Ivanova Anastasiya, «The symbols of Russia and Great Britain», 8 form

What is Russia for the Russians? Our soul and our character are symbolized in a typical Russian tree – a white birch. For the every citizen of my country the heart of our Motherland is the Kremlin in our capital Moscow. For the foreigners Russia is a brown bear, a balalaika, a matryoshka and, perhaps, some other associations. Partly they are right because our country is as strong as a bear; our people are as talented and joyful as balalaika players and as creative and handy as matryoshka makers. What is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for the British?  I can be mistaken but I think that it is the Tower Bridge which is on the Themes, the main river of the country because London, the capital of the UK, stands on it.  For the foreigners the UK is 5 o’clock tea (black tea with milk), double-deckers only in the red colour, guards who stands nearby the Buckingham Palace, the official residence of the British Queen Elizabeth II ( I remember two interesting facts   connected with this place: if the Queen is in, there is a flying flag on the palace and the fur of the high guards’ hats is Canadian bear) and, of course, an umbrella as the symbol of a very changeable British weather (as we know the UK is an island state surrounded by the  North sea, the Celtic sea, the English Channel and the Atlantic ocean). On the one hand our both countries are conservative because they keep great national traditions; on the other hand they are very modern with high technologies and industries. I find it very good.