Donetsk history
In 1869, an iron-works was founded there by a Welshman, John Hughes (from whom the town’s pre-revolutionary name Yuzovka was derived), to produce iron rails for the growing Russian 4) rail network. The plant used coal from the immediate vicinity, and both coal mining 5) _________ steel making developed rapidly.
By 1914, there were 4 metallurgical 6) plants and 10 coal-pits in the city. The population 7) was about 50,000 people.
After the October Revolution (1917), Yuzovka was renamed Stalino and, 8) in 1961, Donetsk.
Heavy 9) destructions during the World War II led to postwar modernization and increase in the scale of industry. Subsequent growth of 10) population was rapid and sustained.
Today, there are more than 40 coal-pits within the city limits. Donetsk is one of the 11) largest metallurgical centers in eastern Europe.
2. Read, translate the text, fill in the correct adjectives formed from the nouns in bold:
Donetsk features
Donetsk is a very green city, there are a lot of beautiful (beauty) parks and boulevards. A botanical (Botany) garden is open all year round. A special place is taken by a wonderful (wonder) park of forged figures where annual European (Europe) blacksmiths’ competition takes place. Reconstruction of the river Kalmius embankment was finished in 2009.
The environmen (environment) pollution made by city plants concentrated on a small territory and the plants of Donetsk agglomeration form steady smog. It covers this industrial (industry) city with dark violet smoke almost all year round.
Heavy air pollution is partly compensated by a lot of greenery and flowers. Over a half of the total city territory is occupied by greenery. The micro climate is favored by 30 ponds and natural (nature) water reservoirs with the total territory over 600 hectares, both within the city and in its outskirts.
3. Fill in the right words into the text:
Museums
There are about 140 museums and museum rooms 1) in Donetsk.
Local History Museum. The museum is housed in 2) a modern building located near the “Donbass Arena” stadium. Extensive exhibition, presented in 24 halls, has 3) _____ about 120 thousand exhibits.
Among them 4) _______ the remains of fossils of animals, imprints 5) of fossil plants and trees, large archaeological collection of different tools, weapons, ornaments and amulets, numismatic collection, ethnographic collection. The 6) most valuable exhibits are rare old books.
Museum of Art. The collection includes 11,500 works of painting, drawing, sculpture, decorative arts. In particular, the paintings of artists from Russia, Italy, Holland, France 7) and Germany are presented.
The collection of crafts of ancient Greece and Rome (vases, dishes of various shapes and purposes, lamps, glass and bronze wares) are of particular interest.
4. Answer the questions to the text in your exercise-book:
Donetsk stadium, parks
Donbass Arena Stadium. It is Ukraine’s first stadium built for the European Football Championship 2012 in accordance with the standards of the UEFA Elite Category (five stars).
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Due to its unusual design (the effect of a floating roof), the stadium is shaped like a “flying saucer”. The complex houses three restaurants, several bars, a fitness center and a museum of FC “Shakhtar” with a multimedia exhibition and gift shop.
On the square in front of “Donbass Arena”, the soccer ball fountain is set. 28-ton ball with a diameter of 2.7 m is spinning because of the pressure of the water. It is considered to be the largest spinning granite ball in the world.
Next to the stadium, there is a park with fountains, ponds and a rock garden. The total area of the park is about 2.5 hectares. Chelyuskintsev Street, 189-e. Opening hours: 10:00-17:00.
The park of forged sculptures. The best works of blacksmiths of Donbass region are collected there. The park holds annual international festival of blacksmithing skills. After the festival, the best works are usually left in the park as a gift to the city. The garden of fairy tales with wooden sculptures of fairytale characters is located nearby.
Shcherbakov park. The park of culture and rest named after A. Shcherbakov is the central park of Donetsk located in the Voroshilov district, on the banks of two ponds, near the old stadium “Shakhtar”. The park occupies an area of 62 hectares. The central entrance to the park is from University Street.
A long pedestrian bridge over the pond #1 is considered the most romantic meeting place of lovers. By tradition, young couple hangs a lock on the bridge as the symbol of eternal love.
In the middle of the park, the statue of “The Kind Angel of the World” is standing. On the right, you can find children’s rides, a Ferris wheel, roller drome and a boat station. On the left, the main fountain of the park and the largest rose garden in Donbass are located.
Botanical Garden. Donetsk botanical garden is one of the largest in Europe. It was established as a research institute in 1964. The collection has more than eight thousand plants of two thousand species.
Thanks to this garden, Donetsk is considered to be one of the greenest industrial cities in the world. There is a winter greenhouse.
Dolphinarium “Nemo”. The year-round dolphinarium is a part of a national network of cultural and recreation centers “Nemo”. You can watch the dolphins through special “windows” in the foyer. The show “With Love to Nature” involves bottlenose dolphins, South American fur seals and a sea lion.
In addition to performances, you can swim and dive with the dolphins. Also, sessions of dolphin therapy are being held. Colorful night shows are held during various celebrations. The dolphinarium is open in any weather.
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Royal Marine Water Park. This water park was opened in 2012. It has an open aqua zone with swimming pools and rides, as well as an indoor entertainment zone, which is covered by a transparent dome with a diameter of 85 meters and a height of 24 meters. Thus, the water park is able to work at any time of the year, and in all weather conditions.
Questions:
1. What was Donbass Arena Stadium built for?
2. What standards was it built in accordance with?
3. What is the shape of the stadium?
4. What does the complex house?
5. What can you see on the square, in front of Donbass Arena?
6. Where are the best works of blacksmiths of Donbass region collected?
7. What annual international festivals does the park hold?
8. What area does Shcherbakov park occupy?
9. What district of Donetsk is it situated?
10. What is the most romantic meeting place in Shcherbakov park?
11. What attractions can you find in Shcherbakov park?
12. What interesting facts about our Botanical garden do you know?
13. Where can you see dolphins in Donetsk?
14. What other animals can you see in the dolphinarium?
15. What do people enjoy in the dolphinarium?
16. Describe Royal Marine Water Park in Donetsk.
Can you visit it in any weather condition?
5. Read, translate and copy out new words into your vocabulary:
Monuments
The Palm Tree of Mertsalov. It is a replica of a famous “Palm of Mertsalov” which has become a symbol of Donbass (depicted on the coat of arms of the region). The filigree sculpture in the form of a palm tree, forged from one steel rail at the end of the 19th century by local blacksmith A. Mertsalov, was awarded the Grand Prix at the Paris International Industrial Exhibition in 1900.
The original sculpture is located in the Museum of the Mining Institute in St. Petersburg. Numerous copies of this sculpture made by blacksmith S. Kaspruk can be found in Kiev, Lviv, Crimea, Moscow, Hanover and Ottawa.
In Donetsk, the first copy was set in 1999 near the exhibition center “Expo-Donbass”; the other was placed in the heart of the city - on the Pushkin Boulevard. Pushkin Boulevard, 34.
Tsar Cannon. The monument placed in the square in front of the city council is a replica of the famous Moscow Tsar Cannon, the largest in caliber gun in the world. It was a gift from the people of Moscow to residents of Donetsk. The cannon was cast at “Izhstal” plant in Izhevsk (Russia) in 2001.
The cannon is mounted on decorative cast-iron gun-carriage, decorative cast-iron cannonballs lie next to it. The carriage weighs 20 tons, the cannon itself - 44 tons. The length of the gun barrel is 5.28 m, which is 6 cm shorter than the original. Artem Street, 98.
6. Make up some questions on the text:
Theaters
The Opera House. Donetsk academic opera and ballet theater named after A. Solovyanenko was designed by architect L. Kotovsky and built in 1941. The monumental building was constructed in socialist realism style. The theater has 970 seats. The repertory of the theater includes the plays: “Bohdan Khmelnytsky”, “Falstaff”.
The Drama Theater. Donetsk music and drama theater dates back to 1927 when Ukrainian theater of workers was created in Kharkov (the capital of Ukraine that time). The main purpose of the theater was to carry out cultural and educational mission in the east of the country.
In 1933, the theater moved to Donetsk. It is one of the most visited theaters in Ukraine. One of the best plays of recent years was the play “Aeneid”. Artem Street, 74-a.
The Puppet Theater. It is one of the oldest theaters in Ukraine (1933).
7. Fill in the right words: