The University

Having finished secondary school I entered the Povolzsky State University of Telecommunications and Informatics. Now I am a first year student.

Our University was founded in 1956 as one faculty institution. It was the faculty of Radio Communications and Radio Broadcasting with a number of students 208. In 1961 the faculty of telephone and telegraph communication was set up, which later was reconstructed in the faculty of Automatic and Multi-channel communication.

Now there are the following faculties at University: Radioengineering and Telecommunications faculty, the faculty of economics, Telecommunications and Informatics, the faculty of basic education and extramural one.

The University has more than 20 chairs, computer center, library, rest camp. Besides, there are several subsidiaries of the University chairs in research institutions and enterprises. Our University is famous for its professors staff.

The graduates of the University become bachelors and masters of telecommunications as well as engineers of telecommunication in various fields.

I study at …………………..faculty. My specialty is ……………………………………. Being just beginners we study general education subjects necessary for future engineers such as mathematics, physics, engineering drawing. Besides, we study humanitarian subjects which will broaden our outlook.

The Academic year in our University runs from September the 1^st to the end of June. The tests at the end of each term are obligatory. In January we take exams in 4 or 5 subjects.

The course for engineers lasts for 5 years. In senior grades we shall study the subjects on our specialty. In the 5^th year we are to submit a diploma project.

Answer the questions:

1. When did you enter the PSUTI?

2. When was the University founded?

3. What was the only faculty at that time?

4. What faculties are there at the university?

5. How many chairs has the University?

6. What degrees do the graduates obtain?

7. What is your faculty and specialty?

8. What subjects do you study now?

9. What subjects will you study in senior grades?

10. How long does the course last?

Samara

According to the formal data the beginning of the history of Samara dates back to 1586, but its ancestress – the small bunder village Samar was marked on the merchants’ maps of the 13^th century. In 1521 the village was burnt by the Tatars and rebuilt 65 years later as a fortress in the place of the present day Samara on the left bank of the Volga, where the Samara river flows into it.

Samara was the only fortress which defended the Russian eastern frontiers from the nomads and it has never been captured by the enemies.

As the fortress was situated on the crossing of important trade routes, its economical life was based upon trade. Another important occupation was fishery. Samara turned gradually in the town of merchants and craftsmen.

In 1851 Samara became the principle city of the Samaraskaya province. By that time it was a big industrial, agricultural and trade center. Before the revolution the city on the Volga was often called “the Russian Chicago”.

Samara was the second Russia’s exporter of bread-corn. The brewery of Samara produced 30 million liters of beer annually. Two and a half hundred of factories and work shops produced different consumer goods – from sausages to spring carriages. Shipping companies of Samara were among the best in Russia. In the beginning of the 20^th century there were issued about 50 newspapers and 15 magazines.

Samara was famous fro its beautiful orthodox churches. Most of them were ruined in the 30^th, but there are still a lot of beautiful buildings in the historical center of the city.

Modern Samara has a territory of 330 square kilometers and a population of more than one million people. It is a large industrial center. Here are a lot of enterprises of different kind of industry as well as consumer goods production. Some of the products are exported to different countries. Considerable natural recourses make Middle Volga area one of the richest parts of Central Russia.

Our city is a large educational center. In Samara there are more than 10 schools of higher learning: Samara State University, Airspace University, Medical University, Telecommunication University and others. Besides, there are several branches of various further education institutions of Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Museums and art-galleries of Samara offer interesting expositions about history of our city, its culture and art. Several theaters are situated in the central part of the city. The Drama Theater was built in 1888. It is one of the oldest in Russia. The Opera House is in the central square of Samara. The building of Philharmonic Society was built anew in 1990 and is now a place of performances of musicians and actors of Samara and other cities. Some new theatres have been founded in our city lately.

Samara is often called “the Beauty on the Volga”. It is one of the most beautiful Volga cities. If you look at Samara from the Volga, you will be greatly impressed by the view opening in front of you.

Russia

In the early days of history Russia was known as Kievan Russia, because its capital was the city of Kiev. In 988 Kievan Russia embraced Christianity. In the 12^th century Russia disintegrated into small principalities and was conquered by the Tartar-Mongols. After two centuries of Tartar-Mongolian yoke Russia rose against the invaders. The battle of Kulikovo (1380) was the beginning of the country’s liberation. During the 14-16 centuries the integration of the country resulted in the formation of a centralized state with a new capital Moscow.

In the 16^th century under the reign of Ivan the Terrible, the Russian State began to develop rapidly. Peter the Great (the end of 17^th-the beginning of the 18^th centuries) undertook fundamental reforms of the state. Extended the Russian frontiers and announced the Russian Empire. Catherine the Great continued Peter’s policy. Nicholas II was the last Russian emperor: in 1917 the revolution took place in Russia and the monarchy was overthrown. There was an attempt to build up a socialist state. In 1941-45 Russia had to defend its independence in the great patriotic war. Now Russia tries to find its own way of development.

Today the Russian Federation is the largest country in the world: its total area is about 17 million square kilometers. It occupies most of Eastern Europe and northern Asia. Twelve sees and three oceans wash the shores of out country. The land of Russia varies from thick forests to deserts, from high mountains to deep valleys. Russia is located on two plains, the Great Russian plain and the West Siberian Lowland. The longest mountain chain is the Urals, separating Europe from Asia. Russia’s most important rivers are the Volga, Europe’s biggest river, the Lena, the Ob’ and the Enisey.

Russia is rich in natural resources. It has reserves of oil, natural gas, coal, iron ore and non-ferrous metals, diamonds and other minerals.

The climate of Russia varies from arctic in the north to continental in the central part and subtropical in the South.

The population of Russia is about 148 million people. It has more than 100 nationalities. According to the constitution Russia is a federation and includes the subjects of Russian Federation: republics, regions and territories.

Russian Federation is a parliamentary republic. Its government consists of three branches: - the legislative power, exercised by the Federal Assembly, consisting of the Council of Federation and the State Duma; the executive power, which belongs to the Cabinet of Ministers, headed by the Prime Minister; the judicial power, which belongs to the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court and other Courts. The President, who is the head of the State, controls each of them.