Introduction

This textbook is designed for 2^nd years students and contains the reading materials on the various topics devoted to geographical position, history, culture and sports life of Ukraine. In recent years European and world community have become interested in our country and our citizens in particular. The reason of it lies in self-determination of Ukraine and Ukrainians. Our cultural and historical heritage deserves thorough analysis and study. The textbook covers four text entitled: ‘Tavriya as the Ukrainian tourist Klondike’, ‘Anna of Kyiv, Queen of France’, ‘Eternity in Fragility’, ‘Euro 2012 in Ukraine and Poland’. Each text has various types of activities oriented on development of reading, speaking and writing competences while involving critical thinking and creative potential.

Text 1 Tavriya as the Ukrainian tourist Klondike

Lead-in

1. Before reading the text answer the following questions:

• What landscapes are peculiar to Ukraine?

• What natural spots can you suggest to visit in your country?

• What is the level of tourism development in Ukraine? Is it profitable to invest money into this field of home economy?

2. Read the title of the article. Why does the writer describe Tavriya as the “Ukrainian tourist Klondike”? Skim the text and check.

The word Tavriya is usually used in Ukrainian in reference to the Crimea, but in fact it implies a wider southern geographical area — the Black Sea, the Azov Sea, the Lake of Syvash and the artificial sea of Kakhovka and their shores are all parts of Tavriya. A group of journalists recently went on a tour around Tavriya, courtesy of the National Tourist Organization of Ukraine. They had ample chances to enjoy the gorgeous sights of the Askaniya-Nova Natural Preserve, to walk through the fields of wild flowers, to sunbathe on the beaches of Hola Prystan, to eat the sweetest melons in the world, and to sample fragrant wines and fine cognacs. All of it in one province of Tavriya – Kherson Oblast.

Back in 1952, a new town began to be built in close proximity to a new hydroelectrical power station in the southern riches of the Dnipro River. A layer of sand was removed from an area covering 250,000 square meters and was replaced with the chernozem – black soil. The town was given the name of Nova Kakhovka and fifty years later it became a tourist centre.

It is in the land of Khersonshchyna that the Tavriya Cognac Distillery is situated. Its refined cognacs are enjoyed and known not only in Ukraine. The journalists on the tour of Khersonshchyna were invited to try the Tavriya cognacs – Kherson, Tavriya and Imperial, and the tasting ceremony was an unqualified success. Imperial cognac was voted the best.

The journalists were also taken on a pleasure ride on board of a huge catamaran. Among other places they visited were several islands (there are too many of these islands to see all of them – and all of them are gorgeously beautiful). Local tourist companies offer “fish tours” to these islands, and the journalists did witness great catches of all kinds of fish, crayfish included. Fish soup cooked over the open fire on the beach tastes absolutely great!

Those who prefer to have their meals in an eatery rather than on the beach, are welcome to the Kazkova Dibrova (Fairy-Tale Grove) restaurant which offers delicious dishes of Ukrainian, Russian and Tartar cuisines. Incidentally, it is more than just an eatery – Kazkova Dibrova boasts a sort of a zoo and a meadow studded with sculptures straight from fairy tales.

The land of Khersonshchyna is known for its excellent wines. Perlyna stepu (Pearl of the Steppe) white dry wine has been in high demand in Ukraine for several decades now. At the Prince Trubetskoy Wine Facility all kinds of wines are made, but the best are dry and half-dry two to four year-old wines which have something of the steppe smell in them.

Tourists are also taken to ecologically clean places in the areas of southern Khersonshchyna. Hola Prystan is one of such places. Pristine nature, small, uninhabited green islands, clean beaches are excellent tourist attractions.

Oleshkivski pisky (Oleshkivski Sands) is another of tourist attractions. It is, in fact, a sort of a desert, “the biggest desert in Europe,” and crossing it may be fun. For more culturally and historically minded people the attraction can lie in the fact that several centuries ago, the Oleshkivska Cossack Sich was situated in the vicinity. The combination of wild nature and the historical site may prove to be luring for tourists with peculiar tastes.

Askaniya-Nova is a major natural preserve which is open now to tourism. Tourists take rides in buggies for a fee of only 15 hryvnyas to watch wild horses, antelopes, zebras and other exotic and not so exotic animals roaming the steppe overgrown with fragrant feather-grass. One of the things that is fully appreciated there is quietness and absence of any disgusting industrial or traffic noises. The tour of the preserve lasts up to two hours. Longer tours are planned to be introduced with picnics and lunches right in the steppe.

Arabatska Strilka is a spit projecting into the sea for 110 kilometres. Its width varies from 300 metres at its narrowest to 7 kilometres at its widest. It is one of the longest spits on the planet. On the east it is washed by the Azov Sea, and on the west by the Syvash Lake, whose water is too salty even for taking a swim in it.

There are all kinds of tall tales and legends about the spit. Archaeologists have yet to search it more thoroughly than they have done so far. A stele with a mysterious sign carved into it, was discovered on the spit some time ago. It tentatively dates to the second or third century B.C., and probably was left by the Sarmatians who once inhabited this area.

Ancient Greek amphorae were unearthed in the vicinity of the town Henichesk which in antiquity was a place where merchant ships stopped on their way from west to east, and from east to west. Catacombs and underground passages which are believed to have been dug centuries ago are also to be found in the vicinity of Henichesk. Archaeologists are uncertain about who dug them, when and why.

Curative mud and thermal springs, discovered there over twenty years ago, have not been put to any medicinal therapeutic use yet. Which is a shame, of course. It would surely pay to develop a tourist infrastructure in that area. Western visitors to Arabatska Strilka are impressed by the beauty of the place and express an opinion that the place has a great tourist potential. Investments are welcome — they will help turn Arabatska Strilka into a major tourist attraction, on a par with Cyprus or Turkey.

Tavriya is a potential tourist Klondike waiting to be invested in and developed.

3. Match geographical objects with their description:

1.Oleshkivski pisky (Oleshkivski Sands)	a) is a combination of pristine nature, small, uninhabited green islands, clean beaches.
2.Syvash Lake	b) is a spit projecting into the sea for 110 kilometres.
3.Arabatska Strilka	c) is a major natural preserve which is open now to tourism
4.Askaniya-Nova	d) is “the biggest desert in Europe”
5.Hola Prystan	e) is water reservoir, which water is too salty even for taking a swim in it.

Discussion

1. In groups, name three of the most interesting places worth visiting in Tavriya and justify your choice.

2. What is “eco-tourism”? Can Tavriya be proposed as the destination for eco-tourists?

Follow up

Divide into groups. Think about “the natural sites” of your region you may advise foreigners to visit. Organize your ideas into tour guides (map, booklet, advertisement, commercial, etc.).