V.I. Surikov

The Russian province has always been rich in talents. And probably there is no place in Russia, which does not have its own famous fellow-townsman. Krasnoyarsk is not an exception. Vasiliy Ivanovich Surikov brought the world fame to the provincial Siberian town at the end of the last century. He was born here in 1848 in the old Cossack family. The Great Russian painter became a classic already in his life-time. His pictures «The Morning of Strelets Execution», «Menshikov in Beryozov», «Boyarynia Morozova», «Ermak Subjugation of Siberia», «Stepan Razin» and «Suvorov Crossing the Alps» became the pride and decoration of the best world museums.

After graduating from the Academy of Arts he settled in Moscow, but he did not forget Krasnoyarsk. Dozens of times he arrived at his home town with his easel, walked along its environs, went to Siberian villages, drew his fellow-countrymen, made sketches of his future pictorial canvases. He painted one of his most famous pictures- «Capturing of a Snowfortress» in his parents' house, which is preserved by Krasnoyarsk people until the present time. In 1948 on 100-years anniversary of the painter's birth his two-storeyed residence became the memorial museum-estate of V.I. Surikov. The traditional Surikov Days are held in his memorial museum, where one can listen to the old songs and ballads that the painter liked.

In the honour of Surikov a street, Krasnoyarsk Children Art School, the Art College and the Art Museum are named. The latter has more than 7000 exhibit items. The collection of this museum consists of modern graphics, paintings, sculpture and decorative art. It includes a unique collection of the artist's masterpieces, which numbers 84 works.

The contemporary Krasnoyarsk painters became the continuers of realistic traditions of their famous fellow-townsman. Exhibitions of fine arts are held monthly in the exhibition halls of the Territory. Exhibitions of Krasnoyarsk painters have become traditional in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other cities of Russia, and abroad. For example, for the past ten years canvases of Krasnoyarsk painters have been exhibited in France, Japan, Germany, Finland, and other countries. Nowadays one can speak with good reason about the existence of original Siberian classical landscape school the bright representatives of which live and work in Krasnoyarsk. That's why it is by no means accidental that in 1987 the Art Institute was opened in Krasnoyarsk, and a year later – the Siberian-Far East department of the Academy of Arts.

Exercises

10. Find in the text English equivalents to the following expressions:

Принести мировую славу; провинциальный город; стать классиком при жизни; стать гордостью и украшением лучших мировых музеев; гулять по окрестностям; делать наброски будущих картин; мемориальный музей-усадьба; выставки проводятся ежегодно; уникальная коллекция шедевров художника; говорить с уверенностью; стать продолжателем; выставочный зал; выставочные экспонаты; знаменитый соотечественник.

11. Choose any 5 word combinations from the previous exercise and use them in the sentences of your own.

12. Translate from Russian into English the following sentences:

1. Каждый город России имеет своих знаменитых соотечественников, и Красноярск не исключение.

2. Российская провинция всегда была богата талантами.

3. Выставки этого выдающегося художника уже стали традиционными в нашем городе.

4. В наши дни можно с уверенностью говорить о существовании устоявшихся культурных традиций города.

5. Красноярцы с гордостью хранят память о своем великом земляке.

6. Вне всякого сомнения, Красноярск является культурным центром края.

7. Многие современные художники стали продолжателями реалистических традиций великого русского художника В.И. Сурикова.

13. Make up 10 questions to the text. Work in pairs and let your partner to answer them.

14. Work in groups. Get ready to speak about your outstanding fellow-townsman Surikov:

Find in the Internet the reproductions of Surikov’s most famous pictures. Have you ever seen any of them? Do you know in what museums they are exhibited? What do you feel when you look at them? Share your ideas and impressions with your partners.

15. Tell about any famous person of Krasnoyarsk.

16. Guess the places of interest:

• It is situated near the embankment. It’s a large and beautiful building. Many exhibitions are held there.

• These are two buildings at Strelka. Here different concerts take place. Many famous people, actors and singers, perform here.

• It is a wonderful church, which is situated in the centre of the city. Some years ago it was an Exhibition Hall and now it is reformed.

• It is a place where you can play tennis or football. Very often different sport competitions take place here. This place is situated in the middle of the Yenisey on the Isle.

• It is a building which is situated in Mira Street. Here you can see many interesting musical plays.

17. Tell about a place in Krasnoyarsk you like. Why do you like it?

18. Put the sentences into the right order to have a dialogue:

1.They are really beautiful!

 What is it famous for?

 Yes, the residents of Krasnoyarsk like this place very much.

 By the way, what’s the building over there?

 I see…

 What is Strelka? Is it a building?

 I like it too. But the last question. Why is it named ‘Strelka’?

 It’s the CulturalHistorical centre. It’s a museum. Look! There you can see the Big Concert Hall and the Small Concert Hall.

Because here the Kacha flows into the Yenisey.

 It’s the place where there are many architectural monuments, different exhibitions and city holidays are held there.

A building? But it isn’t. It’s a wonderful place in Krasnoyarsk.

2.It’s a great city! Now I want to learn it better.

 You should see the chapel. It’s a symbol of our city. It’s there, on the hill. Can you see it?

 Thank you. Krasnoyarsk is an interesting city. I’m ready to go.

 Good luck!

 How do you like it?

 Oh, yes! I’ll go there.

 Oh, no. I was here 5 years ago. But I had no time to walk around the city and to see its sights. I saw only some of them.

 Yes, I am.

 Only the centre of the city, the Drama theatre, the Surikov museum and the embankment.

 Is it your first visit to Krasnoyarsk?

 Then you can visit the Organ Hall, the Pokrovskiy cathedral, the Theatre of Musical Comedy and other places.

 You are from Moscow, aren’t you?

 Can you tell me what you visited 5 years ago?

19. Make up your own dialogues «Walking around Krasnoyarsk». You can use some words and phrases from ex. 18. The following expressions will help you:

Asking the way:

• Excuse me. Can you tell me the way to ..., please?

• Could you tell me where the... is?

• Where are we now?

• How can I get to( the nearest)...?

• Where can I find...?

• How far is it?  Is it possible to walk there?

• It is not far from...(here)

• It is far from..(here)

• It will take you 10 min. to get there by bus/on foot

***

• Let's take a taxi. We must get on the bus.

• Where is the bus-stop?

• What bus should I take to get to the...?

• Where must I get off?

• Where should I change?

a) Your friend from America has come to visit you. Show him/her your city.

b) Your guest from England wants to see your city. He/she doesn’t know Russian and you don’t know English well. You ask your friend to help you. You walk around the city altogether.

20. Make up your own excursion round the city. Describe the route and name at least 10 places of interest. Start with some definite place but don’t name the final destination, let your group-mates guess it. The following word combinations will help you.

Start with the words: «Dear ladies and gentlemen, we start our excursion from …»

Useful words and word combination:

to go along

to go straight on

to go past

keep going until you get (to)

to turn to the left/right

(turn left/right)

Take the first/second turning on the right/left

on your left /on your right

cross (the road)

you can't miss it /you won't miss it

to start from ...

Stop at... and look at...

This is...

There is ... /There are...

It is worth visiting

I strongly advise you to... (visit this place)

Prepositions:

above

below

next to/beside /near/close to

in front of

opposite

behind

by

over