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

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

See I 1.

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

Belarus is an ancient country with a long and interesting history. There are a lot of places of interest: ancient towns, monuments and museums. They are our national heritage. Among the main Belarusian treasures we can mention the cities of Nesvizh and Mir where you can see old castles. The Radzivills’ heritage consists of Nesvizh castle, the Farny Catherdral and parks. The castle is associated with mysterious legends about lost treasures and ghosts.2 centuries ago there was one of the richest libraries and the richest collections of art and weapons. Now the castle is renowned and gathers tourists from abroad. Musical festivals are held in Nesvizh castle every year. Mir Castle near Grodno is built in a unique style. It was a fortress, a ghetto and now it’s a museum. In Grodno you can visit ancient Kolozhskaya Orthodox Church and the Roman-Catholic Cathedral with the oldest European working clock. It’s the masterpiece of the 17th century. If you want to visit Belarusian museums you should go to Minsk, our capital. Minsk is a very old city with many faces. You will love its avenues, numerous parks and churches. Minsk suffered greatly during World War 2 and many museums and monuments are connected with this war. The Belarusian History Museum will tell about the history of our country. The Art Museum has a rich collection of paintings and sculptures by old and modern masters. If you want to get acquainted with Belarusian culture you may go to the Opera and Ballet Theatre or the Yanka Kupala National Theatre. But most tourists will remember the hospitality of Belarusian people.

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

What can you tell about the past of Belarus?

When did Belarus become a sovereign state?

Who are the most outstanding people in the history of Belarus?

What interesting historical events can you name?

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

I think we should promote our cultural heritage on the international arena. We have exciting traditions and spectacular rituals. I’m sure we should organize different Belarusian celebrations at school. For example, “Gukanne vyasny”, “Kalyady” and others. And I think that our politicians should take part in such celebrations. They should invite foreign politicians to take part in our cultural events.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14