Vocabulary

1. national economy, access, major, existence, event, uprising, resident, liberation, enemy, encirclement, trial, siege, despite, hunger, architectural, radio-engineering, power-engineering, icebreaker, machine tool, maritime, trade, link, railway junction, freight, terminal, domestic, volume, space exploration, establishment, eminent, executive/legislative power, representative, implementation;

2. to be bound up with ..., to develop, to proclaim, to witness, to endure, to shell, to suffer (from), to defend, to produce, to play a role/a part, to reduce, to cope with, to attract, to manage, to supervise, to make a contribution (to).

Notes to the text

¹ Nazy siege — вражеская блокада

² the Electrosila Works — завод Электросила

³ joint venture — совместное предприятие

⁴ to hold a place — занимать место

⁵ a maritime trade port — морской торговый порт

⁶ a high-speed railway line — высокоскоростная железнодорожная магистраль

⁷ to rank with — стоять в ряду с

⁸ design and technological organizations — проектно-технические организации

⁹ companies — зд.: (творческие) коллективы, труппы

¹⁰ a federal status — федеральный статус

¹¹ i. e. — (чит.: that is) то есть

¹² subordinate (to) — подчиненный

¹³ Governor — губернатор

¹⁴ the Representative of the President of the Russian Federation — представитель президента Российской Федерации-

¹⁵ to be vested in — принадлежать

¹⁶ Legislative Assembly — Законодательное Собрание

Exercises

1. Pronounce the following words:

Europe, World War II, nazi, siege, architectural, ensemble, foreign, joint venture, maritime, freight, design, company, ballet, exhibition, federal status, Governor, executive, legislative, major, the Hermitage.

2. Complete the following sentences:

1) The history of St. Petersburg was always bound up with …………….

2. The city gave Russia an access to…………………………

3. Leningraders heroically defended their city for …………………….

2. More than 650.000 people died due to

2. Present day St. Petersburg is not only a city of beautiful architectural ensembles and historical monuments but …………..

2. The main industries in the city are

3. The city's scientists have made great contribution to the field of……………..

4. The legislative power in St. Petersburg is vested in……………………………..

9) Administratively the city is divided …………

3. Open the brackets using English equivalents:

1. Founded in 1703, in the 18^th and 19th centuries (город развивался как военно-морской порт)

2. In the 19^th century the city became (главным экономическим, политическим и культурным центром России).

3. Throughout its existence St. Petersburg (был свидетелем важных исторических событий), among them (восстание декабристов в 1825 году и 3 революции в 20 веке).

4. (Предприятия города) produce (атомные ледоколы и реакторы, тракторы и станки, турбины и телескопы).

5. By the number of (совместных российско-иностранных предприятий) our city holds one of the first places in the country.

6. It is planned (построить новый морской торговый порт).

7. (Высокоскоростная железнодорожная магистраль) between Moscow and our city will be constructed in the near future.

8. St. Petersburg has more than (50 музеев, 100 театров, 80 выставочных залов и художественных галерей, свыше 80 библиотек).

9. There is (представитель президента Российской Федерации в городе), who supervises (ход экономических реформ).

10. (Исполнительная власть в городе) lies with the Governor's office (возглавляемым самим губернатором)

4. Speak about St. Petersburg today.

UNIT TWO

PETER-AND-PAUL FORTRESS

St. Petersburg originated as a citadel for maintaining Russia's access to the Baltic. One of the first structures in the city was the Peter and Paul Fortress. It was founded by Peter I on Zayachy Island in 1703.

The fortress was built to protect the gate to the Baltic which the Russians had won back from Sweden. Enemy invasion was being expected and the fortress was built rapidly. Its first foundation stone was laid in May 1703 and already by the autumn of the same year all the earthworks¹ had been completed and three hundred guns had barred the Swedish Navy's approach to St. Petersburg.

In 1706 the original earthworks began to be replaced with powerful stone fortifications. It took 35 years and by 1740 12-metre high brick walls had risen above the Neva. In the 1780s the fortress walls were faced with granite slabs, which made them look the way they do today².

Various structures were added to the fortress throughout the 18^th and 19^th centuries. One of these was St. Peter's Gate (Petrovskiye Vorota) which D. Trezzini built in 1717-1718. This is the only structure of the fortress which remained practically unchaged. Up till 1740 St. Peter's Gate served as the main entrance to the fortress, and the architect tried to make it as attractive and impressive as possible having decorated it with wooden bas-reliefs of military regalia and the Almighty³. Not far from St. Peter's Gate stands the Engineers' House, built in the 1740^s for the engineers engaged in⁴ building the fortress, and the Artillery Arsenal, built in the early 19^th century.

The most interesting building — St. Peter-and-Paul Cathedral — is in the centre of the fortress. It is to this cathedral that the fortress owes its name⁵. The cathedral was erected by D. Trezzini (1712-1733) as a burial place for the tzars and named after the apostles Peter and Paul. The height of the belltower is 122.5, the tallest in the city at the time of its construction.

Of particular interest inside the cathedral is the carved and gilded wooden iconstasis made by Russian craftsmen. Almost all Russian tzars from Peter I down to Alexandre III are buried in the cathedral. A small building where Peter Fs boat — the «Grandfather of the Russian Navy» — used to be kept⁶, is near by as well as the Mint (Monetny Dvor). One can't help admiring⁷ the majestic Neva Gate (Nevskiye Vorota) (N. Lvov. 1787).

The granite-faced gate in the style of a classical portico is resting on double columns united by mighty blocks of stone. It was through this gate that prisoners were brought from their casemates at night to the Commandant's Pier (Komendantskaya Pristan), from where they were sent either to Schlusselburg Fortress or to Fox's Nose (Licy Nos) on the Gulf of Finland where death sentences⁸ were carried out.

Designed for protecting the city, the fortress very soon lost its military significance and was turned into a political prison. One of its first prisoners was Peter I's son — Alexey. Among its prisoners were Radishchev, the Decembrists, Chernishevsky, Dostoevsky, A. Ulyanov, Gorky and many others. Since 1924 the Peter and Paul Fortress has been a museum.