Мероприятие "The Land and the People of Balakovo" (к 80-летию Саратовской области)
Ведущий 1: Dear guests! We are glad to greet you at our cultural event. Some days ago the participants of the II philological contest presented their works dedicated to the Saratov region, to the most interesting pages from its history, to its old and new traditions, interesting places and, of course, its famous people. The majority of their works were connected with Balakovo, our home town.
We’d like you to listen to some facts from the history of the place.
Ведущий 2: Balakovo is a small town on the bank of the Volga-river. It is a charming place attracting people with its green parks, quiet streets and lovely flower-beds. Today, Balakovo is the second largest city in the Saratov Region, with a population of more than 200,000 people. It is recognized as one of the most important industrial centers on the Volga River.
Ведущий 1: Now we’d like you to see the presentation about our native town.
1) Balakovo was founded in 1762 by old Believers who returned to Russia from exile at the request of Catherine the Great.
2) Although the origin of the name Balakovo is uncertain, three main theories exist. The first is that Catherine II, passing the town during a cruise on the Volga, saw some women washing linen in the river and asked if they were balakautsya, Russian for"washing in the river”. The second theory traces the name to the Russian word balakats, which means to speak quickly and much and the third takes its origin from the Tatar word which means “smoked fish”.
3) Balakovo was especially well-known for its high-quality hard wheat and was second only to Nizhny Novgorod in grain production and sales.
4) Balakovo also became a center for industry and commerce. The country’s first diesel engine producing plant was built here by the industrialist Mamin. At this facility the inventor Fedor Blinov made the first caterpillar tractor. It was successfully tested in Saratov and was called “the self-moving machine with endless rails”.
5) In 1910 a church was built by the wealthy merchant Maltsev. It still stands today, the only church to have survived from that era.
6) As an act of love for his fiance in Paris, Maltsev also built an imposing mansion with a garden planted with 200 varieties of her favourite flower, the lilac. Unfortunately, she never made the trip to Balakovo to see the home he made for her. The mansion was designed by the Saratov architect Shuster in 1880. In 1912 it was reconstructed by the famous Moscow architect Schekhtel.
Kobzar, another philanthropist, constructed many office buildings, including the nice two-storey school for girls.
7) The October Revolution changed life in this Volga River town. Most of the churches were destroyed.
8) A hero of the Civil War, Vasiliy Chapayev, and his family lived in Balakovo, and it was here that he organized Red Army troops. The house where his family lived is now a museum.
9) Balakovo experienced rapid growth in the 1960 when the town was chosen as the site for a new Hydro Electric Power Station.
10) Following the success of the hydro-electric plant, a chemical industry developed quickly. Balakovskie Volokna, the first enterprise, produces synthetics. Rubber goods for Lada cars and Kamaz trucks are made by Balakovo Rezinoteknika.
11) Mamin Brothers' Plant, which produces diesel engines, Chimexmach, producing components parts for earth digging machines, are other major industries in Balakovo.
12) Balako is a big power-producing center. Besides the Hydro- Electric Plant there is also the Fossil Plant, the main purpose of which is to supply hot water for the town buildings heating system. One of the most recent enterprises is the Balakovo Nuclear Power Plant. With four rating units, it is the largest power-producing station in Russia.
13) Today, Balakovo is the second largest city in the Saratov Region, with a population of more than 200,000 people. It is recognized as one of the most important industrial centers on the Volga. There are twenty-eight secondary schools, four vocational schools, a special chemical school and a medical school. There are two musical schools and a school of arts.
14) Departments of the Saratov Academy of Law and the Saratov Municipal Academy provide knowledge for future lawyers and managers.
15) There are museums connected with the history of the town. There is also a Museum of Local History, where one can see rare documents and exhibits of pre-Revolutionary Balakovo, of the period of Civil War and of World War II. The Department of the Saratov Radischev Museum of Fine Arts contains a good collection of pictures and sculptures by Russian and Western artists.
16) The Drama Theatre was opened in Balakovo several years ago. Besides the performances of its own staff city residents can enjoy operas, ballets, and dramas.
There are a lot of places in Balakovo worth seeing.
17) We are proud of our native town.
Ведущий 2: We are sure that you know a lot about our home town, about its people. We are a part of it. We’d like to ask you some questions about Balakovo.
Is your native town a small ancient place or a big modern city?
Which is better for you: to live in a quiet small town or in a busy large city? Why?
Ведущий 1:
What is your native town famous for?
Are there any architectural monuments in your town? What are they?
Ведущий 2: What famous people lived there?
Ведущий 1:
What can you say about cultural life of your town?
How do people spend their leisure time?
Ведущий 2: What places would you advise foreign tourists to visit if they came to Balakovo? Why?
Ведущий 1: What place in the town is especially dear to you? Why?
Ведущий 2: Are you proud of your native town? Why?
Ведущий 1: OK. As we can see, you know a lot about our town and you love it. It’s great!
Ведущий 2: Would you like to take part in the quiz? OK, let me introduce the presenter of the quiz Ведущий 3 to you.
Quiz “Balakovo”.
Ведущий 3: Ok, let’s begin our quiz. Type the number of your team and begin to answer the questions about our town. When you’ve finished it, raise your hand.
1. When was Balakovo founded? A. 1862 B. 1762 C. 1672 D. 1792
2. When did Balakovo become a town? A. 1762 B. 1907 C. 1813 D. 1911
3. Who built the country's first diesel engine producing plant here?
A. A. Maltsev B. F. Blinov C. I. Mamin D. I. Kobzar
4. Who made the first caterpillar tractor?
A. A. Maltsev B. F. Blinov C. I. Mamin D. I. Kobzar
5. When was the church of Trinity built? A. 1862 B. 1762 C. 1890 D. 1910
6. Who constructed the two-storied school for girls?
A. A. Maltsev B. F. Blinov C. I. Mamin D. I. Kobzar
7. In what style was the Maltsev’s library-mansion built?
A. Gothic B. Baroque C. Classical D. Renaissance
8. Who was the architect of the Maltsevs Mansion?
A. F. Shekhtel B. A. Voronikhin C. K. Rossi D. K. Sholts
9. What street changed its name after 1909?
A. Sadovaay B. Kharykavskay C. Balakovskaay D. Moskovskaay
10. What is the modern name of Novouzenskaya Street?
A. Kommunisticheskaay Street B. Gagarin Street C. Volskaay Street D. Lenin Street
11. When did citizens of Balakovo see Speedway competition for the first time?
A. 1963 B. 1970 C. 1975 D. 1980
12. What anniversary of the Great Victory was celebrated in our country when the memorial complex: an obelisk in honor of Balakovo′s soldiers was opened?
A. the 20th B. the 30th C. the 40th D. the 50th
13. What is the length of the new bridge in Balakovo?
A. 2000.5 m B. 3000.4 m C. 1540 m D. 1070.3 m
14. How many nuclear reactors are there in Balakovo Nuclear Power Stations?
A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D.4
Ведущий 1: Oh, we see that you really love our home town.
Ведущий 2: We are sure that the magnets we are going to present to all the participants will remind you of our meeting.
Ведущий 1: We hope that our meeting will be an important experience for you. And now … the most exciting moment for all the participants of the second philological contest dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Saratov region. They are to be greeted and awarded by the judges of the contest.
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