Khabarovsk

Khabarovsk is one of the largest cities in the Far East and the administrative center of the Khabarovsk Territory. It is located in the south of the region on the right bank of the Amur River, not far from the Ussuri River fall, and stretches for 28 miles. The city is located 30 km from the Chinese border. The area of the city is about 154 square miles. The population of the Territory is under 2 million, over 650 thousand live in Khabarovsk.

The history of Khabarovsk goes back to the 19-th century. Khabarovsk was founded as a small military settlement in 1858 after signing a treaty on new borders between Russia and China. Its first settlers were the soldiers of the 13-th Siberian Battalion under the command of Captain Dyachenko. The first name of the settlement was Khabarovka after the Russian pathfinder Yerofey Khabarov who discovered these lands in the 17-th century. The settlement obtained a city status in 1880 and was named Khabarovsk in 1893. The city had been a center of the Khabarovsk Territory since 1938 and in 2002 it obtained the status of the Russian Far East federal district administrative center.

Nowadays Khabarovsk is a major transport center, which connects remote Eastern parts of Russia with the CIS and Pacific Rim countries. Its railway station, international airport, Amur river port are the largest in the Far East and Siberia. The Transsiberian Railroad built in 1916 is over 6000 miles long. The convenient arrangement on the crossing overland, water and air ways makes the capital of the territory a powerful transport center, developing actively economic and trade, scientific and cultural international communications.

It will take you 8 hours to travel from Moscow to Khabarovsk in a modern airliner. The regular flights are open to the following cities: Niigata, Aomori (Japan), Seoul (South Korea), Guanchjow, Harbin (Peoples Republic of China), San Francisco (USA), Tel Aviv (Israel), Tashkent (Uzbekistan). During the summer period it is possible to reach China on the river high-speed vessels of the Amur River Shipping Company, and cargo and passenger vessels of the "river-sea" type are sailing in the ports of the countries of South East Asia. Khabarovsk has sister-cities: Niigata in Japan, Portland in the USA, Victoria in Canada, Harbin in People’s Republic of China.

Khabarovsk is an important industrial center of the region. The products of many enterprises are well known all over the world and exported to more than 50 countries, among them are Finland and Japan, Turkey and Bulgaria and others. Lately about 250 joint ventures, commercial banks and joint stock companies have been set up in the city. The important industry fields are: mechanical engineering, metallurgy, shipbuilding, processing of petroleum, electric power industry, medical and food-processing industry.

Unique nature and rich natural resources attract foreign investors. Russian partners are interested in foreign capital, advanced know-how and managerial experience of other countries.

Khabarovsk is one of the largest educational and scientific centers in the country. There are nearly 80 schools, 15 universities and academies in the city which train specialists in the field of engineering, transport, education, medicine, commerce and finance, state and military service.

Achievements in science are very considerable. Scientific Research Institutes are engaged in the comprehensive study of the Far Eastern ecological systems, processes in the earth's crust. The scientists work out the scientific basis for fishery and fish breeding, forestry and wood industry, geology and agriculture. The international, scientific congresses, conferences, symposiums on various aspects of human life are regularly held in Khabarovsk.

Modern Khabarovsk is rich in its talents: the actors and musicians of the drama, musical comedy, pantomime, young spectator and puppet theatres, symphonic orchestra, youth and folk ensembles, are always glad to welcome the city visitors. The city of developing culture, with a number of museums, parks, picture galleries, unique relics and editions of regional scientific library is always available for an active rest.

The Museum of Regional Studies founded in 1894 is a treasury of historical documents and exhibits. The Khabarovsk Art Museum founded in 1931 has the richest collection of original works of antique art and Renaissance, canvases by Rembrandt, Rubens, Monet. Art works by outstanding Russian painters Repin, Levitan, Polenov and others are on display there.

Khabarovsk is a center of tourism. Annually thousands of foreign guests visit our beautiful, picturesque city, as there is much interesting to see in it.

Ex. 5. a) Form derivatives from the following words using suffixes:

-tion, -ment

administrate, transport, connect, produce, educate, settle, ship, achieve;

-(i)al, -(ic)al, -ive

nature, culture, music, region, origin, center, education, commerce, manager, industry, ecology, history, attract, product;

-er/-or

manage, invest, export, paint, build, explore, found, command, transport, produce, carry, train, work, visit.

b) Form degrees of comparison:

large, rich, attractive, small, advanced, long, important, beautiful, interesting, many, picturesque, regular, considerable.

Ex. 6. Give three forms of irregular verbs:

break, bring, build, buy, choose, cost, cut, deal, drink, eat, feel, fly, freeze, give, hade, hear, hold, keep, leave, lose, make, mean.

Ex. 7. Give Russian equivalents for the following words and word-combinations:

the Chinese border; bank; in the south of the region; military settlement; remote regions; Pacific Rim Countries; pathfinder; shipping company; cargo; international communications; joint venture; joint stock company; natural resources; advanced know-how; puppet theatre; comprehensive study; forestry and wood industry; fishery and fish breeding; available for; treasury of historical documents.

Ex. 8. Express the following more concisely:

Model: wealth, supplies of goods, raw material, etc. which a person, a country has or can use - resources

1. District, area of land under one ruler or 1. terminal

government; 2. cargo

2. A land along each side of a river;

3. An establishment for keeping money; 3. territory

4. A process of settling people in a colony; 4. bank

5. A center used by passengers departing for, 5.settlement

or arriving from; 6. treasury

6. Goods carried in a ship; 7. exhibit

7. An undertaking belonging to two or more 8. know-how

persons together;

8. A number of persons who carry on a business 9. joint venture

with capital contributed by all; 10. annual

9. Faculty of knowing how to do something, 11. picturesque

practical ability contrasted with theoretical 12. Renaissance

knowledge; 13. joint stock

10. An object or collection of objects in a museum; company

11. A place where funds are kept;

12. A period of revival of art and literature in

Europe in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries;

10. Having the quality of being like the subject of

a painting, vivid, graphic;

10. Coming or happening every year.

Ex. 9. Put questions to the underlined words:

1. Khabarovsk is situated in the south of the region.

2. The military post was founded in 1858.

3. Khabarovsk connects the Far East with the CIS and Pacific Rim Countries.

4. Modern Khabarovsk is rich by its talents.

5. The Amur Shipping Company carries cargo to many seaports of our country and abroad.

6. Lately about 250 joint ventures have been set up in the city.

7. Unique nature of the region attracts foreign investors.

8. Russian partners are interested in foreign capital.

9. The scientists work out the scientific basis for forestry and wood-industry.

10. The Far Eastern Symphony Orchestra is well-known in many countries of the world.

11. The Khabarovsk art museum has the richest collection of works of art.

12. Art works by outstanding Russian painters are on display there.

13. Annually thousands of foreign guests visit our beautiful city.

Ex. 10. Translate the following sentences from Russian into English.

1. Хабаровск - один из крупнейших городов Дальнего Востока.

2. Хабаровск расположен на правом берегу реки Амур.

3. Население города 650000 человек.

4. Военное поселение было основано в 1858 году солдатами капитана Дьяченко.

5. Военный пост Хабаровка был преобразован в город Хабаровск в 1893 году.

6. Хабаровск - главный транспортный центр. Он соединяет отдалённые районы Восточной Сибири и Дальнего Востока со странами СНГ и АТР.

7. Транссибирская магистраль была построена в 1916 году.

8. В летнее время в Китай можно добраться на речных судах.

9. Продукция многих промышленных предприятий Хабаровска известна во всём мире.

10. За последнее время в городе создано много акционерных обществ и около 250 совместных предприятий.

11. Зарубежных инвесторов привлекают уникальная природа и богатые ресурсы Дальнего Востока.

12. Российские бизнесмены интересуются управленческим опытом и передовыми технологиями зарубежных стран.

13. Научно-исследовательские институты занимаются всесторонним изучением экологической системы Дальнего Востока.

14. В Хабаровске регулярно проводятся научные конференции, симпозиумы и семинары.

15. Учёные разрабатывают основы лесной и лесоперерабатывающей промышленности, геологии и сельского хозяйства.

16. Художественный музей, основанный в 1931 году, имеет богатейшую коллекцию подлинников художников эпохи Возрождения.

Ex. 11. Insert prepositions where necessary:

1. Khabarovsk is one ... the largest cities ... the Far East. It is situated ... the South ... the region ... the right bank ... the Amur and stretches ... 28 miles.

2. The population ... the territory is ... 2 million, ... 650000 live ... Khabarovsk.

3. ... the 19th century Khabarovsk was a small military settlement founded ... the soldiers ... the 13-th Siberian Battalion ... the command ... Captain Dyachenko.

4. Khabarovsk is a major transport center, which connects remote Eastern parts ... Russia ... the CIS and Pacific Rim Countries.

5. The city had been a center of the Khabarovsk Territory … 1938 and … 2002 it obtained the status … the Russian Far East federal district administrative center.

6. Universities and academies ... the city train specialists ... the field ... engineering, transport, education, medicine, commerce and finance.

7. Scientific Research Institutes are engaged ... the comprehensive study ... the Far Eastern ecological systems, processes ... the earth's crust.

8. The scientists work ... the scientific basis ... fishery and fish breeding.

9. The Khabarovsk Art Museum founded ... 1931 has the richest collection … original works ... antique art and Renaissance, canvases ... Rembrandt, Rubens, Monet.

10. Art works ... outstanding Russian painters are ... display there.

11. The city … developing culture, … a number of museums, parks, picture galleries, unique relics and editions … regional scientific library is always available … an active rest.

Ex. 12. Answer the following questions:

1. What is Khabarovsk?

2. Where is it situated?

3. What is the population of Khabarovsk?

4. When was the military post of Khabarovka founded?

5. Who founded the military settlement?

6. What is the significance of the city as a transport center?

7. What countries does the Khabarovsk Aeroflot Company connect?

8. What is the productive potential of the industrial enterprises of the city?

9. What are Russian and foreign businessmen interested in?

10. What specialists do the universities and academies of Khabarovsk train?

11. What research problems are the scientists of the city engaged in?

12. Are the theatres of Khabarovsk known in Russia only?

13. When were the museums of Khabarovsk founded?

14. What exhibits are displayed in the Art Museum?

15. Why do foreign guests come to visit Khabarovsk?

Ex. 13. Speak on the following:

1. Foundation of Khabarovsk.

2. Khabarovsk is an Administrative Center of the Territory.

3. Khabarovsk is a Transport Center.

4. Science and Education in the City.

5. Khabarovsk is a Center of Tourism.