No 12. Give the panorama of the historical places of Minsk. Mention some historical events connected with them. Analyze their importance for the development of the city.

Towns are like people. Some are rich and influential from their conception; others need to acquire such qualities over centuries. Minsk is an example of the latter though founded as a border fortification in the Polatsk Principality, over its millennial history Minsk has managed to be the predominant centre of power in an appanage, capital of a province and at long last the capital of an independent nation counting 10 million people.

Well, as Minsk is more that 900 years, it is quite enough to speak about its antiquity. But unfortunately almost all traces of old times are lost. There are practically no ancient buildings in Minsk, but the hero-city tries to keep memory about its past. And nowadays numerous names of the streets and squares, churches remind us not about the stormy past of Minsk, but of our country.

And the first place that is worth visiting is the Red Church (the church of St. Simeon and Helen). It was built in the early 20^th c. under the sponsorship of the Vaynilovich family (a Slutsk judge, landowner Vaynilovich and his wife Olyrnia) who donated all their money to commemorate their children Simon and Helen who died unexpectedly of an unknown disease. Their names are given to 2 small towers, white the big one as the symbol of eternally mourning parents. The church is mainly decorated in Roman style with its majestic forms, balance, quiet strength though some details of Gothic style could also be seen. The sculptural composition of Archangel Michael who kills a winged dragon symbolizes the victory of the divine army over the forces of darkness. Nowadays, the red church building, which has already served as Belarusian SSR's National Polisk Theatre, a film studio and a cinema, has since 1990 been returned to believers, but it serves not only a religious purpose. Concerts of organ music, religious music concerts of world-famous composers are held here, one-actor theatre performances are staged and sketches are played.

The Church of the Holy Trinity and St Roch on Golden Hill is another attraction. Golden Hill is the old name for this region of the town. Maybe for the wonderful golden decoration of trees, maybe for that as the legend says "the citizens collected the golden coins for the church building, this region was called Golden Hill. The church was dedicated to St. Roch, who was noted pilgrim a healer, invoked for his miraculous powers against the plague and cholera. The church is a monument of neogothic architecture. The interior of the church was of timber painted to resemble marble. On the High Altar stood a wooden statue of the Madonna and Child and a represent of the Holy Trinity. The church was restored in 1983 and given over to the nearly State Philharmonic as a small concert chamber on account of its excellent acoustics.

You can't but visit St Alexander Nevski Ghurch which was built in memory of Belarusian soldiers who perished in the Russian-Turkish conflict of 1877-78 and carries a miraculous story. In June 1941 a bomb managed to pierce the church dome and fall in front of the altar without exploding. Later it was one of only two active churches in Minsk. Both of the nations celebrated poets Y. Kupala and Y. Kolas, as well as various masters of art, culture and science in Belarus, are buried in the Military cemetery alongside the soldiers who laid their lives to free Minsk from the Fascists.

Even the name of the next place to see reflects the historic past of the country. That is Victory Square. The obelisk of Victory commemorates the deaths of soldiers, partisans, and all the inhabitants of Belarus killed in the struggle with fascism during WWII. Its height is 38 m. It is covered by grey granite. It is topped by the Order of Victory which is decorated by multi-coloured smelt. The Eternal Flame was inflamed on the 3 ^d of July in 1961 and bright scarlet flowers seem to bum together with the flame till late autumn.

Well, I suppose that nobody can resist the temptation of visiting one of the chief glories of Minsk - Trinity Suburb. It is a tangle of narrow streets lined with a fascinating array of little craft and curio shops. Delightful small houses seem to whisper their secrets to each other across the cobbled way. Here you have a feeling of coming back into the 18^th c. Suburb is renowned for its historic buildings. You can enjoy the view of the Holy Spirit Cathedral and the church of St. Paul and Peter also can be seen here. Not far from these sacred places, on a bend in the river Svisloch there is a humpback bridge leading to the Isle of Tears, the monument to the sons of Fatherland who died beyond its borders. The monument is designed in the shape of a temple. It stands on 16 piles which go deep into swampy soil. In the centre of the monument there are figures of mourning mothers, who personify Belarusian women crying over their dead sons. Some of them hold icons in their hands, others - portraits of their sons. Mothers, standing at the front, hold lamps which symbolize the warmth of home health. Inside there are altars with the inscribed names of 771 dead soldiers. In the middle of the monuments there is the sacred Place where the Bells of Memory are ringing. Weeping willows bend over the water.

So you see, there are a lot of sights in Minsk that are connected with the history of Belarus. Their beauty and their historical heritage attract thousands of tourists from all over the world and make Minsk and amazing place, which is really worth seeing.

No 13. Give examples of numerous places of entertainment in Minsk. Characterize some of them and value their importance for the cultural life of the country. Give grounds for your preference.

No other city in Belarus can offer more activities for entertainment than Minsk.

A theater-goer may choose from a great variety of theatres. The Belarus Bolshoi is one of the most famous and popular theatres. All the performances are greatly staged. The Ballet Company of the theatre is really wonderful and is considered to be one of the best in Europe. So, if you manage to get a ticket for any performance, you'll be impressed by inspired dancers or golden voices of the opera singers. If you don't care for classical music and ballet, you'll surely find other performances to your taste. You can have a real pleasure at the Yanka Kupala National Drama Theatre. You'll enjoy the melodious Belarusian language and marvelous acting of talented old and young stars. You can also hear the Belarusian language at the Republican Theatre of Belarusian Drama. Its performances are more avant-garde and experimental.

There are always visitors in the numerous museums of Minsk. Those fond of history can look at the relics of the past in the State Museum of History. Its collection includes articles made by medieval craftsmen, coins, furniture, rare printed books and national costumes. The Museum of the Great Patriotic War was for many years the only one of its kind in the whole of the USSR. You can find here home-made weapons, medals, underground publications, uniforms and the largest collection of WWII photographs and documents. There are also some examples of original military machinery in the back yard of the museum.

Those fond of painting, sculpture and drawing can visit the National Art Gallery and the National Museum of Fine Arts. Their collections include icons, wood carvings of 12t^h-21^st centuries, fine art from 16^th to 21^st centuries, national decoration and craftwork.

If your prime interest is literature, you are welcome to the museums of Yanka Kupala, Yakub Kolas, Maxim Bogdanovich and the Belarusian Literature Museum.

Having spent several hours walking along noisy streets, there is nothing better than to have a rest in a quiet park. Minsk is dotted with parks, including Gorki Park, Yanka Kupala Park, Cheluskintsy Park, Victory Park, the Alexandrov Garden, the Central Botanical Gardens and the water and park Svisloch reserve. They form a beautiful park belt and are free for those who care to walk there. For example, at the Botanical Gardens you can stroll from a rainforest to a formal French Park, explore an alpine rock garden, or learn about plants of the Far East - all in one afternoon.

If you are interested in architecture, walk along the streets of Minsk, which tell the visitor their story of growth and change. The present day city is almost entirely of new construction, as it was destroyed during the WWII. Most of the principal buildings in the centre are in the architectural style of the early Soviet period - the Government House, the National Library, the Opera and Ballet Theatre, the Academy of Sciences and others. However, there are several churches and cathedrals in Minsk. All of them have received expert restoration and become places of worship. They still retain much of their old architecture and character. Every visitor should make a point of seeing the Holy Spirit Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul, the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, the Church of St. Rock and St. Alexander Nevski Church.

So you see that Minsk is indeed the city in which the past and the present exist side by side and there is a lot of things to see and to do in Minsk.

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