The Russian Federation. Акопян Л.Г. - 16 стр.

dates back to the 1703. It was founded 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 marvelous 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 Europe to lay out the city in harmonious
squares. Buildings were constructed of grey and rose-coloured granite.
     During the first world war in 1914, the German sounding name St. Petersburg, was
changed to Petrograd. After the Great October Revolution the city was renamed after
Lenin. In 1994 Leningrad was renamed St. Petersburg again.

                                     Novosibirsk
    Novosibirsk is situated on the Ob. Novosibirsk is a relatively young city. Today it
has a population of 1,500,000 and is one of the largest industrial centres of Russia. The
most interesting feature of Novosibirsk’s cultural development is the appearance of the
Siberian branch of the Academy of Sciences of Russia. A scientific centre has been built
in a pinewood near the Ob Storage Lake formed by Novosibirsk hydropower station.
Many famous scientists have come from all over the country to work here.


                                       Volgograd
     Volgograd stands near the Volga-Don Canal. There the left bank of the river is
higher and from the deck of a ship people get a magnificent view of the 70-kilometer-
long city. A bitter battle was fought here in 1942-43. It was history’s greatest battle,
fighting continued for six and a half months, at the walls of the hero city, in its streets
and squares. This battle which ended in February 1943 with encirclement and
destruction of a huge nazi army showed the patriotism, courage and heroism of Soviet
people and was the turning point in the Great Patriotic War. Industrial development of
this city began long before the World War II. Many heavy industries that turned the city
into one of the most important industrial centres of Russia were built the pre-war five-
year plan periods.
     Nazis turned the city into heaps of brick and metal. Today it is a city of beautiful
buildings, busy streets, large parks.

      3.3 Answer the questions

     1) Where is Moscow situated?
     2) What is the role of Moscow in Russia?
     3) When was Moscow founded?
     4) Who founded our capital?
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