Complete the sentences with the words and word combinations.

a. a treasure house	b. is situated	c. preserved as
d. displayed	e. stretches for	f. are decorated with
g. under the supervision	h. was intended for	i. was built
j. was erected	k. the vast collection of

 

1. Inside the Armoury in its nine halls one can see ¹_______ armour, helmets, chainmails, sabres, swords, flint-locks and pistols.

2. The Palace ² ________ functions and it preserves its designation.

3. The Armoury was started as ³______ of the Great Princes of Moscow in the 14th century.

4. The Grand Kremlin Palace is carefully ⁴______ a unique collection of Russian architecture, painting, applied art and way of life.

5. The Armoury as we see it today ⁵______ in 1851by architect Konstantin Thon.

6. A special stone building ⁶______ to keep the treasures in one place and to save them from great Moscow fires.

7. It was constructed ⁷______ of architect Konstantin Thon.

8. The Halls ⁸_______ natural marble, granit, jasper, malachite, stucco moulding.

9. There are three rows of windows along the facade of the building which ⁹______ 125 meters from west to east.

10. The Armoury Chamber ¹⁰ _______ near the Borovitsky gate.

11. The exhibits ¹¹_______ in the Armoury are bound up with the history of the Russian multi-national state.

Imagine you are a tour guide, answer the tourist’s questions and translate the sentences from Russian into English.

Tourist:	Who is the architect of the GRAND Kremlin Palace?
Guide:	Кремлевский Дворец был построен под руководством Констатина Тона. Он был реконструирован много раз и в период с1838-1849 приобрел современный вид.
Tourist: Guide:	How many rooms are there? Во дворце 700 комнат, а длина фасада здания около 125 метров.
Tourist:	What are the Halls decorated with?
Guide:	Залы украшены натуральным мрамором, гранитом и яшмой.
Tourist:	What are the functions of the Palace?
Guide:	Дворец был предназначен для государственных и дипломатических приемов и он сохранил свои функции и по сегодняшний день.
Tourist:	Where is the Armoury Chamber situated?
Guide:	Оружейная палата находится рядом с Боровицкими воротами.
Tourist:	What exhibits are displayed there?
Guide:	Все экспонаты, выставленные в Оружейной палате, связаны с историей Российского государства. Вы сможете увидеть громадную коллекцию оружия, шлемов, кольчуг, сабель и мечей.

Act out as a guide answering the tourist’s questions.

Tourist:	What can I see in the Armoury?
Guide:	Государственная Оружейная палата – один из старейших музеев России - имеет почти пятисотлетнюю историю и содержит уникальное собрание декоративно-прикладного искусства, тесно связанное с историей Московского Кремля.
Tourist:	When was the Armoury founded?
Guide:	Первое упоминание об Оружейной палате Московского Кремля как о царской сокровищнице относится к 1508 году. Огромные исторические и культурные ценности Московского Кремля были собраны в единую сокровищницу, на основе которой в 1806 году был создан музей «Оружейная палата».
Tourist:	What are the main exhibits of the Armoury?
Guide:	Основу экспозиции составляют изделия из драгоценных металлов, предметы вооружения и парадного конского убранства, древние государственные регалии, парадная одежда и художественное шитье
Tourist:	How can I get to the museum?
Guide:	В музей удобнее всего добраться на метро. Ближайшая станция Александровский сад.

Write information for a Tourist Information website about the Armoury Chamber including information about public and private transport, working hours and prices (about 120 words) Use information below.

· The Armoury Chamber is open for public daily, except Thursday, from 1000 to 1800.

· Sessions: 1000, 1200, 1430, 1630.

· Admission fee to the Armoury Chamber - 700 RUB.

· Tickets for visitors under 16 are free of charge.

· Tickets are available:

- online (only full price tickets);

- in the museums' ticket office at the Aleksandrovsky Sad (Alexander Garden) 45 minutes before the session.

· Ticket office is open daily, except Thursday, from 930 to 1630. 15 May – 30 September from 900 to 1630.

Dear visitors! We would like to inform you, that the number of daily visitors is limited due to the capacity of the Armoury Chamber. Thus, purchasing tickets for a certain exhibit session does not guarantee you available additional free of charge tickets for the same session. ‘Free of charge’ tickets are provided on the day of the visit in accordance with a queue at the ticket office.

· Additional services:

- audio-guide (in Russian, English, French, German, Italian and Spanish);

- touch-sensitive terminals in exhibition halls with detailed information about the exhibits;

- guided tours.

· Accessibility and service for visitors with physical disabilities and health limitations at the Moscow Kremlin Museums.

· Amateur photography and video recording at the Armoury Chamber are not permitted.

Unit 5

The Diamond Treasure

Study the vocabulary.

1. precious [ˈpreʃəs] stones	- драгоценные камни
2. nugget [ˈnʌgɪt]	- самородок
3. Imperial [ɪmˈpɪərɪəl] household	- императорский двор
4. to mine	- добывать
5. inscription [ɪnˈskrɪpʃn]	- надпись
6. remarkable	- замечательный удивительный
7. to stud	- усыпать, усеивать
8. transparent [trænsˈpɛərənt]	- прозрачный
9. gem	- драгоценный камень
10. to adorn	- украшать
11. a  merchant [ˈmɜːʧənt]	- купец
12. a wreath [riːθ]-shaped diadem	- витая диадема
13. sumptuous [ˈsʌmptjʊəs] patterns	- роскошная, великолепная форма

 

2. Read and translate the sentences with the new words.

1. The Armoury contains the finest items from the Soviet state collection of precious stones and jewellery of great historical, artistic and financial value, and also gold and platinum nuggets.

2. The diamond was found in India in the sixteenth century and belonged to the ruler Ahmednaghar, as can be seen from the inscription in Persian dated 159l.

3. The stone is set in an openwork brooch studded with diamonds of different sizes.

4. The ivory green stone is completely transparent and has no natural defects.

5. According to the legend the diamond used to adorn a sculpture of Buddha in India until it was stolen by a French soldier.

6. In 1767 an Armenian merchant acquired the diamond from Persia and put it in a bank in Amsterdam.

7. The fourth largest diamond in the world, this greenish-blue gem is the subject of many a legend.

8. The Small Diamond Bouquet, a wreath-shaped diadem and ear-rings which form a set, remarkable for its rich colours and sumptuous patterns.

9. The collection was founded in 1922 on the basis of the crown jewels of the former Imperial household.

10.The exhibition opens with showcases of natural diamonds, mined in Soviet times.

3. Complete the sentences with the words from the box.

a. jeweler	b. mined	c. precious stones	belonged to
d. studded	e. gem	f. transparent	was created
g. a wreath-shaped diadem	h. decorated	i. inscription

 

1. The Small Diamond Bouquet, ¹_______ and ear-rings which form a set, remarkable for its rich colours and sumptuous patterns.

2. Two other ² _______ refer to changes of owner, the first being the dynasty of Grand Moguls in India.

3. The stone is set in an openwork brooch ³ _______ with diamonds of different sizes.

4. The historical section of the exhibition contains the "Seven Wonders" of the Diamond Collection, ⁴ _______ which are world famous.

5. It was found in India in the sixteenth century and ⁵ _______ the ruler Ahmednaghar.

6. The exhibition opens with showcases of natural diamonds, ⁶ _______ in Soviet times.

7. It is set in a gold bracelet ⁷ _______ with coloured enamel.

8. Under the diamond is a miniature portrait of Alexander I on the ivory. green stone which is completely ⁸ ______ and has no natural defects.

9. Through ⁹ ______ called Lazarev, Grigory Orlov (Orloff) bought it from there for 400,000 rubles and presented it to Catherine the Great on her name-day.

10. The illusion of live colour ¹⁰ _______ by the use of a special fastener for the gems.