Task IX. Think of some more questions about the Russian Federation and then ask your groupmates to give you extensive answers. Report your results.

Task X. Check how well you know Russia by deciding which of the following alternatives is most likely to be true:

1. The Russian Federation covers about … of the world’s land surface.

a. one-sixth b. one-eighth c. one-third d. one-fifth

2. The Russian republic was established immediately after the Russian Revolution of 1917 and became a union republic in ….

a. 1922 b. 1918 c. 1919 d.1921

3. To the southwest and west Russia borders on …, as well as Finland and Norway.

a. Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia, and Estonia

b. North Korea, China, Mongolia

c. Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Georgia

d. all of the above

4. On the basis of geologic structure and relief, Russia can be divided into two main parts – western and eastern – roughly along the line of ….

a. the Urals b. the LenaRiver c. the YeniseyRiver d. the Ob River

5. This relief region is the smallest of Russia’s relief regions, lies in the northwestern part of European Russia between the Finnish border and the White Sea.

a. The Kola-Karelian region c. the Ural Mountains

b. The Russian Plain d. the Central Siberian Plateau

6. What is the highest point in Russia (5,642 m)?

a. MountNarodnaya c. MountYamantaw

b. Mount Elbrus d. KosvinskyMountain

7. LakeBaikal is located in the … part of eastern Siberia within the republic of Buryatia and Irkutsk oblast (province) of Russia.

a. western b. northern c. eastern d. southern

8. Nearly one-tenth of Russian territory is …, a treeless, marshy plain.

a. taiga b. steppe c. wooded steppe d. tundra

9. … constitute more than four-fifths of the total population and are prevalent throughout the country.

a. East Slavic speakers c. Turkic speakers

b. Finnic peoples d. Caucasian speakers

10. Nonferrous metals are available in great variety from many districts, but by far the most important are those of …, which is Russia’s main centre of nonferrous metallurgy.

a. Siberia c. Central Black Earth region

b. Kola Peninsula d. the Ural region

11. Moscow is the … largest city in the world.

a. sixth b. eighth c. seventh d. ninth

12. What is a traditional Eastern European (mainly Russian) dish usually made with minced meat filling, wrapped in thin dough?

a. Kotlety b. Pelmeni c. Studen´ d. Lapsha

13. … is the largest one in Europe. Its area makes 18 400 square kilometres, average depth is 51 metres, the largest one is up to 23 metres.

a. LakeBaikal b. LakeLadoga c. LakeOnega d. LakeSeliger

14. … are considered to be one of the first mountains in the world.

a. The Urals b. The Altai c. The Caucasus d. BaikalMountains

15. Moscow and St. Petersburg are three hours ahead of London time and … hours ahead of New York.

a. six b. four c. seven d. eight

16. The Coat of Arms of … depicts a horseman with a spear in his hand slaying a basilisk and is often identified with Saint George and the Dragon.

a. Moscow c. Saint Petersburg

b. Nizhniy Novgorod d. Kaliningrad

17. … was built to commemorate the victory of the Russian army over Polish invaders in 1612.

a. The Verkhospassky Cathedral

b. The Cathedral of the Kazan Icon of the Holy Virgin

c. The Cathedral of the Archangel

d. The Patriarch’s Palace

18. …, known as Zatishye until 1938, is a city in the Moscow Oblast, which is located 58 kilometres east of Moscow and has a population of 146,294. It is a centre of metallurgy and building of heavy machinery.

a. Elektrogorsk b. Elektrougli c. Elektrostal d. Elista

19. The Russian parliament, termed the …, consists of two chambers, the Lower Chamber and the Upper Chamber.

a. State Duma c. Federal Assembly

b. Council of Federation d. Supreme Court

20. The second President of Russia was … – he was elected for a first term on 26 March 2000 (inaugurated on 7 May) and re-elected for a second term on 14 March 2004 (inaugurated on 7 May).

a. Boris Yeltsin c. Mikhail Gorbachev

b. Vladimir Putin d. Dmitry Medvedev

21. The President has a special copy of the Russian Constitution that is used ….

a. during the inauguration

b. on special occasions

c. during presidential term

d. to represent Russia in international relations

22. Russia emerged as a great world power during the reign of …, who built Saint Petersburg as Russia’s new ‘window on the West’ and moved the seat of government there in 1712.

a. Yuri Dolgoruki c. Dmitry Pozharsky

b. Dmitry Donskoy d. Peter the Great

23. In his first address to the Russian Parliament on 5 November 2008, D. Medvedev proposed to change the Constitution of Russia in order to....

a. to reform the civil service system

b. increase the terms of the President and State Duma

c. set up the Historical Truth Commission

d. to inject large funds from the state budget into the markets to stabilize the financial situation

24. When do the Russians celebrate Independence Day?

a. 12 December b. 1 September c. 12 June d. 12 July

25. According to the Constitution the President of Russia is elected for …

a. a four-year term c. a six-year term

b. a five-year term d. a two-year term

26. Russian composer … composed the world’s most famous works of ballet – ‘SwanLake’, ‘The Nutcracker’, and ‘Sleeping Beauty’.

a. P. Tchaikovsky c. S. Rachmaninoff

b. A. Scriabin d. D. Shostakovich

27. In recent years the national hockey team has re-emerged as a hockey superpower, winning gold medals in the 2008 and 2009 world championships, and overtaking … as the top ranked ice hockey team in the world.

a. the USA b. Canada c. Sweden d. Finland

28. Dostoyevsky called this city “The most abstract and intentional city in the world”, emphasizing its artificiality, but it was also a symbol of modern disorder in a changing Russia.

a. Moscow b. Semipalatinsk c. Omsk d. Saint Petersburg

29. … is considered to be the greatest medieval Russian painter of Orthodox icons and frescoes.

a. Daniil Chyorny c. Andrei Rublev

b. Ivan Aivazovsky d. Dionisius

30. Which of these museums is situated in Moscow?

a. The NationalMuseum of Russian Fine Art

b. The cruiser Aurora

c. PushkinMemorialMuseum

d. The State Hermitage

 

Task XI. Try to give an adequate translation of the following sentences:

1. Российская Федерация–самая большая по площади страна мира, расположенная на востоке Европы и севере Азии.

2. Берега России омываются 12 морями, принадлежащими бассейнам 3 океанов.

3. На северо-западе России лежит самое крупное из европейских пресноводных озер, Ладожское.

4. Из традиционных религий на территории России исповедуются христианство в форме православия, ислам, в меньшей степени иудаизм и буддизм.

5. Согласно конституции, главой государства является президент, избираемый на 6 лет. Президент является также Верховным главнокомандующим Вооруженными силами РФ.

6. Законодательную власть осуществляет Федеральное Собрание – Парламент, состоящий из двух палат: Совета Федерации (верхняя палата) и Государственной Думы (нижняя палата).

7. Исполнительную власть осуществляет Правительство. Система федеральных органов исполнительной власти включает федеральные министерства, федеральные службы и федеральные агентства.

8. Государственный бюджетв РФ обеспечивает функционирование государства на трех уровнях: общегосударственном, федеральном (бюджеты 89 субъектов федерации) и местном.

9. На конец апреля 2009 года в России официально зарегистрировано 15 партий, из них в Государственной Думе представлены четыре: Единая Россия, КПРФ, ЛДПР и Справедливая Россия.

10. Россия проводит многовекторную внешнюю политику. Она поддерживает дипломатические отношения со 178 странами, имеет 140 посольств. Внешняя политика России определяется Президентом страны и осуществляется Министерством иностранных дел.

 

C. Follow-up Activities

Task XII.Share your opinions on the following:

1. Which do you think are the most important Russian achievements?

2. Do you see any drawbacks in the Russian political system? What are its strengths?

3. Which parts of your country are most in need of protection and development: cities or the countryside? Give reasons for your decision.

4. What are at least three areas in which Russia leads the world?

 

Task XIII. Comment on the quotation:

“We need to develop respect for our history, despite all of its flaws, and love for the Fatherland. We need to pay the utmost attention to our common moral values and consolidate Russian society on this basis. I think that this is an absolute priority.” Vladimir Putin, Russian Prime Minister

 

D. Optional Reading

Daily Life and Customs

During the Soviet era most customs and traditions of Russia’s imperial past were suppressed, and life was strictly controlled and regulated by the state through its vast intelligence network. Beginning in the 1980s, Mikhail Gorbachev’s reforms eased political and social restrictions, and common traditions and folkways, along with the open practice of religion, began to reappear.

Many folk holidays, which are often accompanied by traditional foods, have gained popularity and have become vital elements of popular culture. Festivities generally include street carnivals that feature entertainers and children in traditional Russian dress. Boys usually wear a long-sleeved red or blue shirt with a round, embroidered collar, while girls wear a three-piece ensemble consisting of a red or green sarafan, a long-sleeved peasant blouse, and an ornate kokoshnik.

Maslyanitsa, the oldest Russian folk holiday, marks the end of winter; a purely Russian holiday, it originated during pagan times. During Maslyanitsa (‘butter’), pancakes – symbolizing the sun – are served with caviar, various fish, nuts, honey pies, and other garnishes and side dishes. The meal is accompanied by tea in the ever-present samovar.

Baked goods are ubiquitous on Easter, including round-shaped sweet bread and Easter cake. Traditionally, pashka, a mixture of sweetened curds, butter, and raisins, is served with the cake. Hard-boiled eggs painted in bright colours also are staples of the Easter holiday.

The Red Hill holiday is observed on the first Sunday after Easter and is considered the best day for wedding ceremonies. In summer the Russian celebration of Ivan Kupalo centres on water, and celebrants commonly picnic or watch fireworks from riverbanks.

Another popular traditional holiday is the Troitsa, during which homes are adorned with fresh green branches. Girls often make garlands of birch branches and flowers to put into water for fortune-telling. In the last month of summer, there is a cluster of three folk holidays – known collectively as the Spas – that celebrate honey and the sowing of the apple and nut crops, respectively.

Russia also has several official holidays, including the Russian Orthodox Christmas (January 7), Victory Day in World War II (May 9), Independence Day (June 12), and Constitution Day (December 12). Women’s Day (March 8), formerly known as International Women’s Day and celebrated elsewhere in the world by its original name, was established by Soviet authorities to highlight the advances women made under communist rule. During the holiday women usually receive gifts such as flowers and chocolates.

Although a wide array of imported packaged products are now found in Russian cities, traditional foods and ingredients remain popular, including cabbage, potatoes, carrots, sour cream, and apples – the principal ingredients of borsch, the famous Russian soup made with beets. Normally, Russians prefer to finish their daily meals with a cup of tea or coffee (the latter more common in the larger cities). Also popular is kvass, a traditional beverage that can be made at home from stale black bread. On a hot summer day, chilled kvass is used to make okroshka, a traditional cold soup laced with cucumbers, boiled eggs, sausages, and salamis.

The growth of the Russian middle class has generated dramatic changes in Russia’s lifestyles and social customs. Travel abroad has become popular, and consumption, particularly of imported luxury goods, has increased. Many wealthy individuals have purchased private land and built second homes, often of two or three stories. Russia’s middle class has adopted values that are distinctly different from Soviet practice. The new values include self-reliance and viewing work as source of joy and pride; the middle class also tends to avoid political extremes, to participate in charitable organizations, and to patronize theatres and restaurants. Estimates of the size of the middle class vary (as do definitions of it), but it is generally assumed that it constitutes about one-fourth of Russian society, and much of that is concentrated in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other urban areas.

The rebirth of religion is another dimension of the changed lifestyles of new Russia. Although a majority of Russians are nonbelievers, religious institutions have filled the vacuum created by the downfall of communist ideology, and even many nonbelievers participate in the now-ubiquitous religious festivities.

Encyclopedia Britannica