С omplete the sentences using the words from the box in the necessary form.

a. time machine	b. be devoted	c. represent	d. be designed
e. interior items	f. consolidate	g. cornices	h. be built
i. ancient(2)	j. available

1. The wide variety of the ¹ ______ cultures that developed on the territory of modern Russia is well represented, with highlights including Scythian gold figures, ² _____ masks from the Altai and the Turmanskiy Sarcophagus

2. History and Local History Museums.

3. The exhibits are not labeled in English, although there are English-language guide books and videos ³ ______ in the lobby.

4. Unfortunately, no ⁴ ______ has been discovered as yet but you can always go to a history museum.

5. This is the largest history museum in Russia, and it ⁵ ______ the country’s history from the ⁶ _____ times until present.

6. There are a lot of history museums in Moscow, which ⁷ ______ both to history on the whole and certain territories or events.

7.  A mass of jagged towers and ⁸______, it is a typical example of Russian Revivalism, the Eastern equivalent of the Neo-Gothic movement.

8.  It ⁹ ______ by architect Vladimir Sherwood on the site of the old Pharmacy Building, which was the original home of the Moscow University.

9. The museum was opened in 1894, to mark the coronation of Aleksander III, and was the result of a 20-year-long project ¹⁰ ______ various archaeological and anthropological collections into a single museum.

10. During the Soviet period, many frescos and ¹¹ ______ were painted over or destroyed yet now their original looks have been restored.

Match the words and definitions

1. issue	a. to become one large unit
2. restore	b. very old
3. imposing	c. to find out something that you did not know before
4. represent	d. the inside part of something, especially a building or vehicle
5. consolidate	e. to cause a particular situation to exist again, especially a positive one
6. interior	f. to be a sign or symbol of something
7. ancient	g. large and impressive
8. discover	h. a subject that people discuss or argue about, especially relating to society, politics

Read and translate the text.

Everyone is likely to have his or her own favorite historic period of the past, and many people would like to have a chance to see what was happening there with their own eyes. Unfortunately, no time machine has been discovered as yet but you can always go to a history museum. There are a lot of history museums in Moscow, which are devoted both to history on the whole and certain territories or events.

STATE HISTORICAL MUSEUM

This is the largest history museum in Russia, and it represents the country’s history from the ancient times until present. The museum was founded according to the order issued by Emperor Alexander II in 1872. The museum building was designed with the use of components of ancient Russian architecture, and fits well into the Red Square ensemble. The museum interiors matched certain historic periods, were created by the example of frescos featured in well-known churches and prince palaces, and looked like standalone works of art. Artists such as Ivan Aivazovsky, Viktor Vasnetsov, Valentin Serov and Konstantin Korovin took part in their decoration. During the Soviet period, many frescos and interior items were painted over or destroyed yet now their original looks have been restored.

The imposing building that stands to your right if you enter Red Square through the Resurrection Gate is the State Historical Museum. The museum was opened in 1894, to mark the coronation of Aleksander III, and was the result of a 20-year-long project to consolidate various archaeological and anthropological collections into a single museum that told the story of the history of Russia according to the latest scientific methodology.

The building, which prompts mixed aesthetic reactions, is undeniably impressive. A mass of jagged towers and cornices, it is a typical example of Russian Revivalism, the Eastern equivalent of the Neo-Gothic movement. It was built by architect Vladimir Sherwood (whose father was an English engineer, hence the very un-Russian surname) on the site of the old Pharmacy Building, which was the original home of the Moscow University.

The museum holds a supremely rich collection of artifacts that tell the history of the Russian lands from the Paleolithic period to the present day. Each hall of the museum is designed to correspond to the era from which the exhibits are taken. The wide variety of the ancient cultures that developed on the territory of modern Russia is well represented, with highlights including Scythian gold figures, funerary masks from the Altai and the Turmanskiy Sarcophagus, a unique mixture of Hellenic architecture and Chinese decoration.

Later displays focus on the history of Russia's rulers, with a number of historical paintings, court costumes, thrones and Carlo Rastrelli's silver death mask of Peter the Great. Many of the museum's halls are still closed for restoration work, but the museum is still well worth visiting, and makes for an excellent introduction to the history of Russia. Unfortunately, the exhibits are not labeled in English, although there are English-language guide books and videos available in the lobby.

The building also contains a restaurant, Red Square No. 1, and the Red Square Jazz Cafs. You can either see this as unchecked commercialism, or as a tribute to the inn that used to stand here, and was frequented by Peter the Great.

Opening hours: Daily from 11.00 to 19.00, closed on Tuesdays.

Address and contact information

Address: 1, Red Square, Moscow, 103012, Russia

Telephone: +7 (495) 292-40-19

Transport: Metro Stations Okhotny Ryad, Ploshad Revolutsii, Teatralnaya Ploshad