The Museum of Regional Studies

The museum was opened on April 16, 1895. Alexei Kirillovich Kuznetsov was the founder and the first director of the museum. Many times the museum took part in different exhibitions Nischni Novgorod (1896), Pans (1900) to mention a few. It exhibited collections of mineralogy and ethnography. The museum's collaborators made a great research regional work. The visitors can learn much about the flora and fauna of the Chita region and its historical background at the museum.

Musical life of Chita

Russia is famous for its great composes all over the world. Our region is far from the centre of our country but music plays a very important role in the life of our people. The fact that our music groups visit not only great cities of Russia but foreign countries as well tells its own tale. Now there're a lot of orchestras and ensembles not only in Chita but in many other places of our region. The first ensemble of balalaika (a string musical instrument) was founded in our town in 1914. It was conducted by Victor Alexeyev and was a great success in Chita. In the 20s of the last century there were 11 different clubs in Chita and everyone had either an orchestra or an ensemble. The future composer Nikolai Budashkin began his activity in one of them.

When all Russian contests of musicians were held in 1929 our musician Nikolai Samoilov (a balalaika player) took the first place. The orchestra of the Chita Radio Committee was very famous and popular all over the region (to say nothing of Chita) for many years.

It is a well known fact that Russia is a land of songs. Gifted composers live not only in great Russian cities but in the most distant corners of our country as well. Zabaikalie is not an exception. 50 years ago the Zabaikalie Union of composers was founded. Now it includes many talented musicians whose works are very popular with the population of our region. Among them are A.M. Vasilkovsky, V.N. Volkov, L.G. Averyanov, P.P. Zubarev and many others.

The name of Oleg Lundstrem is known at present to millions of admires of jazz music. He began his music career in Chita.

Nowadays there are many ensembles and orchestras which play an active role in the development of music life in our region. They are Zabaikalsky Uzory (they are 25 years old now) and Molodye Kazachata, the Chikoisky and Urluk Choirs, the Ensemble of SibVO, the Orchestra of Folk Instruments conducted by E. Makovsky and others. These groups give concerts not only in our country and region but also abroad (France, Finland, Cyprus) where they are a great success. They have brought home a lot of diplomas and are invited to visit other countries.

In Chita music sounds not only in concert halls and the Philarmonic but in different clubs, educational institutions, streets and squares of the town.

Exercises

1. Read the words and make up sentences of your own with these words.

2. The word "balalaika" is borrowed from the Russian language. Do you know any other Russian words borrowed by the English language?

3. Read the text and speak about the facts that are new to you. What information on the topic "Music Life in Chita" can you add?

4. Say what the names of the following people are connected with?

5. Victor Alekseev, Nikolai Budashkin, Oleg Lundstrem, Nikolai Samoilov, Anatoly Vasilkovsky

6. Read the text again and make up 8-10 questions about Music life in Our Town and Region.