1. The enormous square............... the Alexander Gardens is Manezhnaya square.
2. The Manege building was constructed......... the fifth anniversary......... the victory
......... Napoleon......... the decree......... the Russian Emperor Alexander the First.
3. The structure was used........ first........ military parades.
4. In 1890 Nicolas the Second turned the building......... a riding school....... his troops.
5. Temporary exhibitions are held here all year.............
6. A modern shopping centre was built.......... Manezhnaya square.
7. Numerous cafes offer a good opportunity........ snack and rest.
8. Marshal Zhukov commanded the Soviet Army................ the 2nd World War.
9. The Soviet Army won a victory........... the Nazism.
10. The old buildings.......... the State Moscow University are located........ the opposite
side......... the square.
11. The new buildings of the University are situated....... another place. We’ll be able
to see them....... the end........ our excursion.
12. Now we are driving............. the Kremlin embankment.
13. The Moskva-river enters the capital........the north-west and flows........the
south-west covering 80 km............ the city boundaries.
The enormous square next to the Alexander Gardens is Manezhnaya (Riding) square and the large light-coloured building with 80 white columns is the Manege building. It was constructed by the fifth anniversary of the victory over Napoleon in 1817 by the decree of Russian Emperor Alexander the First (by French architect Betancourt). The
structure was used at first for military parades. In 1890 Nicholas the Second turned the building into a riding school for his troops. Nowadays it is one of the biggest exhibition halls in Moscow where temporary exhibitions are held all year round. The square was reconstructed and in 1997 a modern underground shopping and recreational complex, the largest in Europe, was opened there. It includes luxury shops, restaurants and numerous cafes offering a good opportunity for snack and rest.
If we look at the State Historical Museum from Manezhnaya Square we can see the monument to Marshal Georgy Zhukov in front of it. Marshal Zhukov during the 2nd World War commanded the Soviet Army, which defeated the German troops, went as far as Berlin and won a victory over the Nazism. The monument was erected in 1995 when the 50th anniversary of the victory in that war was celebrated.
On the opposite side of the Square you can see the old buildings of the State Moscow University, founded in 1755 by a special decree of the Russian Empress Elisabeth Petrovna, the granddaughter of Peter the First. A monument to Mikhail Lomonosov, the great scientist and founder of the University, was erected in the garden in front of the University in 1857. The new buildings of the University are located in another place of Moscow which is called the Sparrow Hills. We’ll be able to see them and get some more information about the State Moscow University at the end of our city tour. Now we’re going back to the coach to continue our excursion.
Now we are driving along the Kremlin embankment. On your right-hand side you see the panorama of the Kremlin with its beautiful buildings and cathedrals. On your left-hand side the Moskva-river flows. It is 502 km long. The Moskva-river enters the capital in the north-west and flows to the south-west, covering 80 km within the city boundaries.
Ex.5 Answer the questions to the text.
1. What is the name of the enormous square next to the Alexander Gardens?
2. What does the name of the square mean?
3. What is the historical background of the Manege building?
4. What events are held in the Manege building nowadays?
5. When was Manezhnaya square reconstructed and what was opened under the square?
6. What role did Marshal Zhukov play in the 2nd World War?
7. Where are the old buildings of the State Moscow University situated?
8. Who was the founder of the University?
9. How long is the Moskva-river in total and within the city boundaries?
Unit 13. The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.
Vocabulary File.
