Card 24 Let’s talk about the Republic of Belarus.

1) What can you tell me about our Motherland?

The Republic of Belarus is located at the crossroads of Europe. It borders on five republics: Russia, (the) Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia and Poland.

The official languages of the country are Belorussian and Russian.

The landscape of Belarus is very picturesque. It is a land of vast plains and green hills. Since ancient times this region has been famous for its immense [ɪ'mens] (огромный) forest ranges. A third of Belarus is covered with forests. Belovezhskaya Pushcha is the biggest and the most beautiful national park of the country. Belarusian countryside is an ideal place for those looking for a peace of mind and tranquillity, “ the land beneath [bɪ'ni:θ] white wings ” as it was called by our famous writer Vladimir Karatkevich.

Nowadays Belarus develops its industry and agriculture. Belarus used to be called a land of bogs. Today a few million acres of land are used for arable farming. The chief crops are potatoes, flax, rye and various fodder grasses. Its biggest enterprises produce tractors and lorries, refrigerators and TV sets, watches and bicycles. It exports potassium [pə'tæsɪəm] salt and electronic equipment.

A lot of attention is paid to education and sports. We have higher educational establishments, colleges and schools. Professional sportsmen and amateurs have good facilities for doing sports.

To describe our land one needs to be a poet. As our famous writer N. Gilevich said “it is impossible to describe the blue of the sky or the peculiar ([pɪ'kju:lɪə] особенный) flavour (['fleɪvə] аромат, запах) of the home wind, or the specific softness of the native soil, or the unusual beauty of the people around us. What we are probably able to say is that it all belongs to us and that it is where we belong”.

That is how I see my Motherland, a country situated in the heart of Europe where all roads meet.

2) What parts of Belarus have you visited?

I have visited… (question 4).

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

What are the national symbols of your country? What are the famous Belarusian sights? Do you have any special holidays and traditions? What is Belarusian cuisine? What are the main traits of your national character?

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

Belarus has rich tourism potential: good roads, hotels and restaurants ['restərɔnts] of international level in Minsk and other big cities, many theatres, museums, concert and exhibition halls. Tourists get unforgettable impressions after visiting our country.

I would advise to start exploring our country from the capital. It has lots of places to visit.

One of the most famous museums is the National Fine Arts Museum. Its collection includes around 25,000 exhibits [ɪg'zɪbɪts]. Among them are ancient Belarusian icons ['aɪkɔnz], the belts of Slutsk, paintings by famous Belarusian and Russian artists.

There’s a big number of theatres in the capital. Diverse [daɪ'vɜ:s] repertoires ['repətwɑ:z] and high level of productions attract connoisseurs [,kɔnə'sɜ:z] (знатоки) and inexperienced spectators. The National Opera and Ballet ['bæleɪ] House and the National Academic Yanka Kupala Theatre are the most popular.

Not only the capital has lots of sights. Many places in Belarus are the pride of our nation.

Gomel is the second largest city in Belarus. The city’s landmark is the unique [ju:'ni:k] monument of the 18-19th centuries which includes the Rumyantsevs-Paskevichs’ palace, St. Peter and Paul’s Cathedral, and the ancient park.

The Land of Vitsebsk is a true lake kingdom; 11 of 19 biggest Belarus lakes are located here. the Braslauskiye Lakes are well-known in our country and abroad.

Vitsebsk is the cultural capital of the country. «Slavyansky Bazaar» — the International Song Festival — is held annually ['ænjuəlɪ] (ежегодно) at the end of July.

Vitsebsk is a hometown for many famous people. The most famous is a «genuine ['ʤenjuɪn] dreamer» Marc Chagall. He created a new trend in painting and became famous during his Paris period. Tourists have a chance to visit his museum.

The oldest Belarusian city of Polatsk is also situated in the region. It is often referred to as the spiritual ['spɪrɪʧuəl] cradle ['kreɪdl] (колыбель) and the first capital of the Belarusian people. The most famous sights are St. Sofia Cathedral built in 1066 and t he Nunnery ['nʌn(ə)rɪ] (женский монастырь) of the Savior ['seɪvɪə](спасительница) St. Euphrosyne established in the 1120s.

The Brest Fortress Hero is one of the most visited tourist attractions. The Feat (подвиг) of the Soviet soldiers who first accepted treacherous ['treʧ(ə)rəs] (вероломный) attack of Nazi ['nɑ:tsɪ] Germany in summer of 1941 and kept defense was unbelievable in those conditions!

The most famous natural reserve [rɪ'zɜ:v] in Belarus is Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Just imagine – oaks aged about 300 and 700 years old, ancient ashes (ясени) and pines (сосны) are still growing there. The symbol of Belovezhskaya Pushcha is an aurocks ['ɔ:rɔks] (зубр). Belovezhskaya Pushcha has been included into the UNESCO World Heritage ['herɪtɪʤ] List (список Всемирного наследия).

Belarus is developing ecological tourism. The country has all the necessary conditions –beautiful forests, lovely landscapes, hospitable and friendly country folk, rich ethnography [eθ'nɔgrəfɪ] and folklore ['fəuklɔ:].

So I think our country is worth visiting.

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

Our country is located in the centre of Europe just at the crossing of trade routes from North to South and from East to West. It borders on five republics: Russia, the Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia and Poland. Belarus occupies a very profitable geographical position on the long populated and good used lands though in the past such position caused much trouble for the republic.

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