Text 4 kaluga.

Exercise 1. Look through the next text “Kaluga” and find the proper names which you can see in the list of the ones given above. Remember their pronunciation and translation.

Exercise 2. Read and translate the text.

Kaluga is one of the oldest Russian cities. It stands on the banks of the Oka River. At every step we can come across with many fine monuments dating back to the 16^th-17^th centuries. In different parts of the city we can see old churches and cathedrals. The oldest of them are church of the 17^th century “of Cover on the Ditch” and the Cathedral of St. George “past the hill” of the same period. Several years ago St. Trinity Cathedral renewed its work. There are a lot of other churches here. The most famous are “of Women Myrrh Bearers”, of St. John the Precursor, of St. Nickolas the Miracle Worker, the Church of St. Kozma and Domian, the Church of Lord’s Transfiguration which is the Representation Church of Pafnuty-and-Borovsk monastery.

There are many other architectural monuments in Kaluga. Among them there is the building of the Local Lore Museum. The museum itself was established in 1897. Since 1922 it has been placed in the former town estate of the merchant Zolotaryov that was built in 1805-1808. Remained wall and ceiling murals, highly artistic bas-reliefs and encrusted floor belong to the work of first-class painters, architects and marble-masters in Russia of the beginning of the 19^th century, worked in the workshop of Compioni. Two exposition departments – of history and nature of the land of Kaluga – are arranged in the museum halls. The museum unites 10 subsidiaries, situated in the region districts.

One of the most precious private residences of the first decades of the 19^th century of the Bilibins (Chistokletovs) merchants houses the Regional Art Museum. It was organized in 1918 on the bases of the collection of doctor Nikanor Ivanovich Vasilyev, the gratis given to the city. At present the museum contains about 7000 works of painting, graphics, architecture and decorating and applied art. Over 200 of them are exposed in the halls of ancient Russian (16^th-18^th centuries), Russian (18^th-20^th centuries) and West-European (16^th-19^th centuries) art. Art works of painters, such as Tropinin, Levitsky, Aivazovsky, Shyshkin, Polenov, Yaroshenko, Surikov, Savrasov, Korin, Grigoryev, Fonvizin and others are exhibited in the museum. The museum has two subsidiaries: in Tarusa and Ulyanovo picture galleries.

The Korobovs’ Chambers is the first stone building in Kaluga built in the 17^th century. According to the legend Marina Mnishek lived in this house but the documents say that the building was constructed several years later her coming. Now it is the branch of Kaluga Local Lore museum. The Makarovs’ Chambers are of the similar design.

The Stone Bridge across the Berezuyevsky Ravine was built in 1780 in honour of Kathenine II’s visit to Kaluga. There are only a few bridges of such design in Europe. The whole architectural complex including the Central Park of Culture and Rest, the Stone Bridge and the building of Prisutstvenniye Mesta (Places of the Attendance) was designed by the architect Nikitin.

An Inn Yard (Gostiny Dvor) was built in memory of the past. It was an old trade centre in the 18^th-early 19^th centuries.

Many famous people visited Kaluga. N.V.Gogol spent several years in Kaluga and wrote here a part of his famous “Dead Souls” (Myortviye Dushi). There is a memorial in the place of the house where he lived. You can see it in Tsiolkovsky park. The Decembrists were exiled to Kaluga and in Pushkin street you can see a memorial plate on one of the houses. It tells that Obolensky lived here. Also in Pushkin street there is a house where Shamil lived during his exile. Certainly Kaluga is connected with the name of Pushkin. In Polotnyany Zavod not far from Kaluga there was an estate of the Goncharovs. Now it is a museum with a wonderful park. And certainly Kaluga has been visited by cosmonauts of Russia and of foreign countries and by scientists who work in the field of space exploration.

Now Kaluga is an important industrial centre because there are some industrial enterprises in it. Some of them are joint ventures, for example Volkswagen, Citroёn and others.

There are more than 50 secondary schools in Kaluga. Some of them are gymnasiums and lyceums. Young people can continue their education at vocational and technical schools. If they want to get higher education they can enter higher educational schools some of which are branches of famous Moscow and St. Petersburg universities and institutes.

Kaluga is also a cultural centre. Citizens like visiting our Drama theatre which is more than 230 years old. Children can see performances of Kaluga Puppet theatre and the theatre of the Young Spectator. Also people can go to a concert hall, an exhibition hall and cinemas in Kaluga. Pupils, students and researchers have the possibility to work in libraries. The richest one in Kaluga is the library named after V.G.Belinsky.

The main streets of Kaluga are straight and wide. Bus, trolley-bus lines stretch the city in different distance.

Kaluga is decorated with many parks and squares. The oldest one is the Central Park of Culture and Rest. Here one can enjoy the scenery of the Oka and its picturesque banks from the observation platform of this park. The next favourite place of spending free time is the Square named after cosmonaut Volkov. Many sports and cultural events are held here. Due to the greenery Kaluga is called “a corner of St. Petersburg”.

Day after day Kaluga is growing. New residential areas appear in former outskirts of the city.

Exercise 3. Using the knowledge of our city say in what streets we can see:

the Church “of Cover on the Ditch”,

the Cathedral of St. George “Past the Hill”

St. Trinity Cathedral

the Church of Wives Myrrh Bearers

the Church of St. Nickolas Miracle Worker

the Churchl of Kozma and Domian

the town estate of the merchant Zolotaryov

the house of the Chistokletovs

the Korobovs’ Chambers

the Makarovs’ Chambers

the memorial house-museum of Tsiolkovsky

the Tsiolkovsky museum of History of Space Exploration

the monument to Tankmen

the monument to a Medical Nurse

the monument to the Liberation of Kaluga

Exercise 4. Answer the questions using the information of all three text devoted to Kaluga and you own knowledge.

1). When was Kaluga founded?

2). What role did Kaluga play in the history of Russia?

3). What happened on Kaluga land during the Tatar-Mongol yoke?

4). What events took place on Kaluga land at the beginning of the 17^th century?

5). What role did Kaluga play in the war of 1812?

6). What places in Kaluga region are connected with the events of the Great Patriotic War?

7). What monuments devoted to the Great Patriotic War do you know in Kaluga?

8). What monument is situated at the entrance of the city?

9). What churches and cathedrals can we see in Kaluga?

10). What buildings are both architectural monuments and museums in Kaluga?

11). What is included into the architectural ensemble designed by Nikitin?

12). Can you prove that Kaluga is a cultural centre? Do, please.

13). Do you know what famous people visited Kaluga?