The history of the kirov city

ushkuinics - ушкyйннки yokе - иго pirate - пираты merchant - купец bear skin – медвежья шкура chronicle - хроники, летопись consider - рассматривать hill - холм prove - оказываться build over - застpаивать fortress - крепость to unite - объединять

to subordinate - подчинять to include - включать to collapse - рушиться original - первоначальный principal town - главный город province - губерния order - приказ exile – ссылка outstanding – выдающийся to celebrate – праздновать anniversary – годовщина used to – привыкли

Kirov is one of the old Russian cities. At different times the city had various names_ For 300 years it had been called Khlynov, for another 200 years the city had been named Vyatka.

The town was founded by "ushkuinics" from Novgorod in the 13th century during the times of Mongolian-Tatar yoke. Ushkuinics were river pirates and merchants. They were called so because "ushkui" was the name for their boats made of bear skins.

Then the town was named Vyatka according to the river it stood on. And the first record of this fact was made in chronicles in 1374. It is this year that is considered to be the foundation date of our city.

Being a small town first, Vyatka was situated on one hill only on the left bank of the Vyatka river, then 3 hills proved to be built over and now they are 7, that's why the city is now called “the town on seven hills".

In I457 the town was named Khlynov. This name was given to a fortress or Kremlin built against Moscow wanting to unite the lands. Later it began to be applied to the whole town. Finally in 1489 the town was subordinated to Moscow and included to the Russian Moscow State.

When at the end of the eighteenth century the Kremlin collapsed, the original name Vyatka was returned to the town. It happened in I780. In 1784 it became the principal town of the province by order of Catherine the Second.

Vyatka was a small provincial town with dirty narrow streets and small wooden houses. It was a place of exile for many outstanding people. Among them were democratic writers Hertzen, Korolenko, Saltykov-Shchedrin, architect Vitberg and other famous people.

In 1934 the town was named after S.M.Kirov, one of the leaders of the Revolution, who was born in the small town of Urzhum not far from Vyatka. And this is still the present name of the city. In I974 the Kirovites celebrated the 600-th anniversary of their native city. But some historians consider the city to be even older than we used to think.

Ex.1. Learn to read the following words

Mongolian-Tatar yoke, pirate, chronicles, unite, principal, whole, century, original, Catherine, province, subordinate

Ex.2. Translate from Russian into English.

был основан, во времена монголо-татарского ига, назван по реке, первая запись в летописи, дата основания, объединить земли, подчинить Москве, Русское Московское государство, кремль разрушился, первоначальное название, губернский город, по приказу, назван в честь

Ех.З. Speak of the history of the city using the chronicles.

13в. - основан ушкуйниками, назван Вятка по реке

1374 - первое упоминание в летописи

1457 - назван Хлынов по крепости-кремлю

1489 - включен в состав Русского Московского княжества

1780 - снова переименован в Вятку

1784 - стал губернским городом по приказу Екатерины II

1934 - назван Киров в честь С.М.Кирова

1974 -600-летняя годовщина

Ех.4. Вставьте глагол to be в нужном времени.

Theatre Square... the centre of the city. It... 200 years old. Before the 18th century there... a waste ground (пустырь) here at the earthworks (земляные укрепления) of the town. Then there ... a town trading centre. The Vyatka merchants sold grain (зерно), flour (мука) and bread here, and that’s why its first name ... Bread Square. In 1877 the theatre... built and the square became the cultural centre. So the name Theatre Square ... more than 100 years old.

Ex.5. Поставьте глагол в скобках в страдательный залог.

The Musical Fountain (build) in 1976. It (to make up) of 25 compositions of600 jets (струя). The Fountain (to light) by 72 lamps. The Musical Fountain (to surround) by a green public garden. The building of School No 22 (to situate) opposite the Fountain. Before the Revolution the Mariinsky Gymnasium (to house) in this four-storeyed building at the corner. It (to found) more than 130 years ago. At those times the building (to compose) of only one storey. The school (to patronize) by the Empress herself. Only daughters of rich townspeople of Vyatka (to educate) here.