I 5.They say that Belarus is at the crossroads of Europe. Explain why.

They say that Belarus is at the crossroads of Europe. Explain why.

I 1. Let’s talk about our country. What can you tell me about our Motherland?

Variant I

Belarus is situated in the eastern part of Europe. Its territory is 207.600 square kilometers. Belarus borders on Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania. Our native land is remarkably beautiful with its blue lakes and ribbons of rivers. Forests stretch for many kilometers. The pride of the republic are its wildlife reserves and national parks. The longest rivers are the Dnieper, the Dvina, the Sozh. The biggest lake is Lake Naroch. The climate of Belarus is continental with a comparatively mild winter and summer. Administratively Belarus is divided into 6 provinces: Brest, Grodno, Mogilev, Vitebsk and Minsk. The capital of the country is Minsk. There are 2 state languages – Belorussian and Russian. Orthodox religion dominates but there are other ones – Protestants, Muslims, Jews. Belarus is a presidential republic. The President of the Republic is Head of the State. Parliament is a representative and legislative institution of the country. The central body of state management is the Government – Council of Ministers with the Prime Minister at head. Belarus is situated at the crossroads and there wasn’t a single war in Europe that passed by. The Second World War brought great destructions. But our people restored and rebuilt our Motherland. Nowadays Belarus is a country of developed industry, education and culture. Its enterprises produce tractors and lorries, fridges and TV sets, bicycles and dump tracks. It exports potassium, tractors, and products of light industry. Agriculture is specialized in milk and meat production. The main crops are: flax, potatoes, rye, wheat. Belorussian people value peace and want to live in good neighbor relations with all the nations. I pay tribute to our ancestors and believe the country with such a rich heritage and kind, tolerant people will have happy future.

Variant II

The Republic of Belarus is a small, beautiful country with the heroic past and interesting present. It is situated in Eastern Europe. The Republic borders on Russia, the Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. It has an area of 207 square kilometers and a population of more than 10 million. Measured by its territory, Belarus ranks 13th among the states of Europe. Two-thirds of Belarus' population live in cities. There are 97 cities in the Republic. Its capital is Minsk, with the population of about two million people. Minsk is also the coordinating center of the commonwealth of independent States. The largest cities in Belarus are Brest, Vitebsk, Gomel, Grodno, and Mogilev, in which the administrative centers of the Republic are located.

Belorussian`s natural scenery is wide, lonely plains covered with hills, and many lakes and forests. The highest place in Belarus is the mount Dzerzhinskaya (345m) in Minsk region. There are nearly 3.000 rivers with the total length of over 51.000 kilometers in Belarus. The chief rivers are the Dnieper, the Neman, the Zapadnaya Dvina, the Pripyat. In the past they were great trade ways from Europe to Asia and India and many towns appeared on their banks. There are more than 10800 lakes in Belarus. Most of them are situated in the northern part of the republic. The largest lake is the Naroch (80 sq km) and the deepest one is the Dolgoye(54 metres). One third of the Republic's territory is covered with forests. The largest of them are called pushchas. The most beautiful is the Byelovezhskaya.

The climate in the Belarus is moderately continental. The climate is mild and one can travel comfortably here at any time of year. The moderately continental climate of Belarus is a gift from the Atlantic Ocean, and the winds that blow from the ocean make Belarus a zone of stable harvest.

Today Belarusian industry produces tractors, big lorries, automatic lines, computers, television sets, bicycles, and else. Agriculture specializes in milk and meat production. The main cultures here are potatoes, flax, grain, herbs and vegetables. More than 30 minerals have been discovered nowadays in Belarus. Among them we have oil, natural gas, coal, rock salt, potassium salts, phosphorites, marl, iron ore, dolomites and others.

Belarus is a republic of well-developed science and culture. Every eight person in Belarus has higher education. The number of scientists and college teachers exceeds 75,000, among them more than 10,000 with doctoral degree or candidate status.

Variant III

Of course a lot can be said about Belarus, but I’ll limit my story to some facts about its geographical and historical features.

Belarus is situated in the eastern part of Europe. Its area is 207 600 square kilometres. It borders on Latvia and Lithuania, on Russia, on the Ukraine and on Poland. The population of the country is about 10 million people. The territory of Belarus is divided into 6 regions: Brest, Vitebsk, Grodno, Gomel, Minsk and Mogilev. The capital of Belarus is Minsk.

Our native land is very beautiful with its blue lakes and ribbons of rivers edged with thick forests, with its endless fields, meadows and swamps, with its varied and plentiful animal and plant kingdom. There are some 3000 rivers flowing over the territory of Belarus. The longest rivers are the Dnieper, the Nieman, the Western Bug and the Western Dvina. There are over 10 000 lakes in Belarus. The largest of them is Lake Naroch. That’s why Belarus has often been referred to as the blue eyed country.

More than a quarter of the country is covered with forests. An ancient forest on the border between Belarus and Poland, Belovezhskaya Pushcha is a national reservation. The pride of the reservation is the aurochs (or bison) – a rare animal. Belarus has more than 70 mammal and 280 bird species.

The climate of Belarus is continental with a comparatively mild winters and warm summers.

The nature of Belarus has suffered much from the nuclear catastrophe that took place in Chernobyl in 1986. The radiation has spoiled our soil and air, rivers and lakes, it has poisoned our flora and fauna. Besides it has badly affected the health of people.

The geographical position of Belarus got our country involved in major European events over the centuries. The history of Belarus goes back to antiquity. The ancestors of the Belarusians were the Krivichi, Radimichi and Dregovichi. By the 9th century they formed local principalities of Pinsk, Turov, Polotsk, Slutsk and Minsk. There was a need in a united state, and Kievskaya Rus appeared. In the second half of the 13th century the Grand Principality of Lithuania was formed.

The advantageous geographical position – on the cross-roads from east to west – turned into disadvantage. Belarus was the arena of many wars, invasions and aggressions. All these events slowed down but didn’t stop the development of the nation.

On the 1st of January in 1919 the BSSR was formed. In December 1922 it joined the USSR. Belarus proclaimed its sovereignty on the 27 of July in1990. In 1994 the post of the president was introduced. Nowadays Belarus is a country of developed industry, agriculture, science and culture.

See also student’s book Unit 3 Lessons 1-3

I 2. What parts of Belarus have you visited?

Today Belarus is becoming more and more popular as a tourist destination. Different exciting routes have been offered both to foreign and local travelers. Mir and Nesvizh Castles have been visited by thousands of people from Belarus. I am not an exception either.

I’ve been to Mir, Nesvizh, Lida, Novogrudok, Brest and Minsk. Much can be said about any of these places.

For example a small town Novogrudok is famed in legends and Belarusians believe that once Novogrudok was their capital, the second one after Polotsk. The emergence of this beautiful myth dates back to the times, when the Grand Principality of Lithuania was arising. Novogrudok was the richest and most captivating city of the land. Adam Mickiewicz is probably the most outstanding celebrity of the city. His name seems to train along the streets — from old houses to churches and cathedrals. If you stand in the centre of the marketplace, anywhere you look you will see the places touched by Mickiewicz’s presence: the house, where the would-be classic was raised, the church, where he was later baptised, the mount erected in his honour and the monument to the poet…

I 3. What questions about Belarus do you expect to hear from a British teenager?

Do people of Belarus speak Belarusian?
What places are worth seeing in Belarus?

Where is Belarus situated?

Which of the historic places in Belarus are worth seeing?

What are the biggest industrial centres of Belarus?

What problems is the country facing at present?

What are the most popular holidays in Belarus?

Are there any places of interest in your native town?

I 4. What Belarusian sights would you advise a foreigner to visit?

Variant I

Whether you need inspiration for your trip, Belarus has everything you need to plan your perfect holiday. Everything denotes harmony on this land. Medieval castles, small village churches, remarkable landscape, sheer beauty of cool forests with primeval nature which are a paradise for hunters, and clear like tears silent lakes. Belarusian unique natural environment is host to a fascinating selection of rare plant and animal species, several National Parks and a range of significant conversation projects. Since old times Belarus has been called ‘blue-eyed”. There are more than ten thousand lakes and twenty thousand rivers are considered to be a treasure for fishermen and for lovers of such sport activities as diving and boating. A special offer is rural tourism that became fashionable nowadays!

Belarus is a unique country which is known for its rich and colourful heritage and culture. Places, people, myths and legends all come together to tell us stories that fascinate and inspire. They provide vital clues about our past and are therefore vital to our present and future. The birthplace of Chagall, Tadeush Kostsiushko, and Zhores Alferov, Belarus is full of customs and traditions, many with a very long history.

The best starting point for travelling, I think, is Grodno. Besides, Grodno is the first city on the way from Europe.

Grodno is our ancient and ever young town. It’s an eye-witness of many events that happened in it and its surroundings. The history of Grodno is in its architecture, in the names of its streets and squares, in its monuments. On the right bank of the River Neman you can see an imposing building of the Old Castle, many churches and cathedrals which are the architectural monuments of the past, the relics of the past.

Great past of Grodno is connected with the world famous names —August Ponyatovsky, Stefan Batory, Knight Vitovt, Kastus Kalinovsky, Eliza Ozheshko, Maxim Bogdanovich.

Then I will advise to go along the road of castles to Novogrudok, Mir, Nesvizh. It’s impossible to visit the country and not to visit its capital. That’s why Minsk would also be an interesting point in your route. Such places as Polotsk and Vitebsk are connected with certain events and names. Our famous Belarusian guides will tell a lot of interesting things about the history of our country.

Variant II

There are many places of interest in our republic. A great number of them are connected with the Great Patriotic War. One of the most impressive is the memorial in Khatyn, a village burnt together with all its inhabitants by the fascists. There are many historical places in Polotsk, some of them are connected with Francisk Skaryna, the first Belarusian printer, and with Efrosinia Polotskaya, who is considered to be the protectress of Belarus.

There are some places of interest in our town too. One of them is a field in Buinichi with a monument to Konstantin Simonov. During the Great Patriotic War 39 tanks were destroyed there. The defence of Mogilev was described by Konstantin Simonov in his book “The Living and the Dead”. Simonov often visited our town, and after his death the ashes of his body were scattered over this field.

Variant III

There are a lot of places of interest in Belarus: ancient towns, monuments and museums. They are our national heritage. Among the main Belarusian treasures we can mention the city of Nesvizh. The castle is associated with mysterious legends about lost treasures and ghosts. 2 centuries ago there was one of the richest libraries and rich collections of arts and weapons. Now the castle is renowned and gathers tourists from abroad. Musical festivals are held in Nesvizh castle every year. So, I would advise to visit Nesvizh.
Variant IV

Belarusian cultural heritage is great. There are a lot of places to see and visit. For example Zaslavl. It’s situated 30 km from Minsk. The town was founded by Vladimir the Great. The most well-known architectural monuments of Zaslavl are: the Saviour Church, built in 1577, and the Roman Catholic Church in Market Square. The Museum and Exhibition Centre was opened at the Zaslavl National State Historical Reserve after its reconstruction in 1992. Loshitsa estate and park is a monument of the second half of the 19th century. The estate is currently under reconstruction. In spite of all destructions Loshitsa has preserved its mysterious atmosphere which was always attractive to people of art: poets, artists and musicians. Minsk is the capital of Belarus. There are a lot of places to see and to visit as well: Troitskoye Predmest’ye, Victory Circus, the City Hall, the Holy Spirit Orthodox Cathedral, Virgin Mary Catholic church and others. These are only some places. I’d like to welcome tourists to Belarus and enjoy visiting its sights and the hospitality of our people.
Variant V

The national library is a place to visit in Belarus. You’ll never find such a place in Europe. It’s a masterpiece of modern architecture. The design of it is symbolic and you need to give it a thought to see the ideas behind of it. As for the past of our country, you should visit Mir castle which is a UNESCO World Heritage site in Belarus. Brest fortress is a must for those who are interested in our history.

I 5.They say that Belarus is at the crossroads of Europe. Explain why.

Geographically Belarus is situated in the centre of Europe between Latvia and Ukraine, Poland and Russia. Historically many wars and battles located on the territory of our Motherland due to its favorable position on the map.

№ 2

1. Let’s talk about Belarus. What do you know about the history of our country?

2. Do you know any symbols of our country?

3. What questions will you ask a zoologist who works in the Belavezhskaya Pushcha?

4. What Belarusian festivals would you advise a foreigner to attend?

5. They say that the Belarusian language is losing popularity. Do you agree with this? Why (not)?

II 1. Let’s talk about Belarus. What do you know about the history of our country?

Variant I

While archeological evidence points to settlement in today's Belarus at least 10,000 years ago, recorded history begins with settlement by Baltic and Slavic tribes in the early centuries A.D. With distinctive features by the ninth century, the emerging Belarusian state was then absorbed by Kievan Rus' in the 9th century. Belarus was later an integral part of what was called Litva, which included today's Belarus as well as today's Lithuania. Belarus was the birthplace of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Belarusian was the state language of the Grand Duchy until 1697, in part owing to the strong flowering of Belarusian culture during the Renaissance through the works of leading Belarusian humanists such as Frantzisk Skaryna). Belarus was the site of the Union of Brest in 1597, which created the Greek Catholic Church, for long the majority church in Belarus until suppressed by the Russian empire, and the birthplace of Thaddeus Kosciuszko, who played a key role in the American Revolution. Occupied by the Russian empire from the end of the 18th century until 1918, Belarus declared its short-lived National Republic on March 25, 1918, only to be forcibly absorbed by the Bolsheviks into what became the Soviet Union. Suffering massive population losses under Stalin and the Nazi occupation, Belarus was retaken by the Soviets in 1944. It declared its sovereignty on July 27, 1990, and independence from the Soviet Union on August 25, 1991. It has been run by the authoritarian Alexander Lukashenko since 1994.

Variant II

Belarus has a long and interesting history. According to some documents Belarusian statehood started in the 10th century when Prince Rogvold began his reign on Polotsk lands, the historic and religious centre of our nation. The original Belarusian tribes are the Krivichy. From the 13th till the 16th centuries Belarus was a part of the Grand Principality (Duchy) of Lithuania, one of the most powerful state in Europe. In the 16th century Francisk Scoryna published his first “Bible” in the Belarusian language and the Grand Principality Statute came out. It helped to develop our country politically and culturally. During this period Belarusian culture flourished to its highest level. In the 18th century Belarus was a province of the Rech Pospolita. Under Polish rule, the Belarusian language was greatly influenced by Polish. Then Belarus became a part of Russia. The publication of the first “Dictionary of the Belarusian Language” in 1870 helped to lay the foundations of modern Belarus as a nation. Then in 1919-a part of the Soviet Union. But on the 27th of July, 1991 Belarus proclaimed its sovereignty. Belarus suffered a lot during many wars and invasions. More than 2 million people died in World War 2.But despite all this, Belarus has restored its cities and rebuilt its economy. Belarusian people value peace and good relations with other countries. Nowadays Belarus is a country of developed industry, education and culture. I am proud of our people, our courageous past and tolerant present.

II 2. Do you know any symbols of our country?

The National Flag of the Republic of Belarus is a rectangular canvas, which is made up of two horizontal stripes and a vertical one. The upper red stripe takes up two-thirds of the flag’s width, the green lower stripe is as large as one-third. The vertical red-on-white Belarusian national decorative pattern, which occupies one-ninth of the flag’s length, is on the side of the flagpole.

The National Emblem of the Republic of Belarus is made up of a green outline of the Republic of Belarus lit by the golden rays of the sun rising over the globe. A five-pointed red star is located at the top of the outline. The emblem is encircled by a wreath of golden wheat heads intertwined with clover flowers on the right and flax flowers on the left. The wheat heads are embraced by a red-and-green ribbon with a golden inscription “Republic of Belarus”.

The Republic of Belarus celebrates the national holiday of the Belarus National Flag and National Emblem Day on the second Sunday of May every year.

The music for the National Anthem of the Republic of Belarus has been written by Nestor Sokolovsky, the lyrics – by Mikhail Klimkovich and Vladimir Korizna.

The National Anthem of the modern Belarus retains the musical basis of the anthem of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic. The music by Nestor Sokolovsky has been popular and respected by generations of Belarusians, this is why it was decided to keep it when the anthem of the independent Belarus was created. After that a contest for the anthem lyrics was announced.

The words of the National Anthem reflect development of the Republic of Belarus as a sovereign and peace-loving country. They emphasise patriotism and diligence of the nation, brotherly relations between all nationalities that live in the country.

II 3. What questions will you ask a zoologist who works in the Belavezhskaya Pushcha?

Is the Belovezhskaya Pushcha rich in flora and fauna?

What rare animals and birds can be seen in Belovezhskaya Pushcha?

Can people hunt in Belovezhskaya Pushcha?

How many species of birds and animals live in the Belavezhskaya Pushcha?

What year do the first records of the Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park date back to?

When was Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park made a UNESCO World Heritage Site?

II 4. What Belarusian festivals would you advise a foreigner to attend?

Variant I

To tell the truth, there are a lot of festivals which take place in Belarus: “Friendship Wreath”, “Dazhynki”, “Listopad”. All of them are devoted to different events in cultural life of our country: films and gathering the harvest, friendship and fashion. One of the most prestigious festivals is “Slavyanskiy Bazar” in Vitebsk. Started in 1992, it has become one of the most popular. It’s an open mass event which helps to promote and revive culture culture and arts. This festival gives its audience a treat of theatricals, interesting films and exhibitions. The programme also includes an International Contest of song performers and International Children’s Music Competition. The goal of the festival is to support young talents and introduce innovations in culture and art.

Variant II

The most famous Belarusian cultural festival is Slavyansky Bazaar, which promotes culture and art. The goal of this festival is to support young talents. During this spectacular cultural event you may visit concerts of foreign music stars, a traditional fair of folk crafts “Towns of Masters”, the International Investment Forum and Children’s Music Contest. The motto of this festival is “Through art – to peace and understanding”. So, I would advise to attend Slavyansky Bazaar in Vitebsk.
See also student’s book Unit 3 Lessons 6-7

II 5. They say that the Belarusian language is losing popularity. Do you agree with this? Why (not)?

We are Belarusian people who live in Belarus. But in our everyday life we speak Russian. I think we should speak the Belarusian language more than Russian. We should promote speaking our language. It’s necessary if we don’t want to lose our identity and culture. Our language reflects the history and culture of Belarus. It’s our treasure.

№ 3

1. Let’s talk about Belarus. What do you know about our country?

2. Do you know any places that belong to our cultural heritage?

3. What questions about Belarus do you expect to hear from a professor of History from the UK?

4. What can you advise teachers to do to promote Belarusian culture?

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