Russian writers

Perhaps the best known of the Russian writers is Leo Tolstoy. He was the son of rich landowner. His parents died when he was 9. He spent his time drinking and gambling and not caring about anything but pleasure. Then he went into the armv and fought in the Crimean War.

Tolstoy began writing stories first about the cruelty of war and then about the pride and selfishness of the Russian

nobles and the misery of the peasants. He wrote a very famous book called "War and Peace", which many people think is even better than "Crime and Punishment". In this book he describes Napoleon's invasion of Russia and the terrible retreat from Moscow in mid-summer. In 1910, when he was 82 years old, he left his home with his youngest daughter, meaning to leave the life of a penniless wanderer, but very soon he caught pneumonia and died.

Another Russian writer of 19th century is Ivan Turgenev. He was the son of landowner. Turgenev's famous novel "Fathers and Sons" is about a revolutionary. But he himself spent most of his life outside Russia, in Paris.

F. Dostoevsky spent 9 years in Siberia. Many people would say that long novel, "Crime and Punishment", the greatest novel ever written. Both this and his novel "The Brothers Karamazov", have been made into plays and films in English.

Русские писатели

Наверное, самый знаменитый из русских писателей - Лев Толстой. Он был сыном богатого землевладельца. Его родители умерли, когда ему было 9 лет. Он проводил время в кутежах и азартных играх, не заботясь ни о чем, кроме удовольствия. Затем он пошел в армию и участвовал в Крымской войне.

Толстой начал писать рассказы о жестокости войны, а затем о гордости и эгоизме русских дворян и нищете крестьян. Он написал знаменитую книгу "Война и мир", которая, как считают многие, лучше даже "Преступления и наказания". В этой книге он описывает нашествие Наполеона в Россию и позорное отступление из Москвы в середине лета. В 1910 году, когда ему было 82 года, он ушел из дома с младшей дочкой с желанием вести жизнь безденежного странника, но вскоре он заболел пневмонией и умер.

Другой русский писатель XIX века — Иван Тургенев. Он был сыном землевладельца. Знаменитый роман Турге­нева "Отцы и дети" повествует о революционерах. Но он провел большую часть жизни вне России, в Париже.

Ф. Достоевский провел 9 лет в Сибири. Многие счита­ют, что его очень длинный роман "Преступление и наказа­ние" — самый лучший из когда-либо написанных. По это­му и другому роману — "Братья Карамазовы" было по­ставлено много пьес и фильмов.

The British Painters (Joseph Mallord William Turner)

William Turner, a great romantic English landscape painter, was born in Devonshire in 1775. He lived with his uncle in Middlesex where he began to attend school. His first drawings are dated 1787, when he was only twelve years of age. His childish sketch-books, filled with drawings, are still preserved in the British Museum.

When he was 21, he began to exhibit oil paintings as well as water-colours at the Royal Academy. The first, "Fishermen at Sea" is now in the Gate Gallery.

He traveled much in France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy. But he never lost his interest in his own country.

As a landscape painter Turner was interested mainly in light and colour effects. One of his famous paintings is even called "Light and Colour". His work is high praised by great critics.

Turner died in London in 1851. His pictures and drawings became the property of the British nation.

William Turner is considered to be one of the world greatest painters.