What were the results of the Great Northern War against Sweden?

6 In what fields did Peter the Great conduct the reforms? Give some examples of Peter’s reforms.

7 When and why was St. Petersburg founded by Peter the Great?

8 Who was engaged in the building of Russia’s new capital? What were the labor conditions?

9 By whom was the monument to Peter the Great designed? When was it unveiled?

10 To what mission did Peter the Great devote his whole mind and his energy? What it the role of Peter the Great in Russian history?

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