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Dear Language Enthusiast,
In This Issue
Word Play
Practice Russian with excerpts from "Travel to Pavlovsk" in Russian,
followed by the English translation.
In English:
The town of Pavlovsk, famous for its beautiful palace-park
complex, is situated twenty-seven kilometers south of St.
Petersburg.
Pavlovsk Park occupies more than 600 hectares. It is one of
best of Europe's landscaped parks. It is distinguished by
the great variety of its views, and it displays the natural
beauty of northern Russia in an organic blend of refined
buildings of the Russian Neo-Classical period and beautiful
statuary.
Pavlovsk Park has inspired many an enthusiastic response:
there are poems dedicated to it and research works written
about it. Today, restored by the hands of talented people,
the park once again wins the hearts of visitors with its
poetic beauty:
All is wild around me, twilight and silence;
But seldom, stealing like a streaming through the dark dome
Of the trees, the radiance of the day
Gilds the crowns and roots;
A single quivering leaf comes flashing through the twilight
Disturbing the silence by its fall.
V. Zhukovsky, from the elegy "Slavyanka"
One of the most remarkable features of Pavlovsk Park is the
ever-present breath of nature here; the artist's hand
nearly always remains invisible. The major principle in the
park's design is preserving the sense of harmony at any
time of day, in any season of the year, and in any type of
weather. The statuary and the ornamental vases blend
wonderfully with the landscape. Classical deities are the
major sculptural motif in the park. Small bridges,
decorated with wrought iron railings, are attached to
nearly all of the garden pavilions in the Slavyanka River
valley, adding a special elegance. At times one encounters
these bridges even where it appears no bridge is necessary,
over shallow, dry gullies and ravines, but they always
complement their immediate environment. Having walked up
onto one of these wooden, metal, or stone bridges, one
discovers new vistas, unexpected views of the surrounding
landscape.
The beauty of the enormous Pavlovsk Park, and its variety
of views, leaves no heart untouched. This is one of the
best beloved vacation spots for natives of St. Petersburg
and visitors alike. They come to admire the splendid
decorations of the palace, to listen to a wonderful concert
in the Greek Hall, to view a new exhibit, or to wander
among the avenues of the park, the loveliness of which is
indescribable.
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Russian News Beat
Victory for the Giant
Because of the recent elections in the United States, we
thought it a good time to glance at Russian politics and
the big man who stayed the course to become a member of
Parliament: Alexander Karelin.
Before the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Russian wrestler
Alexander Karelin faced a tricky problem - how to fit in
training for the next Olympics with his new life as a
member of Parliament. The 32-year-old, three-time Olympic
champion and nine-time world champion won a seat in the
State Duma lower house election in December, 1999. His
victory in the election in the Novosibirsk region of
Siberia was achieved despite a lack of any political
experience, and highlighted his party’s surprise election
success.
Karelin was one of many prominent figures that won single-
mandate contests to fill half the 450 Duma seats, while
several experienced politicians plunged to defeat. There
were contests in which some candidates were purported to be
seeking parliamentary immunity from prosecution, and in
other elections, big money, fame and mudslinging mattered
more than policies.
But Karelin, who is also a counselor to Prime Minister
Putin, endured the sometimes ferocious campaign. He
approached his election campaign as if he were conquering
yet another wrestling opponent. Unlike his bid for gold in
the Sydney Olympics, Karelin defeated his competition.
Source:
- http://news.bbc.co.uk
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to have a handy list of shortcut keys to keep near your
computer. There are shortcuts for many common actions!
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Introduction.
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