Dialogue

I. Read and act out the following conversation between two tourists visiting the capital of the Buryat Republic for the first time. What places of interest are they going to visit?

A: What about going to the Odigitria Cathedral? I’ve heard so much about it.

B: I’m sorry, but I don’t like this idea. I’m not interested in churches. I’d rather go to the Museum of the History of Buryatia, I find it very attractive.

A: Oh, I don’t think I will have time for that today. Ulan-Ude has so many places to visit and so many things to try.

B: Yes, I agree with you. I wish we had more time. If you like museums so much, I suppose you won’t mind if we go to the Ethnographic Museum of Buryatia.

A: What is so special about?

B: It is really such an interesting place. It’s called the Ethnographic Museum of Trans-Baikal People, and it’s one of the largest Russian’s open-air museums. This museum contains historical funds from the era of Huns till the mid of XX century including a unique collection of samples of wooden Siberian architecture, - more than 40 historical architectural monuments. And one can’t help visiting it.

A: It sounds exciting. But why don’t we leave it for another day? I think we’d better go to the Ivolginskiy Datsan.

B: But what can we do there?

A: Well, the Ivolginskiy Datsan is the center of Buddhism in Russia, and we could learn a lot about Buddhist traditions in Buryatia. Actually, this is one of my primary goals to get to Ulan-Ude. You see, I’m fond of Oriental cultures.

B: Really so? I don’t mind.

A: So let’s go.

B: OK, and the day after tomorrow we are going to Lake Baikal. This is my life time dream to see Baikal. The Baikal water is said to be pure and crystal.

A: Yes, this is something unique. I am also excited about this trip to Baikal.

B: I’m so glad that we have come to Buryatia!

A: So am I!

II. Suggest your own tour around Ulan-Ude and discuss it with your friends.. Think about the landmarks, entertaining places of the city and the hotels where you will accommodate your foreign guests. Use information that you read from this Module.

III. Project Work. Write your ideas concerning the development of tourism in Ulan-Ude. What should government or people do to improve the situation of the city and to make it a tourist modern center attracting lots of foreigners and Russian dwellers as well?

TEXT 3

Lake Baikal – The Pearl of Siberia

Read the text and explain the exceptional features of the Baikal.

Lake Baikal is situated in East Siberia and is fairly regarded as one of the miracles of Nature. It is the deepest (1, 637 m) and the most ancient lake on the Earth – it is more than 25 million years old. Despite its age, Lake Baikal is not going to die, quite the opposite, its shores are drifting apart at the speed of 2 cm a year, and geophysicists say that Baikal is an incipient ocean.

Being 600 km long and from 27 to 79 km wide, Baikal contains huge water volumes – 23, 000 m3, which is more than the volume of all the American Great Lakes together. Lake Baikal contains 20% of the Earth’s fresh surface water. The remarkable clarity of its waters is maintained thanks to a small quantity of suspended substances and endemic plankton crayfish – epishura. The water’s transparency at the Baikal comes up to 40 meters.

This pearl of Russia is surrounded by beautiful mountain ranges: the Primorsky, Baikalsky, Barguzinsky and the Khamar-Daban ridges. More than 300 rivers (336) flow into Lake Baikal. The largest of them is the Selenga River. Only one river – the Angara – flows out of the lake, it is called “The Daughter of Baikal”.

There are 27 islands on Lake Baikal. The most famous island is the Olkhon Island. A legend says that the Olkhon is a place of wild spirits. The Olkhon is famous for its large number of sunny days – the sun there shines brightly more than 300 days a year. There is also a famous Shaman-Stone, a place, where shamans lived in old times.

Lake Baikal is a biodiversity champion. 75% of 2635 species of animals and plants discovered at the lake are endemic – they can be found nowhere else in the world. The lake is a breeding ground for the only sea mammal – Baikal seal, nerpa, and it is also famous for its omul-fish.

The indigenous people of Baikal are the Evenks. Then about 700 years ago there settled the Buryats. The Russians came to Pribaikalie in the 17-th century with the arrival of the 50-year-old Kurbat Ivanov who drew a map of Baikal. What does the name of the lake mean? According to the most popular theory, the word “Baikal” is of Turkic descent and is originated from “bai” – “rich”, “kul” – “lake”. So we have: “a rich lake”.

In 1996 Lake Baikal was declared a site of UNESCO World Heritage. The total area of Baikal World Heritage Site by UNESCO is 8.8 million ha, 3.15 million of them are the lake surface and 1.9 of them is occupied by three reserves (Baikalsky, Zabaikalsky, and Barguzinsky reserves) and two national parks (Pribaikalsky and Tunkinsky).

For the Russian people Lake Baikal has always remained a national treasure, and for the local population it has been “The Saint Glorious Sea”.

Exercises.