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The Early History of Saint Petersburg

During the 17th and 18th centuries, Russia and Sweden were engaged in a series of struggles to gain power over areas inhabited by Finnish and Slavic nationalities from early times. The land upon which the city of St. Petersburg now sits fell to forces under Peter the Great during the Northern War (1700-21), which settled the issue once and for all. The city dates from May 27, 1703. On that day, Peter the Great ordered the construction of what is now known as the Peter and Paul Fortress near the mouth of the Neva River to protect the newly won region. The city takes its name from its patron, St. Peter, and not from the famous czar.

In 1712 Peter the Great decided to move the capital here from Moscow to facilitate contact with Europe. Hundreds of thousands of peasants, soldiers, and craftsmen were brought here to transform the uninhabited, marshy area to Peter's capital. To speed up construction the czar issued a special decree forbidding stone work anywhere else in the country for several years. Every barge that went down the Neva and every cart that entered St. Petersburg had to bring a certain number of building stones. Workers used these to lay the foundations of houses and to pave streets. Later, special brick factories were built.

The czar himself supervised the construction. A special office was built where architectural plans were drawn up. Over the years St. Petersburg has retained the harmony which characterises its layout through adherence to such planning. From this initial activity, a remarkable variety of architectural ensembles, churches, and memorials arose in what is today considered the historic section of St. Petersburg.

Exercise 2. Using the Internet resource http://www.amazon.com find a book Russia - Culture Smart!: the essential guide to customs and culture by Anna King MPhil. Read the Introduction to the book (pp. 8-9) and answer the questions:

1. What kind of country is Russia?

2. What are some stereotypical impressions of Russia?

3. What is unique, tragic and unpredictable in Russia?

4. What questions do travellers to Russia often ask?

5. What is the purpose of the book?

6. Who is the book for?

Exercise 3. Using the Internet resource http://www.amazon.com find a book Sunlight at Midnight: St. Petersburg and the Rise of Modern Russia by W. Bruce Lincoln. Read the Prologue of the book (pp. 1-11). Match the points with the page(s) where you can find this information:

Exercise 4. Read the Prologue of the book (pp. 1-11) again and write down the key information about each point above.

TEST

Choose the correct answer to fill in the gaps.

1. Cultural awareness recognises that we are all shaped by our cultural __________, which influences how we interpret the world around us, perceive ourselves and relate to other people.

a) interaction

b) history

c) background

d) attitude

2. With the globalisation of business, increased diversity in the workplace and multicultural emphasis in society, cultural __________ has become one of the most important business tools in almost every industry.

a) awareness

b) differences

c) assumptions

d) background

3. When working in the global commercial environment, knowledge of the impact of cultural __________ is one of the keys to international business success.

a) circumstances

b) community

c) attitude

d) differences

4. To a Westerner, personal space __________ can lead to discomfort, and the communicator may view a resulting step away as a sign of distrust.

a) interaction

b) violation

c) assumptions

d) taking

5. Each person is an individual, so try not to make ___________ about a person of another culture based on what you have learned.

a) violation

b) understanding

c) beliefs

d) assumptions

6. Cultural _____________ can hinder effective communication.

a) awareness

b) identity

c) barriers

d) background

7. Many of the __________ and class issues which were so much a feature of the British industrial landscape have been replaced by more modern business models - often heavily influenced by US thinking.

a) privacy

b) obligations

c) hierarchy

d) values

8. __________ is the idea or belief that one culture is superior to another.

a) Hierarchy

b) Acculturation

c) Ethnocentrism

d) Stereotype

9. In the United States, communicators tend to __________ direct eye contact with others during one-on-one communication, and make sporadic eye contact with an audience when communicating with large groups.

a) take

b) maintain

c) have

d) hold

10. Cultural __________ is being aware of the cultural differences in values, beliefs, behaviors and learning.

a) sensitivity

b) diversity

c) assumption

d) frame of reference

11. In previous years intercultural communication ___________ mostly a business concern.

a) is

b) has been

c) was

d) had been

12. As has already been pointed __________, British managers tend more towards generalisation than specialisation.

a) at

b) on

c) out

d) in

13. Be patient with __________ during intercultural communication.

a) each

b) other

c) others

d) any

14. The more you are aware of the diversity that can exist between people in Great Britain __________ tuned in to British culture you will become.

a) the more

b) more

c) the much

d) the most

15. Intercultural communication skills ___________ help you avoid misunderstandings and misinterpretations due to ineffective communication.

a) must

b) can

c) ought

d) need to

16. __________ use of first names is very typical in __________ US.

a) A... the

b) The... the

c) – … the

d) – … –

17. In comparison with many other cultures, relatively __________ preparation is done for meetings in the UK.

a) little

b) few

c) a little

d) a few

18. The British usually complain that there is no point having a meeting with the Germans because they __________ already __________ the outcome prior to the meeting.

a) had … decided

b) have … decided

c) were … deciding

d) did … decide

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