Jigsaw reading. The Moscow Kremlin attracts many people from all over the world. It has a long history and historical buildings and museums.
Read Learning to learn note No. 5.
1) In home groups. Read one of the texts (A, В or C) and do the task.
A The Moscow Kremlin is very old. The Kremlin was founded in the year Moscow began, it happened in 1147. It was started as a fortress but later beautiful palaces were built in the Kremlin and it became the home of the Russian Tsars. The Kremlin was destroyed and restored many times. Moscow is often called “belokamennaya” or “white stone”. It comes from the times1 of Prince Dmitry Donskoy* in 1367—1368 when white-stone walls and towers of the Kremlin were built. In 1485—1495 the Kremlin was rebuilt and it got its famous red walls and towers. Today the Kremlin has 20 towers. The Kremlin’s symbol is the Spasskaya (Saviour’s) Tower where the most famous clock in Russia is.
Now the Kremlin is the place where the President of Russia works. And it is the most popular tourist attraction.
Answer the questions.
When was the Kremlin founded?
What did the Kremlin look like in the fourteenth century?
When did the Kremlin get its famous red walls?
How many towers are there in the Kremlin?
What is the most famous Kremlin tower? What is it famous for?
В The Moscow Kremlin is famous for its cathedrals. The magnificent Uspensky Cathedral is the most important church in the Kremlin and the oldest one. All Russian monarchs* were crowned1 there. The Uspensky Cathedral was designed by the Italian architect Aristotle Fioravanti in the fifteenth century. But its famous icons were painted in the seventeenth century: one hundred and fifty painters were brought to Moscow from different Russian towns and they decorated the Cathedral. It was damaged by French soldiers in 1812 and later it was redecorated. The cathedral was closed in 1918 and reopened in 1990.
The Blagoveshchensky Cathedral is another masterpiece of the Kremlin. It was built by Pskov masters in 1484 — 1489. Many of its unique icons were painted by the great Russian icon-painter Andrei Rublev.*
Answer the questions.
What cathedrals are there in the Kremlin?
Who built them? When were they built?
Who painted their icons?
What happened to the cathedrals in different historical periods?
C There are wonderful museums in the Kremlin. The Oruzhoinaya Palata* is one of the oldest museums in the Kremlin and in Russia. It was built by the architect Konstantin Then* from St Petersburg. The building was designed specially for the museum. It houses one of the richest collections of Russian, West European and Eastern arms, silver and gold dishes, men’s and women’s clothes masterpieces of different periods in Russian history.
One of the most interesting things that can be seen in the Oruzheinaya Palata is Monomakh’s Cap.* It was used as the Crown of the Russian Tsars.
In 1806 the Oruzheinaya Palata became a public museum and today many tourists visit the famous exhibitions every day.
Answer the questions.
What is the most famous Kremlin museum?
Who designed the building of the museum?
When did it become a public museum?
What collections are housed in this Kremlin museum?
2) In expert groups. Compare your answers for the task. Come to an agreement. Get ready to retell the text to your classmates. Use the answers to the questions as an outline.
3) In home groups. Retell the text you have read to your group mates. While listening to your group mates, complete the story about the Kremlin in your exercise book.
The Moscow Kremlin is so old! It was founded in 1147. In the fifteenth century, the Kremlin got its famous red walls and towers.
The most famous clock in Russia is in the Kremlin Spasskaya Tower. The Moscow Kremlin is famous for the Spasskaya (Saviour’s) Tower with its clock.
The Uspensky Cathedral was designed by the Italian architect Aristotle Fioravanti. The Blagoveshchensky Cathedral was built by Pskov masters.
The Oruzheinaya Palata is one of the oldest museums in the Kremlin and in Russia. It has got rich collections, they are masterpieces of different periods in Russian history.