Методическая разработка с заданиями к уроку английского языка на тему: "From the History of Moscow" ("Из истории Москвы").
методическая разработка

                                           From the History of Moscow

         The foundation of Moscow is traditionally ascribed to the Suzdal Prince Yuri the Long Armed. Moscow was first mentioned in the chronicles in 1147. It`s the official date of its foundation. At that time it was a small frontier settlement on the banks of the Moskva River. In 1156 a small settlement of Moscow was surrounded with a wooden wall and became a fortress (a kremlin).

         Along with the rest of Vladimir-Suzdal lands Moscow was sacked in 1237-1238 by the Tatars led by Baty Khan. The Tatars set up a capital on the southern Volga and their state became known as the Golden Horde.

          It took Moscow a hundred years after the reign of Prince Yuri the Long Armed to acquire its own prince. Under Alexander Nevsky`s will, his youngest son, Daniil (1276-1303), became the first Prince of Moscow. Early in the 13th century, the notion «Muscovites» became generally recognized and quite customary.

           The first stone structures were built in Moscow under Prince Daniil Alexandrovich. His name has been preserved to this day in the names of a number of Moscow streets, and the St.Daniel Monastery, dedicated to his heavenly namesake and patron, St. Daniil the Stylite, which he originally founded.

           From the time of Daniil Moscow became a principality of its own, and already in 1328 Prince Ivan the Moneybag gained the title of Grand Prince.

          In 1326 Ivan the Moneybag and Metropolitan Peter, head of the Russian church, whose sit was in the city of Vladimir, laid the foundations of a new church in the Moscow Kremlin. Like the main place of worship in Vladimir, this new cathedral was named after the Dormition of the Most-Holy Mother of God. In this way, Moscow laid claim to the role of political heir and successor of Vladimir. When Metropolitan Peter died, he was buried in the still unfinished cathedral. His successor, Metropolitan Theognost, made Moscow his official place of residence. This move strengthened the town`s prestige.  At that time a series of fortified monasteries were built around the wall of the modern Boulevard Ring. Moscow became the political and religious center of the north-eastern part of Russia.

         Moscow led the struggle against the Golden Horde. Ivan the Moneybag`s grandson Grand Prince Dmitry defeated Tatars at Kulikovo Field on the Don in 1380. This made him famous as Dmitry of the Don. In Moscow various places still exist which recall the Battle of Kulikovo Field. Solyanka Street was the road along which the Moscow detachments marched to Kulikovo Field and along which they returned after they had won the battle. The Church of all All Saints on Kulishki was founded by Dmitry of the Don in 1380 to commemorate the victory. Another monument founded the same year is the Vysoko-Petrovskky Monastery in what is now Petrovka Street.

        By the end of the 15th century Moscow extended its rule over most of central and northern Russia. Its rulers continued to build fortifications around the city.

        By the end of Ivan lll`s reign Moscow`s control stretched from Novgorod in the west to Tula in the south, towards the Urals in the east and to the Barents Sea in the north. Ivan the Great brought Italian architects to build cathedrals in the Kremlin and set about reuniting the Russian lands. Ivan IV (1533-1584) named Terrible expanded Moscow territory by beginning the conquest of Siberia and winning control over the Volga region from the Golden Horde-Khanates. St. Basil Cathedral was built to celebrate the victory at Kazan in 1552.

        In the 16th century under Ivan the Terrible Moscow became the capital of Russian lands. By that time the city had probably over 100,000 people and was one of the biggest in the world. The Kitay-Gorod, east of the Kremlin was the main part of the town. By 1600 a 9km white stone wall with 27 towers was erected round the line of the Boulevard Ring. The area inside the white wall became known as the White City.

       The Polish invasion of the first False Dmitry fall to tsar Boris Godunov`s lot who was formely an advisor to Ivan the Terrible.

      The 7 years after Boris Godunov`s death was the Time of Troubles, when Russia lived through two polish invasions, a peasant war, year of famine and devastation with no actual ruler of the country. Finally, a national uprising led by Minin and Pozharsky followed, and the Poles were driven out in 1613-16-year-old Michael Romanov was elected a Russian tsar. This launched the 300 year Romanov dynasty and period of consolidation during which Moscow territory spread southwards.

    In the 18th century (1712) Peter the Great transferred the capital to St. Petersburg. He built a new capital on the Baltic to open Russia up to western trade and ideas and to consolidate military victories over Sweden. But Moscow remained the heart of Russia. That is why it became Napoleon`s main goal when his troops marched on Russia in 1812.

   After the bloody battle of Borodino 130 km west of the city Russian army abandoned Moscow and allowed Napoleon to march in. The night he arrived a great fire broke out which burnt most of the city. When winter came, the French had to retreat after about a month from their arrival.

    After the victory over Napoleon, Moscow was quickly rebuilt in just few years.  At that time its two outer rings were replaced by the tree-lined Boulevard ring and Garden Ring roads. As new industrial suburbs grew up beyond the Garden Ring, the city`s population increased from 350,000 in the 1840s to 1,4  million in 1914.

    In the 19th century Moscow became a center of industry and commerce, as well as a leading cultural, scientific and political center.

   After the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, constructivism represented by such talented architect as Melnikov came to the fore.

   The architecture of Moscow, like an immense book, enables one to read the history of the country and the people, page after page.

                           Vocabulary

ascribe – приписывать                

mention – упоминать

sack – грабить

set up – основывать

Golden Horde – Золотая Орда

acquire – приобретать, получать

notion – понятие

customary – обычный, привычный

heavenly – небесный

namesake – тёзка

Stylite – Столпник

principality – княжество

Metropolitan – митрополит

The Dormition of the Most-Holy Mother

 of God – Успение Пресвятой Богородицы

heir – (еэ) – наследник

successor – преемник

claim – n.претензия, притязание, требование;

v. претендовать, утверждать

strengthen – укреплять, усиливать

fortified – укрепленный

lead the struggle – вести борьбу

defeat – наносить поражение

recall – напоминать

detachments – отряды войск

extend one`s rule – распространить власть

stretch – простираться

set about – приступать

conquest – покорение

formerly – ранее, прежде

invasion – вторжение, завоевание

the Time of Troubles – Смутное время

support – поддержка

launch – пускать в ход

goal – цель

march – наступать

abandon – покидать

retreat – отступать

commerce – торговля

come to the fore – выдвигаться вперёд

                   Answer the following questions:

1. What date is considered to be the date of the foundation of Moscow?
2. When did Moscow become an independent principality?
3. What does the word «kremlin» mean?
4. Did Moscow become the political and religious center of the north-eastern part of Russia?
5. Who transferred the Metropolitan seat to Moscow from the capital city of Vladimir?
6. Who defeated the Tatars at Kulikovo Field on the Don? When did this event happen?
7. What is Prince Ivan lll known for?
8. Who expanded Moscow territory in the 16th century?
9. How did Moscow and its population grow under Ivan the Terrible?
10. When was St. Basil`s Cathedral built?
11. What period in Russian history is called the Time of Troubles? What do you know about it?
12. Who was elected tsar in 1613?
13. Why did Peter the Great transfer the capital to St. Petersburg?
14. What happened to the city when Napoleonic troops marched in?
15. What did Moscow become in the 19th century?

                                 What can you add to these facts?        

1. The first stone structures were built in Moscow under Prince Daniil Alexandrovich.
2. In 1326 Ivan the Moneybag and metropolitan Peter laid the foundation of a new church in the Moscow Kremlin…
3. Moscow led the struggle against the Golden Horde.
4. In Moscow various places still exist which recall the Battle of Kulikovo Field.
5. Ivan the Great brought Italian architects to build cathedrals in the Kremlin…
6. In the 16th century under Ivan the Terrible Moscow became the capital of Russian lands.
7. The 7 years after Boris Godunov`s death was the Time of Troubles…
8. Ivan lV expanded Moscow territory…
9. «The window to Europe» was opened…
10. After the victory over Napoleon Moscow was quickly rebuilt…