Vocabulary

1. initially – первоначально

2. a paper-mill – бумажная фабрика

wall-paper – обои

3. editorial office – издательство

4. Factory of Coloured Printing – фабрика цветной печати

5. brewery – пивоваренный завод

6. central department store – центральный универмаг (ЦУМ)

7. to pave – мостить, покрывать (плиткой)

8. cast-iron fence – чугунная решетка

9. salvation – спасение

10. a high-way – магистраль, основная дорога

11. a waste-land – пустырь, свалка

12. generalissimo – генералиссимус

13. the white guards – белогвардейцы

14. the 1-st Mounted Army – Первая Конная Армия

15. rout – разгром

16. to render assistance – оказывать содействие

17. to electrify – электрифицировать

18. a blacksmith – кузнец

19. stuffed mammoth – чучело мамонта

20. a tsar – царь

a tsarina – царица

21 to revere – чтить

Exercises

1 Answer the following questions:

1. What streets were the main streets in Rostov?

2. What branches of industry were developed in a pre-revolutionary Rostov?

3. What buildings were constructed after Pomeranstev’s design ?

4. What other streets of Rostov (which were not mentioned in the text) had been named after the famous people who had lived or visited our city?

5. Choose any central street and tell about its history.

2 Speak on the following situations:

1 Imagine that you are a guide and make an excursion in the central part of Rostov.

2 Imagine that you have a time-machine: what old and famous places of our city would you like to visit.

3 Find some more information about any street or monument in Rostov. Imagine that you are a foreign architect who wants to visit a special place of interest in Rostov and write a book about it.

3 Group Discussion:

Imagine that you participate in the meeting of City Administration. The main problem on the agenda is reconstruction of the central part of Rostov: some of the old houses are to be dismantled in order to build

1. a hospital; c) a new bank office;

b) a five-star hotel; d) a Disney-land-type park.

Try to choose your role and your own position in every case.

TEXT 15

Rostov Theatres

The economic growth of Rostov at the end of the 19-th century accelerated the development of culture. The most prestigious cultural entertainment of that time was a theatre.

There were a number of wooden theatres in Rostov which were more like a booth. Then the history mentions The Asmolov Theatre.

In the 80-s the owner of a tobacco factory Asmolov constructed the first stone building for a theatre in Taganrogsky avenue. It was a very large building for about 1000 spectators and it served as a real decoration of the town. During 38 years of its existence (it burned down in 1920) it played a great role in the formation of Rostov theatrical public. The best plays both of Russian writers: Gogol, Griboedov, Ostrovsky, Chekhov and of the world classics were performed by many talented actors. One of its first directors was N.N. Sinelnikov, the Honoured Artist of Russia. Thanks to him the low-grade plays were not allowed for staging. Though after a dozen of years several other theatres were opened, Asmolov’s Theatre will stay in the history of Rostov for ever because it was the first real theatre and its input into the cultural life could not be underestimated.

Nowadays in Rostov there are several theatres: the Academic Drama Theatre named after M. Gorky, The Musical Theatre, The Philharmonic Society, The Youth Theatre and The Puppet Theatre. There are also some new groups which try their hand in modern art. For several years Rostov has been a centre of international theatre life. Every autumn dozens of theatres from all over the world come to our city to participate in the international festival of stage art – the Minifest.

Speaking about the Drama Theatre named after M. Gorky we can say that it is an architectural symbol of the city as well as Eifel Tower in Paris, the Kremlin in Moscow or Big Ben in London. The Theatre was built in 1935 according to the design of the academician V.A. Šchuko and the professor V.G. Gelfreich. They created an absolutely original building for the theatre: being influenced by the ideas of industrialization they gave a form of a tractor to the building. The building is the brightest monument to the so called style of the Soviet constructivism. Together with the St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow it was included into all the text-books in architecture. At the same time it is the largest theatre building in Europe. On the day of its opening the play «Revolt» by D. Furmanov was staged and had a great success among the spectators. In the 30-s the following great actors worked in it. A. Zavadsky, N. Mordvinov, V. Maretskaya, R. Plyatt, etc.

During the Great Patriotic War the theatre was severely damaged and even the idea of construction a pompous, tasteless building at its place was put forward. But then it was decided to restore the original theatre.

Nowadays there are more than 20 plays in the repertory of the theatre. Among them there are Shakespear’s tragedies. Chekhov’s plays as well as modern comedies. There are many talented actors in its group. The Rostovites like their unique theatre and are proud of it.