Read the text. What new information have you found?

MOSCOW

Moscow is the capital of Russia, its political, economic, commercial and cultural centre. It was founded 8 centuries ago by Yuri Dolgorukij. Historians have accepted the year of 1147 as the start of Moscow’s history. Gradually the city became more and more powerful. In the 13^th century Moscow was the centre of the struggle by Russian lands for the liberation from the Tartar. In the 16^th century under Ivan the Terrible Moscow became the capital of the united state. Though Peter the Great moved the capital to St. Petersburg in 1712, Moscow remained the heart of Russia. That is why it became the main target of Napoleon. Three quarters of the city was destroyed by fire during Napoleon’s occupation, but by the mid 19^th century Moscow had been completely restored. After the October revolution Moscow became the capital again.

Now Moscow is one of the largest cities in Europe. Its total area is about nine hundred square kilometers (ancient Moscow occupied the territory of the present – day Kremlin). The population of the city is about 9 million.

The heart of Moscow is Red Square, the central and the most beautiful square in Moscow. Tourists can see the monument to Minin and Pogarsky. It was designed by Ivan Martos in 1818 in the memory of the Russian victory over the Polish invaders in 1612. The Memory Museum in Red Square is a magnificent building. It is one of the major scientific and educational institutes where we can follow the life of the Russian people from ancient times.

But first of all everybody knows Red Square because the Kremlin is situated there. The Kremlin is the oldest historical architectural centre of Moscow. There are many other beautiful palaces, old mansions, cathedrals, churches and monuments in Moscow.

Moscow is also famous for its museums. At the Tretyakov Gallery paintings by great Russian artists are collected, and at the Museum of Fine Arts there are masterpieces by European painters.

There are a lot of theatres in Moscow. The best – known of them is the Bolshoi Opera House, but drama theatre and studios are popular too.

Moscow has the oldest Russian university, founded in 1755 by Lomonosov. Its new building was opened in 1953. It is 32 storeys high.

The Metro, opened in 1935, is being constantly extended. Now it has 200 stations and is also 340 kilometers long. It is one of the tourist attractions of the Russian capital.

Moscow is the seat of the Russian parliament (the Duma) and the centre of the political life of the country.

Читайте також:

<== попередня сторінка	\|	наступна сторінка ==>
Answer the questions.	\|	Match column A with column B.

Не знайшли потрібну інформацію? Скористайтесь пошуком google:

Генерація сторінки за: 0.005 сек.