Visiting museums

Man cannot live by bread alone.

· to need nourishment for one's soul

spiritual food

museums give us an opportunity to make a journey through the centuries;

exhibitions acquaint us with the world of lofty feelings and images;

art galleries reveal new aspects of human nature to us;

develop our artistic taste;

amuse, bewitch, fascinate and inspire us;

imbue us with new feelings and emotions;

elevate and exalt our mind and soul;

enrich our experience of life;

are open to the public;

are (not) visited by the spectators in the millions;

include the major national collections

a wide variety of municipally and privately owned institutions

Great Britain - to boast more than 2, 000 museums and galleries;

London - to abound with museums and art galleries;

- to boast remarkable collections, which rank as unsurpassed anywhere in the world

The National Gallery in London (1824):

· to contain one of the richest collections of paintings in the world;

· to represent all the leading schools of European painting (13-20 cc);

· to be the treasure-house of the nation's heritage

The British Museum in London (1753):

· to have a priceless collection of antiquities from almost every period and every part of the world (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Indian, Chinese, Anglo-Saxon);

· to house superb collections of archaeology, prints, drawings, coins, etc.

The National Portrait Gallery (1856):

· to have the most comprehensive collection of the national portraits

The Victoria and Albert Museum:

· to be devoted to Fine Applied Art of all countries, styles and periods, including oriental art;

· to be a paradise for anyone who loves beautiful things: jewellery, lace, miniatures, porcelain, prints, etc.

Kyiv

The Museum of Russian Art (1922):

· to represent a vast collection of works by Russian artists ranging from the 12^th c to our days: icons, portraits, landscapes, seascapes, etc.

· was based on the Tereshchenkos' collection

The Museum of Ukrainian Art (1899):

· to boast a large collection of paintings, drawings, sculptures, icons;

· to embrace all periods of the development of Ukrainian arts.

I admire coming in touch with the Ukraininan Art Museum which is well-known for its remarkable collection of oil landscapes, portraits and watercolour pictures by the famous Ukrainian artists. Visiting this museum never leaves anybody indifferent!

Once I went to the National Art gallery of Ukraine and there I got acquainted with the canvases of the Ukrainian and foreign artists. This museum displays priceless tempera icons, marble and bronze statues, pastel still lives and genre pictures.

I have heard a lot about the Taras Shevchenko Museum in Kyiv, but unfortunately I haven't been

there yet. I know that this museum is proud of the genuine personal belongings, letters, books and chronicles which belonged to the outstanding Ukrainian poet and painter.

I am interested in visiting the Archaeology Museum which preserves invaluable fossils of animals and plants. This is the prehistory of our country so I don't want to miss the chance to see it all.

I am willing to go to the Zoology Museum which is known for the pictures, photos, and stuffed animals and birds. There are excursions held by the experienced guides who will tell you everything you'd like to know about the animal world of Ukraine and the world.