I. Prepare to answer these questions. Compare your ideas in small groups.

I. Prepare to answer these questions. Compare your ideas in small groups.

1. Do you know when the history of Russia began?

2. Who were the first people who lived on our land?

3. Why does there exist an expression “Kiev is the mother of Russian cities”?

4. How can you account for the fact that the Mongol yoke lasted for 240 years?

II. Comment on the following:

The famous Russian poet Alexander Blok wrote:

“Yes, we are Scythians. Yes, we are Asiatics.

With slanting and greedy eyes”.

READING

Study the information about different types of reading and working with information (see App. 2 p. 96).

Text 1

ANCIENT RUSSIA

VI. Comment upon the following facts. What do you know about them?

1. The name “Russia”, together with the Finnish Ruotsi and Estonian Rootsi, are found by some scholars to be related to Roslagen. The etymology of Rus ’ and its derivatives are debated, and other schools of thought connect the name with Slavic or Iranic roots.

2. Kievan Russia is important for its introduction of a Slavic variant of the Eastern Orthodox religion, dramatically deepening a synthesis of Byzantine and Slavic cultures that defined Russian culture for the next thousand years.

3. Compared with the languages of European Christendom, the Russian language was little influenced by the Greek and Latin of early Christian writings. This was due to the fact that Church Slavonic was used directly in liturgy instead.

VII. Find and present the information about the first code of laws, Russkaya Pravda.

Text 2

HISTORIC PEOPLE OF ANCIENT RUSSIA

I. Scan the text once and match the name of a historic person to his biography. There is one person whose biography is not given in the task.

a) Rurik

b) Oleg

c) Saint Vladimir Svyatoslavich the Great

d) Yaroslav I the Wise

e) Yuri Dolgorukiy

1. He (c.978 in Kiev – February 20, 1054 in Kiev) was thrice Grand Prince of Novgorod and Kiev, uniting the two principalities for a time under his rule. During his lengthy reign, Kievan Rus s ia reached a zenith of its cultural flowering and military power.

2. He, d. 879, semilegendary Varangian warrior, regarded as the founder of the princely dynasty of Kievan Russia. He and his two brothers, at the head of an armed band, apparently seized Novgorod and nearby districts (c.862). According to unreliable early accounts, they had been invited by the local Slavs. His successors founded the powerful Kievan state, which lasted until the 13th cent. His house also came to rule the grand duchy of Moscow, and later all Russia, until the death of Feodor I in 1598.

3. He (c.958 – 15 July 1015, Berestovo) was the Grand Prince of Kiev who converted to Christianity in 988, and proceeded to baptise the whole Kievan Russia.

4. He, d. c.912, founder of Kievan Russia. Succeeding his kinsman Rurik as leader of the Varangians at Novgorod, he led forth his retainers to seize Kiev (c.879). He made Kiev his capital and set about uniting the Slavic tribes along the Volkhov-Dnieper waterway, freeing them from the overlordship of the Khazars. He concluded commercial treaties with the Byzantine Empire in 907 and 911, making trade with the empire a major factor in the Kievan economy and opening the path for Greek Christian cultural penetration. He was succeeded by Igor.

[http: //russia.rin.ru]

II. Read the text again and fill in the following table:

III. Work in pairs. Find information about other historic people who can be added to the table above. How did they influence the course of history? What was their contribution? Within each pair choose an expert who will present your findings. Discuss and compare your results.

Text 3

MONGOL INVASION

Text 4

RUSSO-TATAR RELATIONS

Text 5

CULTURE OF KIEVAN RUSSIA

II. Make up a list of words related to culture and religion. Use them in your own examples.

Text 6

GRAMMAR FOCUS

I. Go to App. 1 p. 84 and read the information about the tenses in the Active Voice.

a) Look at the texts above and find examples of the present, past and future tenses in the Active Voice.

b) Translate the following sentences, paying attention to the verb form.

1. The Russian people cherish the history of their country and capital.

2. The tsar gave nobles land along with the peasants who were living and already working on it.

3. The Moscow state in the 16^th century had come into its own right an was gaining in strength.

4. The position of the peasants was growing more difficult, and many fled south and formed their communities there.

5. The occupation under the Mongols further isolated Russia from cultural and legal developments in Western Europe.

6. By the end of the Mongol occupation, Russian civil law had not advanced markedly beyond the primitive state of the Russkaya Pravda.

7. Reform in Russia, however, has not been a continual, incremental process, rather it has been cyclical and dialectical in nature.

8. The knowledge of the assembly of 1549 remains fragmentary.

9. Catherine the Great has received praise from numerous historians, in particular specialists in the cultural development and foreign relations.

10. John Belias wrote, “I am sure that everyone’s heart will beat faster at the view of the golden dome of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour”.

MOSCOW THROUGH CENTURIES

Moscow ____ (stand out) among other cities for having a face of its own. Moscow’s beauty ____ (live, breathe) in every street and stone. The passing years ____ (leave) their mark on the city’s appearance. They ____ (bring) Muscovites not only joy of new accomplishments but pain of losses. But still the capital ____ (enter) into the new century with a belief that its unique looks and charm will be preserved.

Moscow’s history ____ (cover) about two thousand years, though the earliest annals ____ (set) the date of its foundation as A.D. 1147, which ____ (be) the official “birthday” of the city. The first wooden Kremlin was erected by Prince Yuri Dolgoruky in 1156. By the 13^th century it ____ (become) the centre of the Moscow principality. It was destroyed by the Mongolian Tatar invasion, but the rule of Batu Khan ____ (not / last) very long. By the 15^th century, Moscow ____ (establish) its global rule over various Russian principalities and its urban area … (be) over five square kilometres. A hundred years later it ____ (grown) into the capital of a strong and prosperous state, one of the largest in the world. A system of concentric fortifications with the Kremlin as its centre ____ (enclose) Kitai-Gorod and Bely Gorod, new and large sections of the city with two other outer rings; the city ____ (spread) to over twenty square kilometers.

WRITING

Paragraph Writing

A paragraph normally consists of several sentences which are all concerned with the theme contained in the key sentence. It is usually the first sentence, which contains the main idea or topic. The other sentences support it by adding further information or examples.

Useful words and phrases:

Firstly; In conclusion; In my opinion; Some critics argue that…; In addition; I feel; Contrary to what many people believe; What is more.

Speaking

Role play: Work in groups of three.

One of you has just read an interesting book about ancient cultures. One of you is a friend who is told some pieces of information from this book, and you are interested in this topic because you have some knowledge about origin of ancient civilizations. And the third person is another friend who is eager to insist on the statement that every nation has its own reputation because of its origin. For example, Englishmen are cold-blooded and warlike because they are descendants of ancient Germans. Act out your reactions to the situation.

Summing-up assignment

I. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the unit. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

II. RENDERING:

Древняя Русь

Согласно летописи Рюрик был призван княжить в Новгород. Его преемник Олег объединил Русь, захватив Киев в 882 г. Этот год стал поворотным пунктом в судьбах восточных славян. Основной задачей Олега стала борьба с Хазарским каганатом, Византией и подчинение еще непокоренных восточнославянских племен.                                            

Сын Рюрика Игорь продолжил дело Олега, хотя и менее успешно. Князь Игорь был убит древлянами в 945 г. во время сбора “полюдья”. Княгиня Ольга жестоко отомстила за смерть мужа. Во время ее правления активизировалась внешняя политика Русского государства, которая велась преимущественно мирными средствами. Ольга приняла крещение в Константинополе, однако это не повлекло за собой распространение Христианства на Руси, так как ее сын Святослав остался верен языческим богам.

Княжение Святослава характеризуется многочисленными военными походами. Возвращаясь из одного из них, он был убит печенегами. После непродолжительных усобиц к власти пришел Владимир Святославович, воспетый в былинах и прозванный в народе Красное Солнышко. Главным событием в правление князя Владимира было крещение Руси, которое поставило Русское государство в один ряд с крупнейшими христианскими державами Западной Европы.

Настоящим преемником Владимира в реформаторской деятельности стал его сын Ярослав, победивший в кровавой усобице всех своих братьев. Выдающимся событием эпохи правления Ярослава стало составление свода письменных законов, получивших название Русская Правда. Из нее можно почерпнуть сведения о социальном устройстве, нравах, обычаях русского общества того времени. Дело Ярослава Мудрого было продолжено Владимиром Мономахом. Со смертью Мономаха постоянные усобицы практически свели на нет результаты победоносных походов его предшественников.

[Колесникова М.В., Миньяр-Белоручева А.П., Рытова И.Г., Седелкина Л.Н., Фукс Г.Н. Английский язык для историков. История России IX-XX вв. М., 1999.]

III. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information about Kievan Russia. Talk about what you have discovered with your partner(s) at the next lesson.

IV. POSTER: Make a poster showing the life of people of Ancient Russia. Show your poster to your classmates at the next lesson.

V. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about:

a) Rurik

b) Oleg

c) Saint Vladimir Svyatoslavich the Great

d) Yaroslav I the Wise

Include an imaginary interview with him. Write about what he does every day and what he thinks about.

Read what you wrote to your classmates at the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

VI. LETTER: Write a letter to Alexander Nevsky. Ask him three questions about his life. Give him three suggestions on what he should do in his future. Read your letter to your partner(s) at your next lesson. Your partner(s) will try and answer your questions.

ESSENTIAL VOCABULARY

Module 2
MOSCOW PRINCEDOM

In this module:

· Muscovy, Ivan III reign, Vasily III, Culture of Muscovy;

· Tenses of the Passive Voice;

· Writing an essay expressing opinion;

· Role play on the life in the Moscow state in the 16^th century.

Lead-in:

1. What historical events took place in Russia from the middle of the 13^th century to the middle of the 16^th century?

2. What territory of Russia became the most powerful and why?

3. Can you name the most prominent people of that period? What can you tell about them?

READING

Text 1

MUSCOVY

IV.

a) Suggest English equivalents for the words given in brackets.

In the second half of the 13th century, in the middle of the thick forests which offered a dependable (защита) from the Mongols, there appeared on the Moskva River the Moscow (княжество ). Originally, it was a (крепость) for the protection of the borders from the east and the Lithuanians from the northwest. For the first time in history, Moscow’s Prince Dmitry Donskoi united the Russians (the towns of Novgorod, Tver, Vladimir, etc.). The Mongol Khan Mamai made an (союз) with Lithuania and again attacked the Russians. But nevertheless the Mongols were (разбиты) on Kulikovo Field in a huge, frightful (битва) in 1380. Two years later, the Mongols (собрали) their forces together again and attacked Moscow. Moscow was (разграблена) and put to the torch.

This quick change of events – defeats and victories – eloquently illustrates the continuous efforts by the Moscow princedom to (сбросить) the cruel and stifling (татаро - монгольское иго).

b) Ask ten wh-questions (who, what, when) on the contents of the story.

IV. Mark the following statements as True or False according to the text:

1. In the middle of the 13^th century the Moscow Princedom had a great power in political life of divided Russia.

2. The influence of Moscow in the 13^th century was very important because of its large territory.

3. Moscow political power helped in the foundation of a united Russian state.

4. The Moscow princedom also had strong economy as it was in some Western European states.

5. Economic, military and political forces played a very important role in the unifying process.

6. The unification of Russian lands occurred under the influence of foreign factors.

7. In 1380 the Grand Duke Dmitry defeated Mamai and his Army and stopped to render tribute to the khans.

8. The unifying process was a gradual, stage-by-stage liberation from the Golden Horde.

Text 2

IVAN III REIGN

The Last Will of Ivan III.

Initially, Ivan III proclaimed his first wife’s son, Ivan the Young, his successor and co-ruler. Afterwards, this situation was called the Dynastic Crisis: Ivan’s son Ivan the Young, died in 1490, leaving an only child, Dmitry the Grandson. The latter was crowned as successor by his grandfather in 1497, but later Ivan reverted his decision in favour of Sophia’s elder son Vasily who was ultimately crowned co-regent with his father (April 14, 1502). Dmitry the Grandson was put into prison where he died, unmarried and childless, in 1509, already under the rule of his uncle.

In the last will Ivan III summed up his more than 40-years reign. He handed down to Vasily more than 60 cities while all his other sons altogether got 30 cities. Younger brothers of Vasily had no right to mint own coin, try criminal cases; their lands also passed to Vasily. The brothers swore to obey Vasily in everything, and in case of his death submit to his elder son – their nephew.

[http: //russia.rin.ru/guides_e/6877.html]

II. Find the nouns that are used in the text with the following verbs (there can b у more than one variant):

1) to undergo

2) to enlarge

3) to strengthen

4) to proclaim

5) to revert

6) to hand down

7) to mint

III. Explain the following notions, use them in the same context as they are used in the text:

1) co-regent

2) to overthrow

3) Yoke

4) sovereign

5) principality

6) autocracy

7) court etiquette

8) successor

9) the Dynastic Crisis

10) to submit

Text 3

VASILY III

I. Read the text and put the following events of Vasily’s life and reign in the correct order:

Vasily puts Cangali khan on the throne of Kazan;

Vasily captures the great eastern fortress of Lithuania, Smolensk;

Vasily dies from a malignant abscess;

Vasily marries Elena, daughter of prince Vasily Glinsky;

Vasily accedes to the throne.

Text 4

CULTURE OF MUSCOVY

I. Look at the text. The topic sentences of each paragraph have been removed. Read the text and choose from the sentences (A-H) the one which fits each gap. Underline the words both in the text and the sentences which helped you to decide on your choices.

A. This was also the period of the highest development of Russian church painting.

B. In the 15^th century practically all large cities of Northeast Russia were restoring and enlarging monastic schools.

C. The Moscow annals occupied a prominent place in the field of literature that time.

D. In the end of the 15^th century a huge contribution to development of Russian painting was made by outstanding icon painter Dionisy (1440–1503).

E. In Ivan III’s reign a great importance was given to development of the Moscow architecture and in its turn it was directly connected with strengthening of the Grand Moscow Duke’s power.

F. From the end of the 14^th century the development of Russian culture was characterized by significant rise.

G. Expansion of political, economic and cultural contacts of Muscovy with other countries was reflected in such famous literary monument of that epoch as the travel notes of Afanasiy Nikitin, the Tver merchant, written in a literary genre of travellings.

H. The great Russian artist who lived also in that period was Andrey Rublev (1369 or 1370–1430).

 ... (1) The fundamental matter of the cultural process in the 15^th century was the task of liberation of the nation and strengthening of the single Russian Sate. Moscow became the true centre of All-Russian national culture. The role and value of Russian language strengthened in this period. New literary works contributing creation of the State appeared again and again. Interest to the history of Motherland grew also. In modern literature Russian culture of this period is called “Russian Renaissance”.

... (2) Old hand-written books were re-written and new once created. Literacy of various layers of population was growing, especially in cities.

... (3) In 1408 Moscow Mitropoly began to compile first All-Russian annalistic books, the very first one was The Trinity Chronicle. The first Moscow annalistic book that gave an ideological proof of historical importance of association of Russian Lands around Moscow was compiled in 1480.

... (4) “Khozhdeniye za Tri Morya” depicts the travels of Nikitin to Persia, India and other countries of the East between 1466 and 1472.Besides this genre, epical and satirical folklore was also widespread in Muscovy.

... (5) A large-scale reconstruction of the Moscow Kremlin architecture was carried out in that period by Russian masters together with invited Italian architects. In 1479 Italian master Aristotel Fioravanti completed erection of the main temple of the Russian State - the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin.

... (6) In the end of the 14^th and in the beginning of the 15^th century in Novgorod, Moscow, Serpukhovo and Nizhni Novgorod worked Pheophan Greek (1340? –1405), the great artist who came from Byzantium. He painted the Saviour Temple in Ilin Street in Novgorod, together with Simeon Cherny he painted the Moscow Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God (1395) and the Arkhangelsk Cathedral (1399).

... (7) He participated in painting of the old Annunciation Cathedral in the Kremlin (1405), together with Pheophan Greek and master Prokhor from Gorodets he painted The Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir (1408), The Trinity Cathedral – in Troitsko-Sergiyev Monastery and The Saviour Cathedral of Andronikov Monastery (1420’s). A masterpiece of the world painting art – “The Trinity” icon was also executed by him.

... (8) Together with his sons Pheodosiy and Vladimir and his other apprentices he created frescos of The Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin, paintings of temples of Pafnutyevo-Borovsky, Iosifo-Volokolamsky and Pherapontov Monasteries. A well-known icon “Spas v Silakh” is also among his great works.

[http: //russia.rin.ru/guides_e/6895.html]

II. Ask 10 questions about the culture of Muscovy in the 14^th –15^th centuries and let you group mates answer them.

III. Prepare a classroom report on one of the following topics:

- Russian Renaissance;

- The Trinity Chronicle;

- The Moscow Kremlin architecture;

- Andrey Rublev.

GRAMMAR FOCUS

I. Go to App.1 p.87 and read the information about the tenses in the Passive Voice.

a) Look at the texts above and find examples of the present, past and future tenses in the Passive Voice.

b) Translate the following sentences, paying attention to the verb form.

1. Moscow is built on seven hills, one of which is encircled by a red wall.

2. Moscow is first mentioned in the annals of history of the year 1147.

3. The specific history of Russia is connected to a great degree with its geographic and geopolitical location.

4. It was during Kievan Russia’s heyday that Christianity was adopted in 988.

5. New buildings were erected in the Kremlin, and the Kremlin walls were strengthened and furnished with towers and gates.

6. The Moscow state had been formed by the 16^th century.

7. What time can be considered the end of the isolation of Russia from Europe?

8. Under which tsar were the cities granted self-government?

9. A peace treaty was signed in 1503 by which Lithuania recognized Russian control over parts of the Smolensk and the Polotsk areas and much of Chernigov-Seversk.

10. Moscow rise and its gradual transformation into the national center of integration of Russian lands cannot be explained merely by its favorable geographical position.

WRITING

Structure:

Introduction (Paragraph 1)

The subject or topic. A statement of your opinion.

Main body

Paragraph 2

Viewpoint 1 supported by a logical reason.

Paragraph 3

Viewpoint 2 supported by a logical reason.

Paragraph 4

The opposing viewpoints and reasons.

You might include a lead-in opinion to your conclusion.

Conclusion (Final paragraph)

A summary of your viewpoints. When you restate your opinion use different words!

Note: Each viewpoint should be presented in a separate paragraph, so you may include more paragraphs in the main body if you have more viewpoints.

Useful words and phrases:

1. to express opinion: I believe, In my opinion, I think, I strongly believe, I feel that, It seems to me that, etc.

2. to present the other side of the argument: Contrary to what most people believe, As opposed to the above ideas, Some people argue that…

3. to join each viewpoint with the others: In the first place, To start with, What is more, Furthermore, Besides, Apart from this, It is argued that, etc.

I. Write the essay “The 15^th century – the period of liberation of the Russian nation.”

Speaking

Role play: Student A knows nothing about the life in the Moscow State in the 16^th century and asks Student B questions about this period. Student B tries to answer Student A’s questions using the information from the unit.

Summing-up assignment

I. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the unit. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

II. RENDERING:

ESSENTIAL VOCABULARY

Module 3
IVAN THE IV THE TERRIBLE

In this module:

· Life of Ivan the Terrible, The Oprichnina, Ivan’s policy, The reign of Feodor Ivanovich; Russian culture in the 16^th century;

· The Adjectives;

· Writing an argumentative essay;

· Discussion “Rewriting history”.

Lead-in:

1. Why is Ivan IV called the Terrible? How can you characterize his rule?

2. What main events during his reign can you name?

3. What do you know about the Oprichnina?

READING

Text 1

LIFE OF IVAN THE TERRIBLE

Text 2

THE OPRICHNINA

Text 3

IVAN’S POLICY

Text 4

Text 5

RUSSIAN CULTURE IN THE 16^TH CENTURY

GRAMMAR FOCUS

I. Go to App. 1 p. 88 and read the information about Adjectives.

a) Look at the texts above and find examples of adjectives.

b) Translate the following sentences, paying attention to the adjective.

1. Kiev became the unifying center because it was situated on the crossroads of the trade routes between various territories.

2. But the greatest threat came from the East – the Mongols continued to assail Kiev.

3. The most important thing had taken place – the scattered lands of the Russians were united.

4. He knew that his state and his personal safety were getting less secure every day.

5. Vast territories came to Russians easily, but it was hard to organize those lands and keep order in them, while Russia was in the process of becoming the largest country in the world.

6. The position of the peasants was growing more difficult, and many fled south and formed their own communities there.

7. He was the most influential and significant figure of his time.

8. His reforms were the sharpest possible break from the old Russia.

9. The Tsar Bell, standing on a stone pedestal nearby is the biggest bell in the world.

10. The Russian population annually paid a huge tribute to the khan.

II. Put the adjectives in brackets into the comparative or superlative form.

1. The Oprichnina contained much of Russia’s (good) land, including parts of Moscow and many of the large central cities.

2. What had once been Russia’s best and (fertile) areas had been devastated and had fallen well below the rest of the country.

3. The central Moscow government also became (professional) through a division of labor responsibilities.

4. The very character of the culture underwent considerable changes – it became (secular).

5. The period of the Livonian War and Oprichnina was (favourable) for the Russian culture.

6. The Mongols held Russia and Volga Bulgaria in sway from their western capital at Sarai, one of (large) cities of the medieval world.

7. Becoming (strong) from the economic point of view, the Church began playing a great part in the political life.

8. The “Moscow” period was (bad) in Russian history, (stifling), the most Asian and Tatar in its essence.

WRITING

Structure:

Introduction

Paragraph 1

The subject or topic. A statement of your opinion.

Comments on the way it is to be treated.

Main body (Development)

Paragraph 2

Arguments for. The main ideas supported with details, examples.

Paragraph 3

Arguments against. The main ideas supported with details, examples.

Conclusion

Final paragraph

A summary of your viewpoints. Own views and opinions.

Points to remember:

1. Make a list of the points for and against before you start to write.

2. Never write an argument for or against without supporting it with justification.

3. Start each paragraph with a key sentence which summarizes what the paragraph is about.

4. Do not use short forms (e.g. I’m, he’ll) or strong personal expressions. I think or I believe should only be used in the final paragraph where you can give your opinion.

5. Make use of suitable connectives:

To introduce points: Firstly/ To begin with/ In the first place; One point in favour of (against)… is, etc.

To add more points: Secondly/ What is more/ Furthermore, etc.

To make contrasting points: However/ On the other hand/ Although/ In spite of/ Conversely, etc.

To conclude: To sum up/ in conclusion/ On balance/ All things considered.

Speaking

I. Lyrics: Create a poem or song lyrics on one of the topics or texts presented in this unit.

II. Discussion “Rewriting history”: Discuss how things might be different if some important events of the 16^th century had not happened or had turned out differently.

Summing-up assignment

I. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the unit. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

II. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information about Ivan IV Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) at the next lesson.

III. POSTER: Make a poster showing the life of people in the 16^th century. Show your poster to your classmates at the next lesson. Did you all find out similar things?

IV. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about Ivan IV. Include an imaginary interview with him. Write about what he does every day and what he thinks about.

Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

V. LETTER: Write a letter to Boris Godunov. Ask him three questions about his life. Give him three suggestions on what he should do in his future. Read your letter to your partner(s) at your next lesson. Your partner(s) will try and answer your questions.

ESSENTIAL VOCABULARY

Module 4
TIME OF TROUBLES AND THE FIRST ROMANOVS

In this module:

· The Time of Troubles, Romanov - rise to power, Aleksey Mikhaylovich, Culture of the 17^th century;

· Modal verbs;

· Writing an argumentative essay or an essay expressing opinion;

· Role play on the Time of Troubles.

Lead-in:

1. What period in Russian history is called the Time of Troubles? And why?

2. What do you know about the impostors of that time?

3. Who were the first Romanovs? What do you know about their policy?

READING

Text 1

Time of Troubles

Text 2

Romanov – Rise to power

Text 3

Text 4

Aleksey Mikhaylovich

I. Read the text about Aleksey Mikhaylovich and decide whether these statements are True or False. Correct the false statements:

1. Aleksey Mikhaylovich was the first of the Romanov dynasty.

2. During a riot in May 1648, rebels demanded to exile Morozov.

3. In the first years of Nikon’s tenure, his relations with Alexis were strained.

4. After abandoning the patriarchate Nikon’s power and influence were at an end.

5. A notable event of Alexis’s reign was the annexation of eastern Ukraine.

6. Muscovite forces began war with Sweden for the territories along the Baltic coast.

7. After a prolonged conflict with Poland, the boundaries of the annexed territory were confirmed by the armistice of Andrusovo with Poland in 1669. 

8. Aleksey Mikhaylovich was married twice, first to Mariya Miloslavskaya, then to Nataliya Naryshkina.

The reign of Michael’s son Alexis (Aleksey Mikhaylovich), whom later generations considered the very model of a benevolent and gentle tsar, began badly. Like his father, Alexis came to the throne a mere boy. Immediately the boyar who controlled the government, Boris Ivanovich Morozov, embarked upon policies that brought the government to the brink of disaster. Morozov cut government salaries; he also introduced a tax on salt and a state monopoly of tobacco, the former causing widespread hardship and discontent and the latter bringing the church’s condemnation. At the same time, he alienated boyar groups close to the throne by his interference in his ward’s marriage.

During a riot in Moscow in May 1648, a mob surrounded the 19-year-old tsar and demanded the execution of Morozov and the leading officials. Some of the latter were thrown to the mob, and a brief protective exile was arranged for Morozov. Morozov’s boyar enemies, who may have abetted the riot, took control of affairs and carried out a series of reforms. The salt tax and tobacco monopoly were ended, and a commission was established for the drafting of a new law code. Serious disorders continued in the cities of the north, particularly in Pskov and Novgorod, where force was required to reimpose authority.

In Novgorod the principal actor in the government’s interest was the metropolitan Nikon. In 1652 his solicitations earned him the patriarchate. Tradition has it that Nikon, before accepting the position, demanded a declaration of full obedience in religious and moral matters from the tsar. In the first years of Nikon’s tenure, his relations with Alexis and the court were good. The patriarch, with official support, carried out a number of liturgical and organizational reforms, surrounding himself with an impressive bureaucracy modeled upon the state apparatus. Relations with the tsar became strained in 1658, however, and, after he was publicly snubbed by Alexis, Nikon announced that he was abandoning the patriarchate. He later held that he had simply gone into temporary seclusion, but his effective power and influence were at an end.

The main event of Alexis’s reign was the annexation of eastern Ukraine. His government had continued the previous policy of avoiding entanglements in the West while expanding eastward but could not resist the opportunity offered in 1654 when Bohdan Khmelnytsky, the leader of a Cossack revolution against Polish rule in Ukraine, appealed to Moscow for the help he had been unable to obtain from Sweden and the Turks. Moscow accepted his allegiance in return for military assistance and thus became involved in a protracted struggle with Poland and Sweden for the Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Baltic territories. At first the war went well, but the differing objectives of the Ukrainian and Muscovite allies soon revealed themselves. When Charles X of Sweden entered the fray against Poland, Alexis made peace, in 1656; he feared a strong Sweden as much as a strong Poland. Muscovite forces plunged into war with Sweden for the Estonian, Livonian, and Karelian territories along the Baltic coast. The situation in Ukraine became increasingly confused and dangerous for Moscow, and it was necessary to end the war with Sweden in 1661, even at the cost of yielding, once again, the Baltic coast.

In Ukraine the war took on a new aspect when in 1664 Peter Doroshenko, a new leader, put himself under the protection of the Ottomans. The Turks joined in a number of major military operations, alarming both Poland and Moscow sufficiently to bring them to a truce at Andrusovo (1667). Poland recognized Moscow’s control over eastern Ukraine and Kiev, while Moscow yielded the part of Ukraine west of the Dnieper and most of Belarusia.

The peace did not greatly improve the government’s position, for the same year saw the beginning of a threatening movement among the Don Cossacks and peasants of the Volga region, led by Stenka Razin, and a political battle within the inner circles at court, caused by the death of Alexis’s wife. After two years, Alexis was married to Nataliya Naryshkina. In 1676, however, Alexis himself died, and Fyodor, a sickly son of his first wife, Mariya Miloslavskaya, succeeded him. In 1682, however, Fyodor died, and the Naryshkin faction sought to place his half brother Peter on the throne instead of Fyodor’s full brother, the ailing Ivan. The elite corps of streltsy (a hereditary military caste) revolted and established Ivan’s elder sister Sophia as regent.

[http: //www.all-art.org/Visual%20History/01russia1.htm]

II. Match the following words with the words in bold from the text and use them in the sentences of your own:

1) неодобрение, осуждение

2) великодушный, благожелательный

3) напряжённый; неестественный

4) драка, стычка; ссора

5) недовольство

6) длительный, затяжной, продолжительный

7) подопечный

8) трудность, неприятность

9) сборище, толпа

10) лояльность, верность, преданность

11) подстрекать, побуждать; содействовать

12) восстановить

13) достаточно, в достаточной мере

14) настойчивая просьба, ходатайство

15) беспорядки, волнения

16) бунт; восстание, мятеж

17) относиться с пренебрежением; унижать

18) начинать; вступать (в дело, в войну)

19) повиновение, подчинение

20) затруднительное положение

21) фракция; группировка; интриги

22) пребывание (в должности)

23) уединение

24) больной, нездоровый, хворый

III. Answer the following questions using the information from the text:

1. Why did the reign of Aleksey Mikhaylovich begin badly?

2. What measures taken by Morozov brought the government to the brink of disaster?

3. What did the riot in Moscow in May 1648 result in?

4. How can you characterize the relations between tsar and Nikon?

5. What was the main event of Alexis’s reign?

6. How did Moscow become involved in a struggle with Poland and Sweden for the Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Baltic territories? Why was it necessary to end the war with Sweden in 1661?

7. What was the role of Turks in the conflict in Ukraine?

8. What events led to Sophia’s regency?

Text 5

Culture

I. Read the text and discuss the following questions:

1. What new tendency in Russian culture emerged in the 17^th century?

2. Give three reasons for the paradoxical development of Russian culture of that period.

No period of Russia’s cultural history has been as full of change, turmoil, creativity, failure, and sheer destructiveness as the 17^th century. Russian society emerged from the Time of Troubles shattered and unsure of itself, disoriented and impoverished. This shaken society was then subject to wrenching social and economic change and strong external influences.

The old culture, in its formal aspects, had been the culture of the monasteries. Art, literature, architecture, and music remained traditional, canonical, and orthodox until the end of the 16^th century. The 17^th century produced, first among the officials and boyars and later among the merchants and middle classes, a new elite that was increasingly interested in European culture and that had mainly secular interests. Yet the government of these same officials and boyars worked to stifle native cultural development, and many of these merchants and nobles were drawn into movements opposed to Westernization.

There were three reasons for this paradoxical development. First, Western culture had reached Muscovy largely through Polish and Roman Catholic mediation, which rendered it unacceptable to all but those sophisticated enough to take a very broad view of the events of the Time of Troubles. In the Ukrainian and Belarusian territories, the Polish Counter-Reformation had brought a national cultural revival. The books, ideas, and people flowing from these lands into Muscovy in the 17^th century, however, were hardly less suspect than those of Roman Catholic Poland, and, as these “aliens” acquired a dominant position in Muscovite cultural affairs, resentment was added to suspicion.

A second reason for the character of Muscovite cultural development in the 17^th century was the preponderant role of the church and, later, of the state, which took over at last the assets, liabilities, and responsibilities of the ecclesiastical establishment. From 1620, when the patriarch Philaret pronounced an anathema upon “books of Lithuanian imprint” (in effect, the only secular books in print for the Russian reader), until the end of the century, when the government turned to imposing Greek and “Lithuanian” (i.e., Ukrainian and Belarusian) views upon a resisting populace, the state and its ecclesiastical adjunct had a repressive and stultifying influence.

Finally, indigenous cultural forces were, for various reasons, unable to assert themselves. They were physically dispersed, socially diverse, and set at odds by cultural and political disaffection. The development of a vernacular literature, which can be seen in the synthetic “folk songs”, pamphlets, tales, and imitations produced for and by the growing educated class, remained a marginal phenomenon; they were unpublished because of the ecclesiastical monopoly of the press, and they were anonymous. The promising experiments of a group of noble writers who worked within the formal Slavonic tradition were ended by exile and repression.

Despite these negative influences, the court itself, especially in the time of Alexis, was a centre of literary and artistic innovation, and many of the leading men of the realm were considered cultured and cosmopolitan by Westerners who knew them.

II. Annotation: Write five or six summary statements about what you have just read. Then in groups share your ideas.

III. Quick quiz: Work with a partner and write a list of ten questions (with answers on the other side of the paper) about the text you have just read. Then quiz other students.

IV. Project: Compare Russian and English culture of the 17^th century. Cover the following spheres of culture in your project: art, literature, architecture, music.

GRAMMAR FOCUS

I. Go to App. 1 p. 89 and read the information about Modals.

a) Look at the texts above and find examples of the modal verbs.

b) Translate the following sentences, paying attention to the modal verb.

1. All people had to make a payment of furs to the khan. Those who could not pay would become slaves.

2. As to landowners, they didn’t have to serve either in the military or in any other position.

3. He was ruthless, but he could not break the opposition of the old without ruthlessness.

4. Peter the Great not only indicated which books ought to be translated but also looked through the translation himself; he corrected them and taught how books should be translated.

5. How can you name a new epoch in Russian history after Peter the Great?

6. Lomonosov may be considered as the founder of Russian science.

7. Federal law may set additional requirements for the judges of the Russian Federation courts.

8. We cannot open our eyes, cannot make a move, and cannot turn in any direction without encountering him everywhere.

II. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of " can", " be able to", " must" or " have to".

1. One has to pass certain exams to be accepted by this college.

2. Although the room was full of smoke, he … phone the fire brigade.

3. If I go by train, I … buy a ticket.

4. You …be careful with electricity.

5. As a child he … play squash for hours.

6. If you want to be a member of the club, you … register in time.

7. In the end we … use all the meat we'd bought so we threw it away.

8. She was so short she … reach the door handle.

9. …we really stay so late at the party?

10. Our father told us that we …be home by 10 p.m.

WRITING

Essay expressing opinion versus argumentative essay

Useful words and phrases:

Introduction:

The problem/issue/phenomenon of … is/appears to be/has always been…,

People always say/have always thought/agreed/said/believed …,

It is a controversial/burning question…,

There is a dispute/discussion/no agreement…

There are so many differing views on/

In order to present this problem, let me begin with a paradox/proverb/famous quote…

Main body:

On the one hand … on the other hand;

As critics point out/claim;

From the angle/viewpoint of;

As a matter of fact;

Conclusion:

All in all, to sum up, in conclusion, in summary, in general;

It seems important to add/point out that….

To come back to the point raised at the beginning…

Surely, it would be impossible to give full justice to…

Speaking

Role play: Work in groups of three.

One of you role plays a television journalist and the other takes on the role of a historian who appears on some TV program. The third is a viewer asking additional questions in the topic of the discussion. The topic of the program is “Time of Troubles”. Get into character and present you role-plays to the rest of the class.

Summing-up assignment

I. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the unit. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

II. RENDERING:

Смутное время

Московской ветви династии Рюриковичей пришел конец в лице младшего сына Ивана Грозного Федора. Линия сильных царей пришла в крайний упадок, когда умственно и физически отсталый самодержец взошел на престол. Опасность, которую нес с собой такой недееспособный государь, осложнялась еще и тем, что его правление совпало с накопившимися проблемами, возникшими в результате политики его отца.

Смерть Ивана IV явилась облегчением для всех, кроме опричников московского княжества. Через несколько недель народ и знать объединились, чтобы свергнуть Богдана Вельского, оставшегося возглавлять опричнину. В течение следующих 20 лет князья Шуйские и Мстиславские, бояре Романовы и опричник Годунов боролись за престол.

Конец столетия принес климатические и демографические катастрофы, а с ними новое сознание в обществе. Нарастала волна антифеодальных настроений. Под руководством казаков юго-западной части страны крестьянские бунты сотрясали саму основу русского феодализма. Появилась целая плеяда авантюристов из слоев обедневших и утративших свой социальный статус князей и бояр, казаков. В те годы московское княжество находилось в полной анархии. Этим беспорядком внутри ослабленной страны незамедлительно воспользовались Польша и Швеция. Фактически “Смутное время” – это период между смертью царя Федора Иоановича в 1598 году и коронацией Романовской династии в 1613 году, период крестьянских войн и иностранной интервенции.

Потеря рабочей силы была одним из важнейших факторов экономического кризиса, который вскоре последовал. Побеги крепостных от хозяев были не единственным выражением крестьянского недовольства. Впервые за всю историю Московского княжества начало 17 столетия было отмечено крупными крестьянскими восстаниями.

Федор был совершенно не способен управлять страной. Затем возникла загадочная фигура Бориса Годунова, знакомая любителям поэзии и оперы по произведениям Пушкина и Мусоргского. Годунов имел монгольское происхождение. При опричнине он быстро поднялся, и ему удалось женить на своей сестре Ирине Федора. В самом начале правления Годунова против него было раскрыто несколько заговоров, совершались попытки убрать его подальше от престола. Эти попытки не удались, и подстрекатели Мстиславский и Шуйский были казнены, замучены или изгнаны, некоторые публично обезглавлены.

К 1587 г. Годунов убрал своих соперников. Несмотря на скромное образование, Б. Годунов был непревзойденным бюрократическим политиком, великолепным тактиком, дипломатом, он лично участвовал в составлении дипломатической переписки с иностранными монархами. Во внешней политике Годунов сделал серьезную попытку объединить Польшу, Литву и Россию и заключил долгосрочный мир, когда эта попытка не удалась. Годунову удалось захватить у шведов такие территории как Ивангород, Карелию, которые уступил им Иван.

После смерти царя Федора власть на короткое время перешла к царице Ирине, но московское княжество не было готово к царствованию женщины, и вскоре она постриглась в монахини.

[Колесникова М.В., Миньяр-Белоручева А.П., Рытова И.Г., Седелкина Л.Н., Фукс Г.Н. Английский язык для историков. История России IX-XX вв. М., 1999.]

III. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information about the Time of Troubles. Talk about what you have discovered with your partner(s) at the next lesson.

IV. POSTER: Make a poster showing the life of people during the Time of Troubles. Show your poster to your group mates at the next lesson.

V. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about:

A. Aleksey Mikhaylovich

B. Feodor Romanov

Include an imaginary interview with him. Write about what he does every day and what he thinks about.

Read what you wrote to your group mates at the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

VI. LETTER: Write a letter to Mikhail Romanov. Ask him three questions about his life. Give him three suggestions on what he should do in his future. Read your letter to your partner(s) at your next lesson. Your partner(s) will try and answer your questions.

ESSENTIAL VOCABULARY

Module 5
PETER THE GREAT

In this module:

· Peter the Great; Military reforms, Culture in the epoch of Peter the Great;

· The Infinitive;

· Writing a biography;

· Role play “Russia of the 18^th century”.

Lead-in:

1. What steps in Peter’s policy could give reasons for calling him Great?

2. What main events of Peter’s reign can you recollect?

3. How were the relations with other countries changed during Peter’s rule?

READING

Text 1

Peter the Great

Text 2

Early reign

Text 3

Text 4

GRAMMAR FOCUS

Go to App. 1 p. 93 and read the information about the Infinitive/the Gerund.

WRITING

Project: Write a biography of Peter the Great or Ivan the Terrible. Explain your choice.

Speaking

Role play: My suggestions for a good government.

You live in Russia of the 18^th century. Your task is to conduct research and find out what kind of government is more appropriate for the prosperity of the country.

Step 1. Work in a group. Each research group prepares a questionnaire for some inhabitants of the country (nobility, gentry) to find out their needs and preferences.

We recommend a multiple choice system:

E.g. What kind of government do you prefer?

a) absolute monarchy

b) constitutional monarchy

c) republican form of government

Step 2. Each group appoints an interviewer who goes to question people from other teams.

Step 3. Interviewers report back to their research groups.

Step 4. At a round-table session all the groups discuss the results of their research and prepare a general report to the head of the country.

Summing-up assignment

I. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the unit. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

II. RENDERING:

Петр I

Эпоха великих преобразований в России ассоциируется с Петром I Петр пришел к власти в 1689 году. Он стал активным продолжателем реформ, начатых его отцом. При Екатерине II родилась петровская легенда – легенда о мудром царе I преобразователе, прорубившим окно в Европу и открывшим Россию влиянию западной культуры и цивилизации. Эта версия I не была отвергнута историками последующих веков. Ее поддерживают и в наше время большинство историков.                   

На самом деле все было иначе. Несмотря на декоративные новшества, которые Петр ввел, вернувшись из Голландии, – никто из современников не воспринимал его как нарушителя традиций. Хотя при Петре, больше, чем при других царях использовали иностранных специалистов, все ключевые посты в государстве занимали русские люди. Отношение Петра к Европе несмотря на его восторженность, оставалось потребительским. Все европейские достижения были усвоены русскими за очень короткое время.

Будучи, по-существу, логическим продолжением политики западничества в России, его предшественников, петровские реформы оказали более глубокое влияние на русские стереотипы поведения, чем все предшествующие реформы.

[Колесникова М.В., Миньяр-Белоручева А.П., Рытова И.Г., Седелкина Л.Н., Фукс Г.Н. Английский язык для историков. История России IX-XX вв. М., 1999.]

III. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information about Peter the Great. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) at the next lesson.

IV. POSTER: Make a poster showing how Russian traditional way of life underwent fundamental change in Peter’s epoch. Show your poster to your classmates at the next lesson.

V. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about Peter the Great.

Include an imaginary interview with him. Write about what he does every day and what he thinks about.

Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

VI. LETTER: Write a letter to Peter the Great. Ask him three questions about his life. Give him three suggestions on what he should do in his future. Read your letter to your partner(s) at your next lesson. Your partner(s) will try and answer your questions.

ESSENTIAL VOCABULARY

adopt (v)

amateur (n)

answerable (to) (adj)

assumption (of rule) (n)

barbaric (adj)

carpenter (n)

clip off the beards

collect revenue

complete the mission

confinement (n)

conscript for life

conscription (n)

conspirator (n)

coup (n)

courtier (n)

decisively (adv)

disband (v)

expel (v)

expenditure (n)

farm out (v)

from scratch

impartial (adj)

implement (v)

instigate (v)

levy (v)

maritime power

mutineer (n)

navy(n)

novelty (n)

outcome (n)

outlet (n)

possession (n)

predecessor (n)

primary objective

purported (adj)

rally(v)

rebellion (n)

reckon with (v)

regiment (n)

resent (v)

restriction (n)

seek the aid

standing army

standing army

status quo

suggestive (adj)

supplement (v)

suppress (v)

tear apart (v)

torture (n)

trigger the beginning

uniformity (n)

wage war

Test Yourself!

APPENDIX 1

GRAMMAR REFERENCE

Действительный залог

The Active Voice

Глагол-сказуемое употребляется в действительном залоге, если подлежащее предложения обозначает лицо или предмет, который сам совершает действие (в настоящем, прошедшем или будущем времени).

Употребление