The Memorial Days of the Great Patriotic War

 

When the Great Patriotic War broke in June 1941 the inhabitants of the Rostov region as well as all the citizens of the Soviet Union rose for the battle against the enemy. Everybody understood that Rostov being the gates to the Caucasus occupied a strategically important position and the fascists who were rapidly making their way through the country would try to conquer it. It was vitally significant not to allow them to realize their plans as many factories and plants were concentrated in and around the city. Besides the Rostov region provided the country and the army with agricultural products: wheat, meat and others. The workers and peasants of the Don land worked enthusiastically under the motto: «Everything for the front, everything for the victory!» Thousands of volunteers went to the front and heroically defended their Motherland. The Don Cossacks formed two Volunteer Divisions which were later transformed into the 5-th Don Cavalry Corps which made its glorious contribution into the liberation of the country from the Nazis.

For the first time Rostov was captured in November 1941 for a week-period. But the fascists met a strong resistance and had to withdraw their troops. The defeat of the Nazis on the Don land influenced on the result of the battle for Moscow: the fascists lost their initial assurance and the Russian people acquired a new impulse in their sacred struggle. For the second time the fascists entered the town in July 1942. Taking revenge for the undermining activity of the partisans who exploded bridges and annihilated the enemy soldiers the Germans tortured to death and executed about 40,000 people. During both occupations they destroyed more than half of the buildings, the beautiful town laid in ruins. But the inhabitants and the soldiers gave their word of honour to restore it. On February 14, 1943 Rostov was liberated and now this day is celebrated as a holiday. The first factory resumed its work already on February 18, on March 1 the town switched on the electricity.

The battle for Rostov made the turning point in the Great Patriotic War closer. The liberation was achieved thanks to the joint efforts of the Soviet Army, the heroic activity of 160 partisan detachments and underground organizations as well as the extraordinary courage and patriotism of the Don population. Recently Rostov-on-Don has been awarded an honourable name “The Town of Combat Glory”.

VOCABULARLY

1 to break a war – развязать, начать войну

2 the 5- th Don Cavalry Corps – Пятый Донской Кавалерийский Корпус

3 a sacred struggle – священная борьба

4 undermining activity – подрывная деятельность

5 to annihilate – уничтожать

6 to torture to death – замучить до смерти

TEXT 12                                                                                                                                                                                         

Rostov-on-Don in the 21-st Century

 

Rostov-on-Don is an administrative, cultural and industrial centre of a rich territory in the South of Russia – the Rostov Region. It is the capital of the Southern Federal District of the Russian Federation. It is one of the largest cities in the C.I.S. Its population exceeds 1 million.

Rostov-on-Don is situated on the right and left banks of the river Don. Rostov stands on the border line between Europe and Asia and one can move from one continent to the other simply crossing the bridge over the Don (for example, going to Bataysk).

When you enter the city from the side of the river Don you can see a high building which is decorated with the inscription «Rostov-on-Don» and two orders on its top. Rostov was awarded with the order of Lenin in 1970 for a great success in the development of numerous branches of economy and industry and especially of the agricultural machine-building. In February 1982 it got another order – The Order of the Patriotic War – for courage displayed by the citizens during the war years as well as cultural and economic achievements during the post-war period.

Rostov was founded on the 15-th of December, 1749 and at first it was meant to be a fortress. It was named after the metropolitan Dmitry Rostovsky and its functions were to defend the Southern borders of Russia against the numerous enemies. Rostov grew rapidly thanks to its advantageous geographical position. Being the largest fortress in the South of Russia the town has always played a significant role in its policy and economy. Apart from being a major port, where the vessels of Russian, Armenian, Greek, Italian and Turkish merchants arrived, it was an important strategic point.

After the construction of the Volga-Don Shipping Canal in 1952 Rostov became a port of five seas: the Black Sea, the Azov Sea, the Caspian Sea, the White Sea and the Baltic Sea. Modern river-to-sea-going vessels and imposingly looking ships make regular voyages from Rostov to the central part of Russia and to many Mediterranean ports.

Rostov is a large railway junction. Hundreds of trains run through Rostov to connect the heart of the country with the other parts of it. Rostov is called «The Gates to the Caucasus». The modern airport enables the passengers to reach almost all the cities of Russia, the C.I.S. and a number of foreign countries in the shortest period of time.

Many branches of industry are developed in Rostov: agricultural machine-building, food-processing, vessel- and helicopter-building, etc. Dozens of other factories and plants produce pianos and other musical instruments, foot-wear, refrigerators, wine and strong drinks, furniture, clocks and many other goods. The main branches of agriculture are vegetable- and wheat-growing, wine-cultivating, cattle-breedingand fishing. The Don horses are famous all over the world. The Rostov Region is rich in different vegetables and fruit. Its landscapes, sunny weather in summer, sand shores, sightseeings and picturesque nature attract touristsfrom all over the world.

The city has rich cultural traditions. The names of dozens of well-known figures of art, literature and science are connected with our city: they either lived or worked in Rostov or nearby: the writers A. Chekhov, A. Fadeev,    A. Kalinin, M. Sholokhov, V. Zakrutkin, the architect E. Vuchetich, the scientists A. Solzhenitsin and Y. Zhdanov,the actress V. Maretskaya, the composers Zaslavsky, K. Nazaretov and many, many others. Here Moussorgsky gave his concerts and Maxim Gorky, being a youth, worked as a docker. A great Russian actor Mikhail Schepkin performed in the thеatre and a celebrated explorer of the Arctic Seas Georgy Sedov dreamt about his expeditions. Rostov remembers its glorious sons: the doctors N. Bogoraz and S. Feodorov, the Armenian writer and enlightener M. Nalbandyan, the artist Sarayan, etc.

There are about thirty higher educational establishments, both state and commercial. The most prominent among them are the South Federal University, comprising the Teachers’ Training Institute, The Medical Institute, Academy of Architecture and other establishments, the Rostov State Transport University, The Don State Technical University, The Economy University, the Conservatoire named after Rakhmaninov and some other. They confirm Bachelor and Master Degrees to their graduates. Children can get secondary and professional education in various schools, colleges and gymnasiums which constantly enrich their curriculum with new subjects, technologies and progressive methods of education.

There are many libraries in Rostov. The South-Russian Public Library is the richest and largest in the North Caucasus. There are 4 theatres in the city: The Drama Theatre named after Maxim Gorky, the Musical Theatre, the Youth Theatre and the Puppet Theatre. Besides there is the Philharmonic Society, the Jazz Centre named after Kim Nazaretov, many music schools and art studios. The Rostovites are proud of their Art Gallery and the Museum of Arts which are not very big but their collections are really impressive and include some genuine works by such masters of Russian painting as Repin, Surikov, Perov, Levitan, Aivazovsky as well as of modern Rostov artists. In Rostov there are also 9 museums, 7 stadia, a Palace of Sports, a circus, a zoo and many beautiful parks. The Rostov Regional Local Lore Museum gives its visitors a good idea of Rostov and its surroundings – their history, culture, nature and the traditions and life of the Cossacks.

Today Rostov-on-Don is the site of the North Caucasian Science Centre. There are many research institutes and bureaus in our city which play an important role in the development of science due to its numerous talented scientists and international contacts.

The modern Rostov is a significant commercial centre as well: there are dozens of commercial banks, hundreds of joint stock companies, joint ventures and thousands of commercial shops in Rostov. Lately the central streets of the city have become especially beautiful and bright thanks to the attractive shop-windows and illumination.

Rostov has various and productive ties with the foreign countries. Many Rostovites study or work in the U.S.A., Great Britain, China, Belgium, Cyprus and other countries. Rostov has twin-cities relations with Glasgow (Great Britain), Dortmund (Germany), Leman (France), Pleven (Bulgaria), Antalya (Turkey) and some other cities. Almost every month a delegation from one of them visits Rostov in order to promote economic and cultural relations.         

All the visitors to Rostov mark its charm and special hospitality of the Rostovites who really love and take care of their city. We all hope that it will go on growing and become cleaner, greener and even more beautiful and prosperous.

VOCABULARY

1 apart from being... – будучи не только...

2 a vessel – судно          

3 a river-to-sea-going vessel  – теплоходы типа «река – море»

4 Mediterranean ports – порты Средиземноморья

5 railway junction – железнодорожный узел

6 agricultural machinery – сельхозмашиностроение

7 footwear – обувь

8 a helicopter – вертолет

9 a docker – грузчик в порту

10 an enlightener – просветитель

11 Conservatoire – Консерватория

12 a stadium (pl. stadia) – стадион

13 a joint venture – совместное предприятие

14 a joint stock company – акционерное общество

15 a twin-city – город-побратим

16 genuine – подлинный, истинный, настоящий

 

EXERCISES

1 Find the pairs of synonyms:

an artist, quickly, important, to give concerts, rapidly, celebrated, to perform, to be connected, well-known, a painter, significant, famous, to be associated with.

2 Match the pairs of antonyms:

              a centre                    false

              rich                          right

              clean                        poor

              genuine                    dirty

              left                           a suburb

 

3 Make the superlative degree of the following adjectives:   

   beautiful, rich, green, busy, large, significant, important.

4 Speak on the topics:

1 Rostov is a port of five seas.

2 Rostov is «The Gates to the Caucasus»

3 Rostov is an industrial centre.

4 Rostov is a cultural centre.

5 Rostov is the centre of science in the South of Russia.

6 Famous people whose life was connected with this city.

7 Rostov is a city of business.

 

 

TEXT 13

The Symbols of Rostov

 

In December 1996 Rostov’s Duma (Rostov’s Municipality) adopted the main symbols of our city: the coat-of- arms, the flag and the mayor’s decoration. They are meant to symbolize continuity among the former and present organs of local government and many generations of the citizens. The Rostovites can be really proud of them as glorious traditions of the past and present-day peculiarities are represented in their design.

The Coat-of-Arms

For the first time the coat-of-arms of Rostov was designed in 1811 and was approved by the tsar. But in 1904 some changes were made in it. Now there is only one picture left of that coat-of-arms painted in oil; it is kept in the Regional Local Lore Museum but nobody knows if it is exact or not.

In June 1996 Rostov’s Duma decided to adopt the variant of the coat-of-arms where the tower represents the St.Dmitry Rostovsky Fortress. The ancient Russian arms remember about the role which Rostov had played in the defense of Russian borders. The coat-of-arms is located now on the mayor’s decoration, all other cases of its use are considered by the Duma.

The Flag

The Flag is a sacred object for the city’s community. It was approved by the Duma on the 20-th of September 1864. At the end of the 19-th and the beginning of the 20-th centuries the home guard regiments which defended the Southern borders of Russia were formed under this flag.

The Flag of Rostov is kept in the building of the City Municipality and protected by the glass case. Its length is 1370 mm and the width – 850 mm. The Flag is taken out of the building only on the Victory Day and City’s Day by guard of honour.

The Mayor’s Decoration

This beautiful decoration which has an oval shape was introduced in 1870. On its front side in the centre there is the city’s coat-of-arms; at the top – the inscription «Rostov-on-Don» and at the bottom – «Mayor of the City». On its reverse side the day of adoption is written: «April 9, 1996».

Mayor’s decoration should be worn over the suit on a big chain. It is done of precious or semi-precious white metal. It should be returned to the Duma when the Mayor retires as it is the city’s property.

VOCABULARY

1 continuity – преемственность

2 mayor ’ s decoration – должностной знак мэра

3 sacred object – святыня

4 home guard regiments – полки народного ополчения

5 guard of honour – почетный караул

 

 

TEXT 14                              

The History of the Central Rostov Streets

 

Rostov-on-Don is an important administrative, industrial, scientific and cultural centre in the south of Russia. It is the main city of the Rostov Region – one of the largest and most economically developed regions of Russia. It is also the capital of the Southern Federal District, the place where there is an office of the Representative of the President of the Russian Federation.

Rostov is a Town of Combat Glory. It is awarded with two orders: the Order of Lenin and the Order of the Great Patriotic War.

Rostov is one of the largest cities in the C.I.S. Its population exceeds 1 million. Rostov is a multinational city.

    Rostov-on-Don is situated on the right and left banks of the river Don. Rostov stands on the border line between Europe and Asia and one can move from one continent to the other simply crossing the bridge over the Don.

   After the construction of the Volga-Don Shipping Canal in 1952 Rostov became a port of five seas: the Black Sea, the Azov Sea, the Caspian Sea, the White Sea and the Baltic Sea. Modern river-to-sea-going vessels and imposingly looking ships make regular voyages from Rostov to the central part of Russia and to many Mediterranean ports.

Rostov was founded on the 15-th of December, 1749 and at first it was meant to be a fortress. It was named after the metropolitan Dmitry Rostovsky and its functions were to defend the Southern borders of Russia against the numerous enemies. Rostov grew rapidly thanks to its advantageous geographical position. Being the largest fortress in the South of Russia the town has always played a significant role in its policy and economy.

Apart from being a major port, where the vessels of Russian, Armenian, Greek, Italian and Turkish merchants arrived, it was an important strategic point.

Rostov is a large railway junction. Hundreds of trains run through Rostov. Rostov is called «The Gates to the Caucasus». The modern airport enables the passengers to reach almost all cities of Russia, the C.I.S. and a number of foreign countries in the shortest period of time.

Bolshaya Sadovaya Street

Initially Staro-Pochtovaya Street (at present Stanislavsky Street) was the central street of Rostov. Later Moskovskaya Street and then Bolshaya Sadovaya gained this status.

In the 40-s of the 19-th century Bolshaya Sadovaya Street was almost the suburb of the town. Only Generalnaya balka and Kuznetskaya Street (Pushkinskaya) with its poor and shabby houses separated it from the steppe. Bolshaya Sadovaya St. started from the railway station, the first building of which was constructed in 1875. At the place of the present automobile parking there were many cabs and in the periods of the Temernik floods people could reach the station only in boats.

    Then Bolshaya Sadovaya ran across the bridge over the Temernik where there was a paper-mill owned by merchant Panchenko. Nowadays a large paper-mill known for its wall-paper is also located at this place.

Further on, at the corner of Bratsky by-street, on the opposite side of Bolshaya Sadovaya there was a building of the editorial office and the printing house of the daily political, economic and literary newspaper «Priazovsky Kray». Today this building houses the Factory of Coloured Printing.

Nikolsky by-street (Khalturinsky) is one of the oldest streets in Rostov: in the 18-th century there was the East border of Dolomanovsky post. In 1924 it was renamed after S.N. Khalturin, a Russian revolutionist. On its crossing with Bolshaya Sadovaya there is a wonderful building which has been recently restored and transformed into a bank office. This beautiful building was a generous present of the merchant Paramonov to a charming actress. 

At the corner of Pochtovy by-street (Ostrovsky) there was Churilin’s factory producing macaronis. Behind it there was Churilin’s brewery. In 1910 both factories were among the largest enterprises of Rostov. Unfortunately, these buildings were destroyed. Nowadays this place is known for the building of the Teachers’ Training Institute of the South Federal University.

The crossing of Bolshaya Sadovaya Street and Taganrogsky Avenue (at the present time – Budennovsky Avenue) was always considered the central place of Rostov. Here we can see two tall houses which are called “the Gates to the City”.

The building of the present day Central Department Store was constructed in 1910. It was the property of a rich merchant Pustovoitov. Built in a style “modern”, it was considered one of the most remarkable buildings in Rostov. Even now it looks as a fairy castle and deserves being crowned with a big clock.

At this place we can see the Conservatoire named after Rakhmaninov, one of the higher educational establishments of Rostov.

Traditionally the richest merchants of Rostov lived in Bolshaya Sadovaya Street, while the nobility preferred Dmitrovskaya Street more (Shaumyana Street). We can have a look at the faces of the famous Rostov merchants at the beautiful modern building known as “Kupechesky Dvor”.

Soborny by-street was marked in the plan for the first time in 1811. It was named after the Cathedral which had been constructed in 1847 and it led to the Sobornaya Square, where a monument to Alexander II was erected. At the Sobornaya Square the military parades took place on the birthdays of the tsar and the tsarina. The most prominent buildings on it were the Post Office, built in 1897, and the house of a merchant Velikanov. Soborny by-street at its other end faced the city Park the entrance to which was paid.

In front of the Cathedral at the market square there is a monument to Metropolitan Dmitry Rostovsky. Metropolitan Dmitry Rostovsky had never been to Rostov. He had died 50 years before his name was given to a new fortress which was constructed on the bank of the river Don.

Walking along the Soborny by-street to Bolshaya Sadovaya Street we will see a beautiful park. At the beginning of the 20-th century it was surrounded with a cast-iron fence with a massive gate. It was very popular among the inhabitants of Rostov. The entrance into it was paid. Nowadays The Gorky Park is also one of the most favourite places of rest and entertainment.

Between Taganrogsky (Budennovsky) Avenue and Bolshoy (Voroshilovsky) Avenue Bolshaya Sadovaya looked very nice. It was paved with stone bricks and carefully watered on hot summer days. In 1914 this part of Bolshaya Sadovaya was laid with asphalt. By the way the Rostov Duma invited an experienced instructor from Greece to supervise the work.

We can see a four-storeyed building of the Town Council or Duma. It was built in 1899 after the design of the professor of architecture Pomerantsev. At present the City Administration (Municipality) owns this building.

In Rostov there is another beautiful building constructed after Pomerantsev’s design – that is the present day «Yоlki-palki» restaurant. It was built in 1883. The owner of the house was a rich merchant Gench-Ogluev. By the way, Pomerantsev was a well-known Russian architect. The most remarkable work done by him is the building of GUM in Moscow.

On the opposite side of the street there was the first Rostov cinema house. Its owner was a merchant Schtremer. Today there is a modern cafe in the building.

The present day House of the Youth’s Creativity was built at the beginning of the 20-th century for the Volga-Kama Commercial Bank. It had been the most beautiful bank building in Rostov until the State Bank building was constructed.

In this part of Bolshaya Sadovaya there were a number of banks and best hotels – the Grand Hotel (it burnt down in 1911), Bolshaya Moskovskaya, San-Remo, Severnaya, etc. Nowadays only Moskovskaya Hotel resembles this glorious time.

At the corner of Bolshaya Sadovaya St. And Bolshoy Avenue there were two largest houses in the town. They belonged to the rich Armenian merchants Chernov and Melkonov-Yezekov. They say that once the merchants argued: who would build a better and a larger house. Both of them did their best. In the house of Melkonov-Yezekov there was the Rostov club where the local intelligentsia used to come for a rest. The house was destroyed during the Great Patriotic war (now the building houses a trading centre “Apeks”). In the place of Chernov’s house now there is the Economy University.

At one end of the Square of Soviets there is a building of Rostov Region Governour’s Office.

In the centre of the square there is a monument to the heroes of the civil war designed by Evgeniy Vuchetich. He was born in Rostov and studied here. His masterpiece – a Memorial to Motherland in Volgograd made the sculptor world famous.

At the place of the present day Square of Soviets there was once a New market. At the far end of it there was Alexander Nevsky Cathedral – being a slightly diminished replica of the Cathedral in St.Petersburg, it was one of the most beautiful cathedrals in Russia, it was commemorated to the salvation of Emperor Alexander II and his family from the train accident. Nowadays we can see a small memorial to this cathedral.

Bolshaya Sadovaya Street closed with the buildings of Nikolaevsky hospital (now the buildings of the Medical Institute are situated there).