The symbols of the town
In 1925 Mitischi was presented with the status of a town. Here you can see a picture of the coat of arms of Moscow region and Mitischi.
The Coat of Moscow region The Flag of Moscow region
The Flag of Mitishi region The Coat of Mitischi region
The Flag of Mitischi town The Coat of Mitischi town
Exercise 1 Look at the pictures and answer the questions:
1. What can you see on the flag and on the coat of the town Mitischi?
2. How can you explain the name of our town?
3. What does the boat symbolize?
4. What do the colours symbolize?
General information
Mytischi district is situated to the north-east of Moscow. It borders on Moscow, Dolgoprudniy, Lobnya, Khimki, Dmitriy, Pushkino and Balashikha. It occupies an area of 42,000 ha and its population is 190,000. 46% of the territory is taken up by forests and 10% - by water resources including five water-storage lakes and an extensive forest known as the national park "Losinyi ostrov" (the Island of Elks). Two rivers flow here. They are the Yauza and the Klyazma.
The town of Mytischi is the administrative centre of the Mytischi district. It was officially recognized as a town only 80 years ago (in 1925 it was presented with the status of the town), though the first settlements appeared here as far back as the 4th century BC.
Mitischi region is an industrial center. The main industries are car-building, chemical and producing of constructed materials.
The heart of the town is Town Square. It is a recognized place of mass demonstrations, festivities and meetings. It has an area of 2,5 hectares. In the west of the square there is the House of Mitischi Region Administration. Behind it you can see a new building of the Picture Gallery. It was opened two years before but since it has become the most popular place of our citizens. Opposite the Picture Gallery there is another museum – Mitischi Historical Museum. You can see here collections of documents, armory, coins, furniture. There are models of peasant house and of tsar palace in Taininskoye in one of the halls. In the museum you can get information about the history of plants and factories of our town. Another hall of the museum is devoted to the Great Patriotic war. You can see real guns, picture and documents of that time.
Nowadays the town square is decorated with a beautiful fountain. Citizens of Mitischi like to spent free time here. Very often young people appoint meetings here. Behind it you can see a building of Drama Theater. It was reconstructed some years ago after the fire. And now it is popular place of entertainment.
Not far from the square on the ground floor of a 5-story building there is another museum. It is Ecological Museum In its halls you can see fine collections of insects, stuffed animals and birds. On visiting the museum you get acquainted with the flora and the fauna of the Mitischi region.
Pages of History
The first inhabitants: hunters and fishermen settled here in the 4th century. Slavian people came here at the end of 1st century AC. They cultivated agriculture and so they lived along the valleys of the rivers Yauza, Klyazma, Ucha. Scientists made some archeological excavations and found some things of that period of time.
A number of important trade routes crossed this land. For example, routes leading to Vladimir, Pereyaslavl and the Trinity-Sergius monastery and water- ways by the Yauza and Klyasma rivers. The boats moved some distance up-stream and then were pulled on land to the Klyazma River. That route of pulling - was 7 to 8 km long. Of course, merchants had to pay customs duties ("myt" in the Russian language) for transporting their goods. And it is known that the place Yauzkiy Myt was very profitable. So the Mongol-Tatar representative was sent here for the control of customs duties. Only after construction of safe land roads in the 13th century it was totally abandoned, but the documents dating from those times mention the name "Yauzskoe Mytischi". The word “Mytischi” which later gave the name to the town means the place where merchants had to pay customs duties. The village became poor and deserted. 
In the early 15th century people began to arrange settlements around the Yauza customs house which into the course of time have grown into a large village named Mytischi. This name was first mentioned in written documents as far back as the end of 40th of 17th century. According to documents the village became larger and larger and spread another bank of the river Yauza. There were 42 houses and 71 people lived in them. Thirty years later there were 82 peasants’ houses. The village became bigger so they named it “Big Mitischi”.
Taininskoye is another oldest village that has become а part of the present-day Mytischi. Tainiskoye was first mentioned in 1401-1402 in the testaments of prince Vladimir of Serpukhov. The village was handed down first to Moscow princes and later to Russian tsars and emperors. Taininskoye was turned into their suburban residence. This village was a favorite place for rest of the tsar Ivan the Terrible. Another tsar Alex Romanov stayed here for a rest on his way to Troitsk- Sergiev Monastery. The village was famous during the hard period of time for our country- the time of Polish invasion. Here the false-prince Dmitriy met with the mother of dead prince Dmitriy. In autumn of 1612 the troops of volunteer defenders led by Dmitriy Pozharski and Kozma Minin passed through this place to Moscow occupied by the Poles. In the surroundings of Taininskoye many Russian Tsars liked to hunt for different animals, even for bears.
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But in the course of time it has grown into a small residential place. In 1932 Taininskoye was included into the town of Mytischi as one of its districts. Since that time now we have got only the Church of Annunciation, a remarkable piece of church architecture. It was constructed in Taininskoye in 1675-1677 during the reign of Tsar Michael, the first tsar of the Romanov dynasty. The main entrance of this brick building has an overhead cover which is more typical for wooden architecture. The turrets with marquee covers - add specific beauty to the church.
Two main roads go through Mitischi. It is Yaroslavl railway road and Yaroslavl highway road.
Both of the roads lead to Sergiev Posad. People went to Sergiev Posad monastery and often stopped for rest in Mitischi. So there is a very famous picture of Perov “Drinking tea in Mitischi”
The central temple of the Mytischi is the temple of the icon of the Virgin of Vladimir. It stands at the old Troitskaya road (the today's Yaroslavskoye highway). In old days the road was used by the people to go on a pilgrimage to the Trinity-Sergius lavra. The church was built in 1713 in the baroque style. The bell tower constructed in the empire style was added in the early 19th century. In the war years it was partially disassembled and restored only recently. Eleven small bells were installed in addition to a big bronze bell weighing over two tons. The original interior decoration of the church survived only in fragments and was restored by analogy.
Moscow- Yaroslavl railway is one of the best railways in Russia. The movement here was opened in 1862. The road went from Moscow through Mitischi to Sergiev Posad to Yaroslavl, Vologda and Arkhangelsk. It connected the center of Russia with North. And Mitischi became the important transport knot on the nearest approaches to Moscow.
In the second part of XIX century there was a period of great developing of industry.
By that time, the Mitischi region began to take on more and more the features of an industrial region. A number of small brick-kilns and weaving mills have existed there since the mid-
century. Later on, a large railway-carriage building plant has been commissioned here, known today as the ZAO «Metrovagonmash" Company.
Construction of the railway line connecting Moscow with Sergiyev Posad and then with Yaroslavl has made Mytischi an important railway station.
Sava Mamontov initiated the construction of the railway carriage-building plant.
In 1897 officially they held the ceremonial of opening of Railway Carriage Building plant. Now this plant is the leading one that produces the carriages for metro. Every day millions of passengers in big cities use cozy carriages of this plant.
And now you can see the building of Mitischi railway station which was built in 1896.
Further development of industry
In 1882, a cobbled road was built linking the Mytischi railway station with Yaroslavskoye highway. Numerous tea-houses, a baker's shop, a drug-store, post-office and residential houses soon arose on the roadsides. The road was named Stantsionnaya but later renamed into Kolontsov Street. In 1909, Russia's first rayon-manufacturing plant "
Viscose" was put into operation on the other side of the street. They created the artificial silk first in Russia. It was used for space researches.
For development of the industry the bricks plants played the main part. The availability of good sand and clay had the perfect conditions for development of manufacture. At the end of the 19th century Mytischi bricks were delivered to Moscow.
At this period of time the number of workers increased in many times and there were more than 33 kinds of industries in Mitischi region. At the beginning of 80th in 19th century there were 49 industrial plants and 6091 workers worked there. The working settlements had got blocks of flats, hospitals and schools. The number of citizens grew constantly and at the end of 19th century there were more than 7 thousand people.
In August 1925, the workmen's settlements were officially recognized as a town, which gradually incorporated other workmen's housing quarters and suburban settlements, as well as some of the neighbouring villages. For example, in 1932 the village Taininskoe was included into the city.
Exercise 1 Give the explanation of the following words and word combinations:
settlements, a walk around, native town, to settle, chief administrative centre, to be of great strategic importance, fortress, ancient times, to be under the supervision of, coat of arms, to change status, to be established, temple, artificial silk, railway carriage
Exercise 2 Answer the following questions:
What is the origin of the name “Mitischi”?
How did the town Mitischi develop?
What names of famous people connected with the village Taininskoye
Who was the initiator of the constructing of the railway carriage plant and Yaroslavl railway?
What do you know about other plants of Mitischi?
“Vodocanal”
Another page of the history of our district concerns water.
The Mytischi surroundings have been famous for their clean water since long ago. Here used to be many springs in the Yauza valley spouting clean and tasty water to the surface. That's why the site was chosen for constructing a water-pipe line that was started in 1779 by order of Empress Catherine II and completed in 1804.
There was a legend that the empress Catherine was going to the Troitsko-Sergiev Lavra in a hot day. She stopped for rest in Mitischi village and at that moment a thunderstorm stroke the land and a spring of cold and tasty water appeared. She drank some water and liked it very much that she ordered to build a water pipe to supply Moscow with drinking water.
The technical construction was built by engineer Bauer.
The construction continued for 25 years and started acting on the 28th of October 1804. This date means the beginning of central water supply of Moscow. In 18th century this construction was considered as a miracle. The water flew in a channel as in nature with good speed and did not loose its quality. Its length was more than 23, 5 km. It gave water to Moscow that needed it very much. The water-pipe was rebuilt many times and it worked till 1960.
The most interesting part of the water pipe is Rostokino aqueduct. It looks like famous ancient Rome water pipes. They used the same architecture and technology. Rostokino aqueduct was the biggest stone bridge in Russia that time. Its length was 356 m long and 19 m high above the river Yauza. They spent the fantastic amount of money for the construction of this bridge - 1.6 million rubles. So it got the nickname “the million bring”. It was a magnificent hydraulic engineering project of the time. The Rostokino aqueduct that delivered water by gravity from the Mytischi springs to Moscow has survived up to now. The aqueduct has appeared on the Mytischi
emblem. It is more than 200 years now that the Mytischi springs have been giving their water to the people.
"Vodocanal" is the most important water-supplying system in the town and Mitischi region. More than 189000 people and 1424 plants use the service of water supplying system. Vodocanal enterprise continues to reconstruct water-pipe system of our town. The Mytischi water is considered, as before, to be the best in the whole Moscow region. A bronze bust of Catherine II was set up on the "Vodocanal" area on the occasion of 200 years of the first Russian water-pipe line.
Exercise 1 Tell your classmate about:
the origin of Mitischi tasty water;
the role of Empress Catherine II in the history of water pipe construction
the way of water flow to Moscow
the role of Vodocanal in the town system
Nature of our region
The climate here is moderately continental. January is the coldest month, July is the warmest one. The Mytischi surroundings abound in wild-growing plants and animals. Whereas in the town itself one can see only domestic animals, the forests and their vicinity are abundant in hares, foxes and even elks. The museum of Environmental Protection maintains a large collection of the local floral and faunal forms. The main line of the museum's activity is the dissemination of ecological knowledge.
The national park "Losinyi Ostrov» was arranged in 1983. Now it covers an area of 128 sq. km. The park is unique. Its natural and historical complex has been preserved practical intact in the midst of the megalopolis. The Yauza River takes its source in the Verkhneyauzskiye marshes which are under special protection for they make a true kingdom of animals and birds.
The flora of Mytischi forests, meadows and marshes is extremely various. Many of the 600 wild-growing plant species are registered in the Red Book. The landscape is dominated by mixed pine-and-lime and pine-and-birch forests. Some of them are plantations.
Located in the centre of the town, the central park has become the favourite recreational area for the people. It covers 25 ha. One side of the park touches the bank of the Yauza River. Its territory is divided into several sectors: one is an amusement play-ground for children, another is for adults where they can play quiet games, dance or sing, and still another is in fact a playing-field for beach volleyball. In 2008 people got a new fountain in the centre of the park. It is very amusing and attracts a lot of children.
Winter makes Mytischi particularly charming. The summer variety of flowers gives a way to soft tones of white and blue. The snow sparkles with millions of tiny silvery stars in the rays of the meagre winter sun. Children enjoy winter because it offers them new games and amusements.
Mytischi district is rich in water resources. It is actually criss-crossed by numerous rivers and creeks. Spring waters are welling up to the surface on many sites. In 1937, the construction of the Moscow water canal was completed. It crossed Mytischi district
forming five water-storage lakes. Their banks, full of scenery, have been landscaped and turned into public recreation zones. Many sanatoriums and rest-homes have been constructed here. The banks of the water- storage lakes seem bestrewn with tea-rooms and coffee-houses, health-improving centres and yacht- clubs which offer high-level quality services to the a visitors.
Exercise 1 Answer the questions:
Where is the museum of Environmental Protection situated?
Why did the National Park get the name “Losinyi Island”?
What species of flora and fauna can you see in our region?
How often do you visit the central recreation park?
What do you know about five water-storage lakes?
Exercise 2 Describe your last visit to the park or to the forest. If you made pictures show them to your classmates.
Draw animals you can see in the National Park “Losinyi Island”.
Have you got a pet? Tell us about it.
Cultural Life
Nowadays two professional theaters became very popular in Mytischi Municiple theater of Drama and Comedy has been pleased by spectators for their performances for 15 years.
The professional "FEST" theatre has grown from amateur theatrical shows staged by the students of the Forestry University. But after the amateur actors underwent professional schooling in theatrics the theatre has been given the status of a municipal theatre. Its repertoire includes classical plays by Russian and western writers, clownery and musicals, plays for adults and children.
The Mytischi dramatic theatre "FEST" is in the very centre of the town. The play-house has been radically reconstructed. Originally built as a picture- house, it has been redesigned and equipped with the most up-to-date theatrical facilities.
The main part in the cultural life of the city belongs to the theater «Ognivo». The Mytischi puppet-show was inaugurated in 1993. Reconstructed and repaired, it now seems to have descended from a fairy-tale. The white-and-pink castle has wonderfully embellished the Sharapovka micro district. A sculpture of Ole Lukoye, a character from H.C. Andersen's fairy tales has been a set up in front of this play-house. The "Ognivo" puppet-show stages plays both for children and adults. .The chief director of the theatre is Stanislav Zhelezkin, talented actor and great organizer. The actors of the theatre are enthusiastic. For the last 15 years they have staged 26 performances for children and 9 performances for adults. "Ognivo" is well known far beyond the country's boundaries. More than 60 times they took part in different festivals. It has won 14 "Grand Prix" prizes at international festivals and in 1998 was awarded by the national theatrical prize "Golden Mask" for the best theatre performance.
Exercise 1. Answer the following question:
What kind of performances can you see in the puppet theatre?
What is the main audience of the puppet theatre?
Where is it situated
Who is the director of the theatre?
Exercise 2 Put necessary words into gaps
Curtains, box- office, stalls, theatre, seats, row, performance, stage
Tomorrow I am going to visit Drama ……..I bought tickets at the …….yesterday. The Drama theatre is situated in the centre of the town. My….. are in the first ……I think I will be near ……And when the ……open I will enjoy the ……
Тhе uniquе handicrafts оf Mitischi region
Up-to-day masters keep traditions of unique handicraft in Fedoskino and Zhostovo.
The village Fedoskino of Mytischi region is the birth рlасе of Russian art vanish miniature. In 1795, the peasant Р. I. Korobov initiated the country's first production of papier mache articles decorated with lacquered miniature painting. This craft gained international popu1arity. The handicraft wares made bу Fedoskino's masters can bе found in а 1ot of collections of decorative and applied arts. The boxes are decorated with landscapes and scenes of реорlе life, Russian tales.
In another old village in 1825, the peasant Osip Vishnyakov set uр а unique production of trays with lacquered painting. The history of Zhostovo handicraft has started since the beginning of the 19th century. They produced varnished metallic tray, sugar bowls, small boxes from papier-mache, cigarette case and others. During the last 100 years the village of Zhostovo has bесоmе the seat of this craft. Traditionally, luxuriant bright flower bunches are painted оn metal trays. Every tray is painted bу hand and nowadays. There are а 1ot of famous family- painters, such as the Gogins, the Goncharovs, the Vishnyakovs, the Mazhaevs. This day the production of Zhostovo plant is famous all round the world. They exhibited Zhostov trays at different festivals in Moscow, St Petersburg. The painting of every tray is original and beautiful. 
Mitischi has changed a lot
Industrial enterprises gave a start to the town of Mytischi and for a long time have 
been determining its architectural style. From this point of view there are very interesting industrial buildings of the late 19th and early 20th centuries: the old buildings of the railway carriage-building works, known today as ZAO "Metrovagonmash", the water tower, the "Viscosa" factory, now the OOO "Lirsot" company. But time passed and now people pay main attention to residential house construction. Mitischi has changed a lot. People who did not come to our place during last 5 or 10 years, I think, will not recognize our town. Mytischi is the first town
in Moscow region to implement complex housing projects in micro districts, a compact housing area with a well-developed town infrastructure. Mitischi grew in height and in width. There are a lot of 9-story or 16-story buildings here as well as modern shops, entertainment centres, schools and clubs. All of them are beautiful, comfort and modern-designed.
CROSSWORD
DOWN
1. The Artist that draw the picture “Drinking Tea in Mitischi” 2.Custom Duties 3.The Animal you can see in the Forest near Mitischi 4. The Place where the Most Beautiful Estate is situated 5. The Main River that Flows through the Town 6. The National Park in Mitischi Region 9. A Style the Church of the Icon of the Virgin of Vladimir was built 11. The Place where there is a Production of Lacquer Painting Trays 13. Puppet Theatre
ACROSS
2. The Name of the Carriage Building Plant 5. The Name of the Railway Road 7. The Number of Water Storage Lakes in Mitischi District 8. The Oldest Village that has become a part of the Present- day Mitischi 10. The Russian Tsarina who ordered to construct the Water – pipe Line 12. The Great Russian Field Marshal who lived in Mitischi Region 14. The Village the Birthplace of Russian Art Vanish Miniature 15. The Aqueduct that survived up to nowadays.
Exercise№ 1.
How can you characterize the above items? Put the adjectives in the correct position.
Unique, beautiful, traditional, popular, old, favourite
1) The Statue to Prince Vladimir is rather ____________ .
2) The Drama Theatre is very __________________ with theatre- goers.
3) The Central Park of Rest and Culture is _______________ place of children.
4) The temple of the icon of the Virgin of Vladimir is a(n) _______ and__________ building.
5) Town Square is a __________________ place of mass meetings and festivities.
Exercise № 2 .
Here are the opinions about some items in our culture. Express your own opinions using words and expressions in the correct form from the words below:
Marvelous sights, to be the tops, you’d be nuts to miss a chance to see it,
to give a sense of the past and beauty, to have a long and wonderful
traditions.
Mitischi is better than any other town in the world.
_________________________________________________
There are a lot of wonderful places in Mitischi.
_________________________________________________
A walk around the center of the town makes you understand the beauty of our town
____________________________________________________________
The Statue to Tsar Nikolai II is unique and impressive. It would be stupid not to see it if you are in Mitischi.
______________________________________________________________
Taininskoe Village has a long and wonderful history.
Exercise 3 Tell us about your native town You can use the beginning of phrases.
I live in … . It is … ….centre. There are many …… in it.
Besides, there is a … in the town.
I like to go to the …… . I can ……there.
I think, my town is really …
Exercise 4
Here are the photos of some items from our culture.
What are they? Match the items with their photos.
№ 1 №2
№3 
№4
№5 
№6
№7 
№8
Exercise 5 When people think of a town or a city, they picture in their mind different things. What do you imagine when you think of your native town?
You can choose one of the suggested answers and continue your idea
P-1-…shops because we buy a lot of different things in shops and supermarkets
P-2-…cinemas because I like to go to the movies
P-3-…theatres because we go there with our friends
P-4-. . . people because we have many friends, relatives, teachers around us
P-5-…places of culture because there are many clubs, cinemas, palaces and institutes in our town
P-6-…streets and squares because I like the street where I was born and live now
P-7-…sport because I go in for sport. I like…
P-8-…monuments because there are many beautiful monuments in Mitischi
P-9-…museums because we can learn many interesting facts about our town
Exercise 6 You should work in groups. Choose one of the items and tell everything you know. The best story we’ll send to England like a letter. The first sentence of your story is:
1. Mitischi is my native town.
2. It is a modern town.
3. The popular places of Mitischi are … .
4. I advise to take pictures near … , because … .
5. The famous people of Mitischi are …, … .
6. I think my town is worth seeing and admiring.
7. I’m proud of history, the flag, people, historical places and monuments of Mitischi.
8 I like my native town.
Exercise 7. Words -Web
Fill in the gaps with the names of sightseeing (or the main enterprises, or the main products producing in our town and so on)
Exercise 8 Express your opinion on the text you have read. You can use the following phrases:
personally I, I think, I believe,
I suppose, I consider, I like,
I prefer, I hate, I enjoy,
I’m indifferent to, no doubt, as far as I know
it was interesting for me to get to know that, , I absolutely disagree with,
I can’t understand
first of all, secondly, thirdly,
so, that’s why, more than that,
you see, on the one hand, on the other hand,
comparing, speaking about, more over,
as a result, in conclusion,
