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In 1862 he married Sophia Bers, a Moscow doctor’s daughter, who became a mother of his 14 children and a faithful friend of all his life. It is
known that one of his novels «Anna Karenina», Sophia Andreyevna has rewritten 7 times.
Since 1863 Tolstoy had been creating his the most important work – the novel «War and Peace», where he described war events in 1812. In
1899 Tolstoy wrote one more novel»Resurrection» which had a great success. Besides novels, Tolstoy wrote not very large tales and stories.
At the beginning of the XX century Tolstoy was a famous Russian writer. During his life he became great, all the world knew him. The day of
Tolstoy’s death became the day of national mourning.
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY
(1840 – 1893)
Tchaikhovsky got engaged in music early – when he was 5. To tell the truth before he got engaged in composing music Pyotr had graduated
from St. Petersburg juriprudence college and became a lawyer. But music called him. And in 1862 Tchaikovsky entered the Conservatoria in Peters-
burg and in 3 years graduated from it with a golden medal. Pyotr Ilyich has become a composer. He composed great operas and ballets, symphonies
and romances. Tchaikovsky traveled a lot, but everywhere he had been writing music for some hours. Everybody knows his ballet «Swan lake» and
the piece cycle «Seasons» for the piano.
In 1891 he had a great success in the USA in 1893 – in England, where Tchaikhovsky was awarded with the title of a doctor of music. His last
year of life Tchaikovsky spent in Klin, near Moscow, where he had created his best works: the 5 and 6 symphonies, «The Queen of Spades» opera,
«The Sleeping Beauty» ballet and others.
He himself conducted the orchestra when 6 («Pathetic») symphony was performed for the first time. Some days later, on October, 25 in 1893
Tchaikhovsky died suddenly, because of cholera. Now there is Tchaikhovsky house-museum in Klin. There is his grand piano in the drawing-room.
Once a year on his birthday the best pianists perform plays of its genius owner – Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikhovsky.
SERGEI VASILYEVICH RAKHMANINOV
(1887 – 1943)
Rakhmaninov S.V. is a Russian composre and pianist. Sergei Rakhmaninov began to study music when he was only 4 years old. When
Rakhmaninov was 18 he graduated from the conservatore having performed at the final exam «Aleko» opera after A.S. Pushkin’s «Gipsies», which
had been written by him within 17 days. A years later the opera was staged in the Bolshoy Theatre and got its recognition of critisism at once.
Some later Rakhmaninov created two more operas – «A stingy knight» (after A.S. Pushkin) and «Franchesko de Remini» (after Dante).
During the study at the Moscow Conservatoire Rakhmaninov met Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikhovsky. The famous composer paid attention to the capa-
ble pupil and fortold him a great future.
Not less famous Rakhmaninov was as a pianist. He came out successfully in France and in America. Rakhmaninov’s talent was many-sided:
when he was just 20 he worked as a conductor in S. Mamontov’s Moscow private Russian opera. At the Bolshoy Theatre Rakhmaninov fulfilled
production of M.I. Glinka’s «Ivan Susanin» and P.I. Tchaikhovsky’s «The Queen of Spades».
After the revolution in 1917 Rakhmaninov was invited to stage some concerts in Skandinavian countries. He went together with his family and
never returned to Russia. First they lived in Denmark, where Rakhmaninov had many concerts to earn money for life. Then he moved to America.
Rakhmaninov’s concert life continued without a break for 25 years. His success was stunning. Not only his outstanding proficiency but also his
manner of playing and outward ascetics attracted his listeners.
One notice said: «The person who is capable to express his feeling with such strength should first of all be able to control them in perfection».
Rakhmaninov died in 1943.
MOSCOW
Moscow is the capital of Russian Federation, the biggest state in the world. It is a political, economic, commercial and cultural centre of the
country.
Moscow is one of the youngest capitals of Europe. It is believed that Yuriy Dolgoruky founded Moscow in 1147.
At the beginning of the 13th century, Moscow became the capital of principality of Moscovia. Like the rest of Russian territory, was kept under
the yoke of Mongols. The ruler of this principality became Ivan Kalita, named the first Grand Prince by Khan and forced to move to Moscow from
Vladimir. That time, the head of the Russian Church moved to Moscow from Vladimir too. This way Moscow was becoming the political and reli-
gious centre of Russia.
In the 15
th
century, after almost 250 years of Mongol domination Moscow became the most powerful of the Russian city-states. In 1453, after
Constantinople, the centre of the Orthodox Church, was taken by the Turks, Moscow was declared the Third Rome and true heir of Christianity.
In 1546, Ivan the Terrible was crowned in Moscow as the first Tsar of All Russia and Moscow became the capital of the new state.
In 1712, Peter the Great moved the capital to St Petersburg, but Moscow remained for some time the heart of Russia. That is why it became the
main target of Napoleon’s attack. The great fire destroyed the most territory of the city, but by the mid of the 19th century, Moscow had been com-
pletely restored.
After the Socialist Revolution of 1917, Moscow became the capital of the USSR.
Now, Moscow is one of the largest cities in Europe. Its total area is more than 9 hundred square kilometers and still is growing up. The popula-
tion of the city is about 9 million people.
Moscow is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The heart of Moscow is the Kremlin and Red Square. They are the most famous places
in Moscow.
There are a lot of beautiful places, old cathedrals, churches and monuments in Moscow. Now Moscow is being reconstructed, becoming more
and more beautiful.
There are more than 80 museums in Moscow. The largest museums are Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts and the State Tretyakov Gallery. Other
unique museums are the Andrei Rublyev Museum of Early Russian Art and many others.
Moscow is famous for its theatres. The best known of them is the Bolshoi Opera Theatre.
Moscow is a city of students. There are over 80 institutions and universities; the most famous of them is MGU, Moscow State University.
ST. PETERSBURG
«Copper Horseman», so A.S. Pushkin titled his poem about Peter the Great’s city.
St Petersburg is the second largest city in Russia and one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It was founded in 1703 by Peter the Great as
the «Window to the West». Thousands of workmen from all parts of Russia built a new city on the swampy land at the mouth of the Neva River.
St. Petersburg, a city of great beauty, with palaces, cathedrals, churches, government buildings became the capital of Russian state.
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. The Hermitage Palace and the Winter Palace,
the homes of the tsars, were equal to any in Europe.
When the first world war began in 1914, the German-sounding name, St. Petersburg, was changed to Petrograd. After the Great October Revo-
lution the city was renamed after Lenin – Leningrad.
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