Учебное пособие по профессионально-ориентированному чтению для студентов I-II курсов по специальности «Социально-культурный сервис и туризм»

II Answer the questions:

1 Pereslavl is still a living town isn’t it?

2 How is the name of Peter the Great connected with this place?

3 What problems did Pereslavl suffer during the early 1990s?

4 What did Andrei Vorobiev do to make sightseeing more amusing?

5 What is the oldest museum near Pereslavl?

6 Does the overall condition of the town remain disastrous?
III Give Russian equivalents to the English words:

obviously, museum-reserve, despite, emerge, vividness, flee market, irons museum, peculiarities, exhibits, donation, narrow-gauge railway peat pits, depot facilities, inhabitants, industrious, ingenious, coaches, relics, antiques, distinctive place, authorities, resume, nearby.

IV Retell the text using as many words as you can from the exercise above
Sergiev Posad: Town of Spirit or Realm of Religion?
I Read and translate the text. Use dictionary if necessary

Sergiev Posad can make anyone pray – either by spiritual catharsis or its orthodox bureaucracy.

70 kilometers from Moscow, a relatively short pilgrimage, sits what could be considered the heart of Russian Orthodox faith. For thousands of orthodox Catholics, Sergiev Posad is a sacred place, one that should be seen by every true believer. Although the town is among the largest in the Moscow region, all life here is connected to the monastery. Actually, the Laura, which was considered the highest monastery status in Russia in 18^th and 19^th centuries, has created Sergiev Posad, and the town is impossible without the cloister of St. Trinity.

The history of St. Sergius monastery starts in the middle of the 14^th century, when the hermit Sergius found a commune of monks to live and pray together. The newly founded monastery was located near a small town of Radonezh (now a village of Sergiev Posad district) at the top of the Makovets hill. Soon, Sergius became in fact the highest religious authority in Russia of the time simultaneously Sergius became a godfather of Dimitry, the Prince of Moscow, who defeated the Tartar troops in the famous Kulikov battle of 1380. Soon after the death of Sergius, he was consecrated a saint, and his monastery became the place where princes and tsars of Moscow made their regular pilgrimages of holidays. Due to the special attention always paid to the St. Sergius monastery by tsars and mighty boyars, the cloister never experienced financial of management problems. From one century to another, St. Trinity flourished both materially and spiritually.

Contrary to Greek Orthodox monasteries, Russian cloisters played an important role as space organizers. In fact, the church was the most effective vertically integrated structure in Russia until the end of the 15^th century. Considering such a role, Russian monasteries needed a more pragmatic than ascetic priors. Sergius was a model abbot, and one who could combine the highest religious reputation with really good management skills. His successors were even more lucky administrators than Sergius himself: by the middle of the 16^th century, St. Trinity monastery was the most prosperous cloister in Russia. At the time, monasteries were allowed to possess lands and manage agricultural communities; considering that taxes were much lower for the peasants of a monastery estate than for other peasants, monasteries never suffered from the lack of a workforce. The results are still visible in huge walls and towers. Before 1917, monastery fields and gardens were the remarkable results of centuries-long cultivation. St. Sergius monastery became somehow the school where many famous priors of northern monasteries were educated. Until the 17^th century, the road to St. Sergius was the main state route from Moscow – along the way, tsar’s travel palaces were located.

Peter I, the tsar who was recognized as the Antichrist by some oppositionist bishops, surprisingly liked Sergius – during the 1^st gunmen rebellion (known also as’ the Khovanshchina’) of 1682. When in 1689 Peter became the only ruling tsar, he showed his mercy to the monastery by allowing large–scale construction.

But Peter I also started the period of stagnation for the St. Sergius monastery: for over 200 years no Patriarch was elected in Russia, Romanov dynasty; a few months later, the October revolution broken out, the Church was deemed ‘opium of the people’, according to the Bolsheviks. The St. Sergius monastery was closed in 1918, with its neighboring detached cells working until 1929. The main premises of the Laura was seized by the state museum, yet people who worked there were often compassionate towards old religious treasures and remaining monks. For example, Pavel Florensky, a well-known Russian theologist and philosopher, worked for the museum in early 1920s and kept in touch with the patriarch who was deprived from ruling the monastery but deeply sympathized for the Laura’s destiny.

In the 1920’s and 1930s, the St. Trinity monastery was closed; some premises were taken by the museum, others stood untouched and devastated. Almost every precious item was taken into state treasuries. Thus, life seemed to be frozen around the monastery until the end of WWII.

The famous story of Joseph Stalin turned face to the Orthodox Church in the 1942 had its consequences for the St. Sergius monastery. By 1949 the cloister was renovated, and since then, the monastery exists along with the state cultural museum.

Today, the St. Trinity Sergius Laura is again the center of Russian Orthodoxy, the favorite residence of Patriarch Alexiy II and the destination of the most popular pilgrimage for Russian believers. Excursions are now made via the pilgrimage service of the monastery and authorized travel.

Vocabulary:

realm – царство

catharsis – очищение

assumption – успение

orthodox – православный

pilgrimage – паломничество

Trinity – троица
II Give English equivalents to the Russian words:

Бюрократия, священное место, монастырь, мужской монастырь, отшельник, предшественники, аббат, милосердие, застой, считать, помещения, сострадательный, опустошительный, драгоценный, невнимательный, одновременно, расцветать, духовно, вооруженное восстание, сокровища.

III Sergiev Posad is situated only 70 kilometers from Moscow. You can get there by bus or by train. It will take you about an hour. So, many tourists and pilgrims go to this small town every day. Ask them about their impressions of visiting the Laura.
Read some more information about towns of the Golden Ring:
Alexandrov is a town in Vladimir Oblast, Russia, 120 kilometers (75 mi) north-east of Moscow. Population: 64,824 (2002 Census).

The town of Alexandrov served as the capital of Russia for three months (December 1564 to February 1565) under Tsar Ivan the Terrible until he agreed to return his court and the relics of Moscow which he had taken with him. Ivan agreed to return after the church gave him permission to found the Oprichnina.

Gus-Khrustalny is a town in Vladimir Oblast, Russia, located on the Gus River (a tributary of the Oka River) 63 kilometers (39 mi) south of Vladimir. Population: 67,121 (2002)

The name of the town may be translated as "crystal goose", for it is known as one of the oldest centers of glass industry in Russia and stands on the Gus (Goose) River. There are reasons to believe that its name is not derived from goose directly, but rather from the common Slavic term "goose" (in the respective languages) for a large (up to several gallons) bottle.

Gus-Khrustalny was founded in the mid-18th century with the construction of a crystal plant. It was granted town status in 1931.

Zhostovo is a world-famous Russian folk art center popular for its painted trays decorated with bright bunches of flowers on the black background. The skillful and talented masters of Zhostovo have turned these domestic utensils into real masterpieces of art. The style and methods of Zhostovo painted decoration have acquired peculiar traditions of folk art ornamentation and realistic still-life painting.

However, the tendency of painting bunches of flowers became leading. Today, after more than 170 years existence of the handicraft the village of Zhostovo turned into a unique center of Russian folk art. The floral designs of Zhostovo trays display beauty of nature and a cheerful, optimistic sense of life.

The best traditions of this popular folk art are preserved by modern artists of Zhostovo, who manage to unite the traditional methods with improvisation and individual talent of each master. Nowadays the works of Zhostovo artists are on display at various exhibitions and museums not only in Russia, but in many other countries of the world.

The village of Fedoskino, one of the centers of modern Russian lacquer work, is located in picturesque surroundings of Moscow, on a bank of the Ucha. Fedoskino is a very old village; about two hundred years renowned for its miniature paintings on lacquered papier-mâché boxes. This art has been known in Russia since the late eighteenth century. Soon the Fedoskino painted boxes became popular and famous in Russia and in Europe. Practically, the production of lacquered papier-mâché articles with painted decoration has not changed significantly since the mid-nineteenth century.

A characteristic feature of Fedoskino miniature painting has always been a combination of direct painting with glazes superimposed over a gold leaf, mother-of-pearl plaque or over a ground powdered with metal dust. Today the articles are painted with a great variety of subjects on genre, literary, song, fairy-tale, historical and contemporary life themes. But even a short acquaintance with them helps one to go deep into their art, which is an art unique, with strong national roots and the traditional decorative quality, which gives it its originality.

There is a group of about thirty villages located not far from Moscow bearing the name of Gzhel, which has long been famous for its white-burning clay. Gzhel must have been the name of one of these villages.

The origin of this name is somehow connected with the verb zhech – "to fire, to burn". The place has always been the center of folk pottery and has played an important role in the history and development of Russian ceramic arts. Traditionally, Gzhel has supplied clay to many factories and produced excellent pottery famous all over the country.

An important feature of Gzhel pottery is integrity of form, which is emphasized by painting. However, time and development of artistic styles change the character and themes of painting. Initially, the potters produced mainly utilitarian works, but at present artists feel entitled to artistic creations which are emotionally strong and imbued with sophisticated associations, which are able not only to beautify our life but also to transform it.

The modern art of Gzhel is an active artistic trend with its ups and downs, and with the search of new ways. We may expect its flourishing and success if the masters continue to turn to the heritage of the old times and preceding periods, to find it in the source of education and inspiration and to treat it with deep respect.
Some Helpful Hints if You Decide to Visit the Golden Ring Towns
You can get to Susdal and Pereslavl-Zalessky only by car. The major cities can also be reached by train. Local trains run between Moscow and Vladimir. The Moscow-Yaroslavl train passes through Sergiev Posad, Alexandrov, and Rostov Veliky. Standing on the Volga and the Oka are the cities of Uglich, Rybinsk, Tutaev, Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Plyos, and Murom. A river cruise includes a visit to these cities. No wonder a “Moscow Round-the-World Cruise” is often confuse with the Golden Ring route.

Lately, the Golden Ring cities have seen intensive development of tourism; this is why they have acceptable hotels, cafes, and restaurants. Because they have become tourist destinations, hotel accommodation and restaurant services are rather costly in these cities especially in Vladimir and Suzdal. It usually takes a day to see the sights in any of the Golden Ring cities. But if you want to visit all their museums and environs, you will have to stay in the city for a week.

Welcome to the cities of the Golden Ring!