Cultural life of the city

The Murmansk region has its cultural image, which distinguishes it from the other regions of the Russian Federation. There are not so many great ancient and significant memorials and historical places here, having national importance, not so many famous names of culture and art figures. But there is unique cultural environment, limited alloy of traditions and innovations, unique experience of international cooperation, its holidays, festivals and exhibitions.

The cultural potential of the Murmansk region today joins harmonically to cultural space of the North and West of Russia and European countries.

For the last decades international cultural connections of the Murmansk region and countries of Barents, Euro Arctic region and CIS were expended essentially. Joint conferences and symposiums, concerts, exhibitions, seminars, exchange with creative groups enrich cultural space of the Murmansk region.

History of the Kola North goes deep in centuries and millenniums. The bright evidence of it are petroglyphs of IV–II millennium B. C., founded in the middle course of Ponoy and at the banks of Kanozero or marvellous tombstones of wooden architecture XVII century in ancient Pomor villages Varzuga and Kovda, admitted as objects of all Russian significance.

Folk traditions of Kola Saami and Pomors are original. Special way of life came to us from the Middle Ages, determined a lot of the cultural development of XX century and sparkled with new sides of talent, inspiration and creative enthusiasm for the last decades, when Kola North gained status of the Murmansk region.

A lot of people touch culture in different ways: readers, spectators, listeners, participants of amateur art activities, members of amateur unions, students of musical and art schools.

Thousand of people work in the sphere of culture: organize holidays and give books, keep history and create art masterpieces, provide wit information and train different kinds of art. They not only introduce the citizens of the region to cultural values and organize leisure time, but they create good mood and give confidence in tomorrow.

Murmansk is a theatrical city. Our spectator is intelligent, educated, emotional, sensitive and friendly one. In 2000 for the first time here took place the international theatrical forum "The Polar Star". Twenty different theatres from Moscow, Samara, Petrozavodsk, Switzerland, Romania, Yugoslavia had been giving their performances at the stage of Murmansk Drama Theatre during a month. A lot of depends on our actors. They try to reproduce the light of culture, kindness and beauty to a spectator. There are three theaters in Murmansk: Regional Theatre, Theatre of Krasnoznamenny Northern Fleet, Regional puppet show.

There are more 80 museums in the Murmansk region, including 66 that have passports of museums, working on a voluntary basis. There are museums at many enterprises, in institutions and organizations, educational institutions: Murmansk State Humanitarian University, Murmansk State Technical University, professional colleges, 32 schools of the region. Interesting expositions are created in the Museum of the Murmansk Shipping company, Polar scientific research institute of marine fishery and oceanography, Murmansk custom office, Kola Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Apatity), PC "Apatite" (Kirovsk), PC "Lovozero mining company" (Revda). The most famous museums in Murmansk are the Local lore museum and the Art museum with their great expositions on history, modern and cultural life of the city.

1. There are only few museums at regional enterprises, in institutions and organizations.

2. There are three professional theaters in Murmansk.

3. History of the Kola North goes deep in centuries and millenniums.

4. The most famous museums in Murmansk are the Museum of the Murmansk Shipping company, Polar scientific research institute of marine fishery and oceanography.

5. Folk traditions of Kola Saami and Pomors came to us from the previous century.

6. In 2000 for the first time here took place the international theatrical forum "The Polar Star".

7. Thousand of people work in the sphere of sport organizing various competitions and sport events.

8. The cultural potential of the Murmansk region today joins harmonically to cultural space of the North and West of Russia and European countries.

9. People working in cultural sphere introduce the citizens of the region to cultural values and organize leisure time.

10. There is unique cultural environment, limited alloy of traditions and innovations.

PART 3

PRACTISE YOUR VOCABULARY AND GRAMMAR

Text 1

Put the words in the table into the right places in the text. Use a dictionary if it is necessary.

exceed, amounted, borders, the Kola Peninsula, situated, stretches, capital, volume, worldwide, many-sided, represented, allows, the Arctic Circle