Skim the text and find out the information about climatic conditions in St.Petersburg. Retell it to your partner.

Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject located in the Northwestern Federal District of Russia on the Neva River at the east end of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. St. Petersburg's informal name, Piter (Питер), is based on how Peter the Great was called by foreigners. The city's other names were Petrograd (Петрогра́д, 1914–1924) and Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991).

Founded by Tsar Peter the Great on May 27, 1703, it was capital of the Russian Empire for more than two hundred years (1712-1728, 1732-1918). St. Petersburg ceased being the capital in 1918 after the Russian Revolution of 1917. It is Russia's second largest and Europe's fourth largest city after Moscow, London and Paris. At latitude 59°56′N, Saint Petersburg is the world's largest city north of Moscow (55°45′N). 4.6 million people live in the city, and over 6 million people live in the city's vicinity. Saint Petersburg is a major European cultural center, and important Russian port on the Baltic Sea. The city, as federal subject, has a total area of 1,439 square kilometres (556 sq mi).

St. Petersburg enjoys the image of being the most Western European styled city of Russia. Among cities of the world with over one million people, Saint Petersburg is the northernmost. The Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments constitute a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Russia's political and cultural center for 200 years, the city is impressive, and is sometimes referred to in Russia as "the Northern Capital".

The most famous of St. Petersburg's museums is the Hermitage, one of the world's largest and richest collections of Western European art. Its vast holdings were originally exhibited in the Greek Revival building (1838–1852) by Leo von Klenze, now called the New Hermitage. But the first Russian museum was established by Peter the Great in the Kunstkammer, erected in 1718–1734 on the opposite bank of the Neva River and formerly a home to the Russian Academy of Sciences. Other popular tourist destinations include the State Russian Museum and the Summer Garden, the Ethnography Museum (1900–1911), Stieglitz Museum of Applied Arts (1885–1895), the Suvorov Museum of Military History (1901–1904), and the Political History Museum (1904–06).

Nevsky Prospekt is the main avenue of St. Petersburg connecting the Winter Palace with the ancient monastery at Alexander Nevsky Lavra. Nevsky is the busiest shopping destination and the prime center of entertainment and nighlife. Shopping malls, department stores, business centers, built in a variety of styles, include the Eliseev emporium, the House of Books, The Passage, and more.

St. Petersburg is surrounded by imperial residences, some of which are inscribed in the World Heritage list. These include: Peterhof, with the Grand Peterhof Palace and glorious fountain cascades; Tsarskoe Selo, with the baroque Catherine Palace and the neoclassical Alexander Palace; and Pavlovsk, which contains a domed palace of Emperor Paul (1782–1786) and one of the largest English-style parks in Europe.

Much of Peterhof and Tsarskoe Selo had to be restored after being dynamited by the retreating Germans in 1944. Other imperial residences have yet to be revived to their former glory. Gatchina, lying 45 km (28 mi) southwest of St Petersburg, retains a royal castle with 600 rooms surrounded by a park. Oranienbaum, founded by Prince Menshikov, features his spacious baroque residence and the sumptuously decorated Chinese palace. Strelna has a hunting lodge of Peter the Great and the reconstructed Constantine Palace, used for official summits of the Russian president with foreign leaders.

Other notable suburbs are Shlisselburg, with a medieval fortress, and Kronstadt, with its 19th century fortifications and naval monuments. Catherinehof, originally intended as a garden suburb, was engulfed by the city in the 19th century.

Vocabulary

1 foreigner - иностранец

2 to cease - переставать ( делать что-л ), прекращать(ся)

3 latitude - широта

4 vicinity - близость, соседство; окрестности; округа; район

5 to constitute - составлять

6 impressive - производящий глубокое впечатление; впечатляющий;

выразительный

7 to refer to - ссылаться на

8 to exhibit in - выставлять(ся); экспонировать(ся) на выставке
9 to be established by - быть учрежденным кем-либо

10 to erect - сооружать; устанавливать; поднимать; возводить

11 to restore – восстанавливать, возвращать в прежнее состояние; реконструировать

12 retreating - отступающий; уходящий назад, удаляющийся

13 to revive - оживлять; возрождать

14 sumptuously - роскошно; превосходно; богато

15 fortification - фортификация, укрепление

Text work

1. Skim the text and find words and phrases, describing St.Petersburg as:

a) historical place

b) cultural center

c) business center

2. Find equivalents to the following phrases in the text:

1 расположенный в северо-западном Федеральном округе России

2 перестать быть столицей

3 главный европейский культурный центр

4 одна из самых крупных и богатых коллекций мира

5 огромные владения

6 популярные туристические дестинации

7 главный проспект Санкт-Петербурга

8 центр развлечений и ночной жизни

9 разнообразие стилей

10 славные каскады фонтанов

11 возродить в былой славе

12 сохранять королевский дворец

13 вместительная резиденция в стиле барокко

14 охотничий домик

15 укрепления и корабельные памятники

3. Finish the sentences:

1 St. Petersburg ceased being the capital in . . .

2 St. Petersburg enjoys the image of being . . .

3 The first Russian museum was established by . . .

4 Nevsky Prospekt is the main avenue of St. Petersburg connecting . . .

5 Much of Peterhof and Tsarskoe Selo had to be restored . . .

6 Gatchina retains . . .

7 Strelna has a hunting lodge of Peter the Great and . . .

8 Catherinehof, originally intended as a garden suburb, was engulfed . . .

4. Look through the given pictures and try to remember, which places are situated in Moscow and which are in St.Petersburg? Try to give brief information about each tourist destination.  

1                                         2

3                                      4                                                                                                         

5                                      6                                    7

8                                     9

Picture 1. St.Basile Spasskaya Tower, Red Square, Moscow;

Picture 2. The Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow;

Picture 3. The Bronze Horseman, monument to Peter the Great, St.Petersburg;

Picture 4. St.Isaac’s Cathedral, St.Petersburg;

Picture 5. Moscow State University at Sparrow Hills, Moscow;

Picture 6. Grand Sport Arena of Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow;

Picture 7. Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow;

Picture 8. Palace Bridge at night, St.Petersburg;

Picture 9. Peterhop: the Samson Fountain and Sea Channel, St.Petersburg.

5. Project work.

Make a presentation of your native city:

- give a short historical review;

- enumerate the main places of interest;

- give brief information about tourist destinations;

- find pictures, photographs and illustrations;

- for descriptions use new vocabulary from the texts.