PARK OF CULTURE AND REST
Of all the parks in Moscow I prefer the Gorki Park of Culture and Rest.
There is ample opportunity to have a good rest there summer or winter.
The Gorki Park of Culture and Rest extends about six kilometres along the banks of the Moscow River.
You can find there not only grass and trees and flowers and comfortable benches to sit on, but open-air theatres, sportsgrounds, reading halls, merry-go-rounds, children's playgrounds and refreshment booths.
There are also a cinema and open-air concert halls where one can listen to concerts of light and classic music.
There is also a chess hall where one can play chess or learn to play it.
In the warm days of summer the park is crowded with people-young and old-riding on the swings, listening to open-air concerts, participating in the mass dances, boating or just eating ice-cream in the restaurants beside the river.
During hot afternoons and especially on a holiday the Moscovites are thronging the boat-stations. Here one can board a steamer down the river. Lots of people go to the swimming pools and to every part of the river where one can bathe.
In winter the Gorki Park becomes a skating-rink. People are skating here to the music1 broadcast in the Park.
Unfortunately there is no skiing-station here—if you want to go skiing you must go to the Sokolniki Park of Culture and Rest.
International exhibitions are also held here.
Here one can see and admire various beautiful exhibits on display.
CONVERSATION
- Fine weather1 to-day, isn't it?
- Yes, the weather is really lovely. Where can one go in hot weather in Moscow?
- What do you do in Kiev in hot weather?
- With us2 in Kiev it is very simple. We either go bathing in the Dnieper or we go to a park.
- There are many parks in Moscow too. Let's go to my favourite park—the Gorki Park of Culture and Rest. There is ample opportunity to have a good rest there.
- I don't mind. Shall we take a boat down the river?
- We will by all means. There are boat-stations in the park.
(At the entrance of the park)
- Is there an entrance fee?
- No. Entrance is free of charge.
- Let us read the announcements to see what entertainments there are on in the park to-day.
- There is going to be a lecture on the international situation and a concert of Soviet songs.
- You are overlooking the most important thing—an industrial exhibition of the Czechoslovak Republic is on here to-day.
- It would be a good thing3 to visit the exhibition.
- Very good. First let us visit the exhibition and then we shall go down the river.
(In the park)
- What a beautiful park! Such lovely flowers! I like it here very much.
- Do you see this big place? Evenings and mostly on Sundays there are mass dances here.
- What is over there?
- Those are the children's playgrounds.
- Oh, I see merry-go-rounds and swings. Would you like to ride4 on a swing?
- I'd rather not,5 but you go ahead.
- No, we'll put it off. What is this building round the corner?
- That is a chess hall and the one next to it6 is a reading hall.
- What is this in front?
- Can't you see? It's a lake where people go boating.
- Is there a swimming pool here?
- Not in the park, but across the river there is a swimming pool and a beach. It is always thronged with people.
- Naturally. By the way, what have they here in winter?
- In winter there is a skating-rink here.
- Is there a skiing-station here too?
- No, not here. If you want to go skiing you have to go to the Sokolniki Park of Culture and Rest.
WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS
NOTES