Our City and City Life

Yaroslavl is one o the most enjoyable cities of Russia. It’s architectural and historical monuments, rich museum collections attract great number of guests from all over our country and abroad.The modern and the old life side by side in mutual tolerance and respect especially in the central part of the city.

Yaroslavl dates back to the 11-th century when Prince Yaroslav the Wise erected the wooden fortress on the right elevated Volga bank at the confluence of the Kotorosl river. Later the Monastery of Savior was founded not far from the fortress and it played an important role in the development of Russia’s history and culture.The architectural ensemble of it includes Yaroslavl’s oldest monuments and churches, which have been preserved to our days.

If a guest of our city asked me what place of interest he ought to visit, I should advise him to have a good time at the city art gallery. There he would enjoy genuine masterpieces of paintings, sculpture and different exhibits of craft including ancient icons.

Our ancient city is a great industrial and cultural centre. It is a pleasure to watch its busy streets and squares, heavy traffic and passer-byes, hurrying up and down along the pavements in rush hours.

Many magnificent monuments were erected to commemorate the famous people who lived and worked in Yaroslavl. I’d like to mention the monument to the Russian poet Nekrasov on the Volga river embankment, the monument to Yaroslav the Wise in Bogoyavlenskaya Square, the monument to F. Volkov, the first Russian actor and the founder of the first Russian theatre, in Volkov Square.

Those who have not been to Yaroslavl for a long time are greatly impressed by the changes that have taken place in our city. Tourists and guests are impressed by the beauty of fine modern buildings (Children’s Theatre, Palaces of Culture and Sport), by blocks of multistoreyed buildings in newly-built districts, by the beauty of green parks and squares, and the Volga river embankment.

Task 2. Take a map of Yaroslavl and discuss with your partner how to get to different places of interest of this city:

- Volkov Square;

-the Monument to Yaroslav the Wise;

- the Volga Embankment;

- the newly-built district “Sokol”.

Task 3. Write an instruction in English for your foreign colleague explaining how he can get from the Ring Premier Hotel to the Palace of Culture and Sport “Arena 2000” by public transport in the shortest time possible, and in the lowest cost.

Task 4. You live in Yaroslavl. You are standing near the cinema “Rodina”. A passer-by, a stranger in Yaroslavl, is asking you how to get to the Church of Iliya the Prophet. Tell him the way.

Task 5. A foreign tourist has lost his way in Yaroslavl. Help him. Make up a conversation.

Task 6. Please write in detail how you get to your college from home and how long it takes you. If there are any alternatives, explain why you do not use them.

Task 7. Test yourself. Vocabulary for Communicating Activity on the Topic “ Could you tell me the Way? ”

- Could you tell me the Way?

- Well, everybody is here at last.

- Now, we can go.

- Can we take a taxi here?

- Why don’t we take the Underground or a bus?

- I hear London’s public transport system is one of the finest in the world.

- A good idea!

- Then let’s go!

- Let’s me check it with the city map.

- Look at the map. Here it is.

- Could you tell me the way to Kirova Street?

- Can we get there by bus?

- There is an underground station nearly about three minutes walk from here.

- I am afraid we’ll have to change from the Underground to a bus.

- Do we have to change trains in the underground?

- No, I don’t think so.

- And what number bus do we want then?

- Let’s consult the map. Have a look at it.

- It seems the third stop is ours.

- Are there conductors on the buses in Yaroslavl?

- And who collects fares?

- You can buy a book of tickets.

- By the way, is public transport expensive here?

- One ride costs…rouble, whether you go by bus, or trolleybus, or train.

- Just fantastic!

- Shall we cross the street at the traffic lights?

- Wait a minute! The red light is still on.

- Do you mean the left-hand traffic?

- Exactly.

- Of course, you should be very careful and disciplined on the street!

- I wonder how long it will take us to get to…

- Would it be faster if we took a taxi?

- Not at this time of day. During the rush hour the roads are crowded you can rely on the Underground only.

Task 8. Make up your own conversation on the Topic “In the Streets of Yaroslavl” using new Vocabulary.