Vocabulary
fortress, structure, gate, Sweden, Swedish, invasion, earth works (pl.), Navy, approach, gun, brick, slab, attractive, impressive, bas-relief, cathedral, burial place, iconstasis, craftsman, majestic, mighty, prison, prisoner, significance.
to originate, to maintain, to win, to expect, to lay, to bar, to replace, to face, to rise, to add, to remain, to decorate, to be engaged, to erect, to bury, to carve, to rest, to unite, to carry out, to turn.
Notes to the text
1 earthworks — земляные укрепления
2 which made them look the way they do today — что сделало их такими, какими они выглядят сегодня
3 bas-reliefs of military regalia and the Almighty — барельефы воинских регалий и Всевышнего
4 engaged in (building) — занятых (строительством)
5 owes its name — обязана своим названием
6 ... used to be kept ... — обычно хранились
7 one can't help admiring — нельзя не восхищаться
8 death sentence — смертный приговор
Exercises
1. Practise the pronunciation of the following words:
originate, citadel, maintain, access, structure, fortress, earthworks, invasion, approach, granite, impressive, bas-relief, cathedral, owe, bury, admire, portico, significance, iconstasis.
The Peter and Paul Fortress, the Baltic, Zayachy Island, Sweden, Swedish, St. Peter's Gate, Trezzini, Almighty, Commandant's Pier.
2. Translate the following word-combinations into Russian:
a citadel for maintaining Russia's access to the Baltic, enemy invasion, foundation stone, Navy's approach, the original earthworks, powerful stone fortifications, 12-metre high brick walls, the only structure of the fortress, granite-faced gate, mighty blocks of stone.
3. Complete the following sentences:
St. Petersburg originated as
The Peter and Paul Fortress was founded on Zayachy Island in…….
The fortress was built to
It took 35 years to replace original earthworks with
St. Peter's Gate served as
The Engineers' House was built for the engineers
The Peter and Paul Fortress owes
The Peter and Paul Cathedral was erected by D. Trezzini as …….
The majestic Neva Gate was built by the architect N. Lvov in the style of…….
D. Trezzini erected the Peter and Paul Cathedral in
ll)Among the prisoners of the fortress were
4. Speak about the Peter and Paul Fortress.
UNIT THREE
THE ENSEMBLE OF PALACE SQUARE AND THE STATE HERMITAGE MUSEUM
Palace Square. There are not many squares in world architecture that leave as deep an impression on the viewer as Palace Square. When you first come into this square the amazing sensation of space, the harmony of the buildings surrounding it, and the beauty of each separate building overwhelms you. The secret of this enchantment lies in the integrity of the ensemble, although everything here was built at different times by different architects.
The oldest of the buildings here is the Winter Palace which was constructed by B. Rastrelli in 1762 in Baroque style. The enormous white-and-yellow building in front of the Palace, usually called the General Staff, was designed and constructed by C. Rossi in 1829 in classical style. Actually, there are two separate buildings connected by the triumphal arch opposite the main gateway of the Winter Palace. These two buildings are 580 metres long and were meant to house the General Staff, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Finance Ministry.
The Triumphal Arch is decorated with martial figures, winged Glories in haut relief, and various regalia. The crowning point of the composition is the victory chariot — Chariot of Glory — on top of the arch, it is 16 metres wide and 10 metres high, and was designed by eminent Russian sculptors S. Pimenov and V. Demut-Malinovsky. The building of the General Staff was erected as a monument to Russia's victory in the war of 1812 with Napoleon.
Another monument in honour of Russia's victory over Napoleon was the Triumphal Column erected in the centre of Palace Square in 1834 by A. Montferrand. This is the largest granite monolith in the world. The Column is 47.5 metres high. The Column is crowned with the figure of an angel carrying a cross (sculptor B. Orlovsky) and trampling on a snake which symbolises the defeated enemies.
In 1837-1843, soon after the erection of the column, a building for the Guards Headquarters was constructed by A.P. Bryullov in the east corner of the square between the Winter Palace and the General Staff. Suited in propotions and style to Rossi's building, it made a good complement to the ensemble.
The State Hermitage museum. The Hermitage is one of the world's greatest museums. It houses more than 2,7 million objects of art and culture, belonging to different epochs, countries and nations. The ensemble of the Hermitage museum includes four buildings: the Winter Palace, built in 1754-1762 by B. Rastrelli, the Small Hermitage, built in 1764-1775 by Y. Velten, the Old Hermitage, erected in 1787 by Y. Velten, and the New Hermitage, constructed in 1842-1851 by Stasov and Yefimov.
The Hermitage is considered to have been founded in 1764, when the Russian Empress Catherine II bought 225 paintings from the Berlin merchant Johann Gotzkovsky. After this, large consignments of paintings acquired at sales began to arrive one after another from abroad. In the course of time the collection of works of art grew, and special museum buildings were constructed, now known as the Small Hermitage, the Old Hermitage and the New Hermitage. They all are united by a series of covered passage ways. Prior to the February revolution in 1917, all the buildings were in the possession of the royal family. At present the collections of the Hermitage include about 15,000 paintings, 12,000 sculptures, 600,000 prints and drawings, over 600,000 archaeological exhibits, 1 million coins and medals, 224,000 items of applied art. 400 rooms are open to visitors.
The oldest department in the Museum is the Department of Western European Art. It includes a picture gallery, a collection of sculpture, sections of drawings, prints and applied art. Its permanent exhibition is laid out in 125 halls and rooms. The Picture Gallery is proud of its collection of paintings by Italian artists of the 14th to 18th centuries, including such names as Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael and Titian. The art of the Netherlands, Flanders and Holland is very well represented. One of the museum halls houses a brilliant collection of paintings by Rembrandt and his pupils. Of great artistic merit is the collection of English paintings of the 17th and 18th centuries, represented by Romney, Reynolds, Gainsborough and other artists.
The exhibition of French paintings, sculpture and applied art of the 15th to 20th centuries is housed in 52 halls of the Winter Palace. Of great interest is a a splendid collection of works by the Impressionists and Postimpressionists, as well as works by Matisse, Picasso and other French painters.
Besides the Department of Western Europian Art there are the Department of the Art and Culture of Antiquity, the Department of the Art and Culture of the Peoples of the East, the Department of Russian Culture, the Department of Prehistoric Culture, the Department of Numismatics.
Of special interest are the interiors of the rooms of the Hermitage: the Large Throne Room, the Small Throne Room, the Emblem Hall, the 1812 War Gallery, the Malachite Hall, the Small Dining Room, the Pavilion Hall, and many others.
A wide range of work is carried by the research and educational department which organises annually over 32,000 tours of the museum and over 1,000 lectures devoted to its treasures. The Hermitage also displays its exhibits abroad and arranges foreign exhibitions.