I. Read the text to get the general understanding of it.

Minor Moscow Princedom was destined to head the struggle against The Golden Horde in the middle of the 13^th century, then, oppose the Lithuanian threat in the Eastern Europe, overcome feudal division of Russia and became a dominant political power. Moscow rise and its gradual transformation into the national center of integration of Russian lands cannot be explained merely by its favorable geographical position. The initial territory of Moscow Princedom was not very large, even after joining of Kolomna and Mozhaisk.

The first Moscow rulers succeeded not only to seize the Grand Dukes’ Throne (other princes would manage it too), but also preserve it despite of all princely internecine strives and intrigues in the Khan’s headquarters.

Hegemony of Moscow in Northeast Russia laid the political foundation of formation of a single Russian State. Its creation was not sufficiently prepared economically as it was in the centralized states of the Western Europe. Prosperous cities and trading communication were not the cementing basis on which the construction of the single national state was carried out. The less spontaneous economic forces played in the unifying process, the more the role of military-political force was.

Noting this feature P.N. Milyukov called Muscovy “the Military-National State”, which he figuratively compared to a military camp. Association of Russian Lands around Moscow occurred above all under the influence of foreign factors – necessity of national independence from The Golden Horde and deliverance of a part of Russian territories from Lithuanian Rule. In 1380 The Grand Duke of The Whole Russia (the Moscow rulers’ official title) Dmitry Ivanovich defeated the army of The Golden Horde. By that time Moscow Princedom was already the largest and strongest among all Russian Lands. In 1480 (the rule of Ivan III) it stopped to render tribute to the Khans of The Golden Horde. The Great Moscow Princedom had 430 thousand square kilometers and approximately 3 million people by the year of 1462; during the rule of Ivan III and Vasily III the territory increased 6 times, and the population – twice.

Muscovy superiority over the Lithuanian State was formed between the 15^th and 16^th centuries. This preponderance was not caused only by military power, but also was due to yearning of the Eastern Slavs to rejoin Russian National State.

So, this was the time of formation of a single Russian State. But this process included just a part of the old Russian lands, only the princedoms, which had been under the Golden Horde Rule. Association of the lands around Moscow was gradual, stage-by-stage liberation (struggle for independence) from the Golden Horde Yoke. Thus, integration of Russian Princedoms into a single National State was based less on economic and cultural relationship and more on military power of The Moscow Great Princedom.                                                         [http: //russia.rin.ru/guide_e/2/2.html]

 

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

1) приблизительно

2) начальный; исходный, первоначальный

3) борьба

4) возрастать, увеличиваться; расти

5) необходимость, настоятельная потребность

6) постепенный; последовательный

7) основание (города, компании, семьи)

8) освобождение

9) спасение, освобождение

10) междоусобная борьба

11) перевес, превосходство, преимущество, преобладание

III. Find the words in the text which describe or mean the following:

1) the act of combining or adding parts to make a unified whole –

2) advantageous, encouraging, or promising –

3) the act of making secret plots or employing underhand methods –

4) flourishing; rich; wealthy –

5) the state or quality of being free from control in action, judgment, etc –

6) the quality of being better, more skillful, more powerful etc than other things –

7) an intense or overpowering longing, desire, or need –

 

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

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