Taganrog, from the past till our days

Taganrog’s sightseeing

Taganrog is a town with a very rich history which has left for descendants a lot of mysteries.Each ancient house, each corner silently keeps the century secrets. One of the greatest stainon the modern map of historical part of the city onthe Taganiy capeis the closed necropolis of the XIX-XX centuries.

Various memorials and architectural city monuments are often discussedby regional specialists. Only two or three burials are mentioned casually inthe old cemetery’s territory. Peoplemeet less information about burials till the XIX century, although the city exists since 1698, not to mention moreancient settlements on its place.

When the Troitsk fortress existed on the Taganiy cape burialswere made beyond its limits, chaotically, or separately in groups.

While building workers often came across burialsaround Bugudoniya, crossing of Grecheskaya Street and Malo-Sadovy Lane, Schmidt Streetand Ukrainskiy Lane. A huge found burial dates the XVIII century. Around Quarantine (a town district) there were found more ancient burials which had remained from the Turkish settlement,which existed here before the fortress basis.

During the development of Taganrog, the authority gave out a piece of ground for

permanent burial around Italyanskiy Lane and Koltsovskaya Street. Locals called this place "on the mogilkakh". The cemetery worked till 1809.

A new place for burials was put in 1771.The official date of basis of a cemetery is 1809. However, there are disagreements among theresearchers. Some postpone its opening to 1803, but others consider that burials were started in the XVIII century.

In the newspaper PriazovskiyKray of1896 it was written that there was a tombstone with the date of 1796. The regional specialist O. P. Gavryushkin wrote that the oldest from the remained graves carry to 1815.

Church of All Saints was founded in 1810.

This is the only religious building in our city except the St. Nicholas Church.

It extanted in fact unchanged since the last adjustment in 1837. The church was closedin 1920. But during the Nazi occupationof Taganrog church services were resumed and no longer stopped.

The exactdate of the beginning of burials in the cemetery is unknown. But it is considered that initially all the dead, regardless of their nationality and religion were buried at the same area. Later this area became known as the Christian Cemetery.Asite of land behind the area of the presentKolkhozniy Lane and VodoprovodnayaStreet was called Tatar or Muslim Cemetery (1837).

In the early 1990's it ceased to exist. Houses, garages and a road are now locatedonthe former territory of a Muslim cemetery. Under the site in the district of the Institute of Science Research and the school № 7 was given out under the Judaic (Jewish) cemetery in 1842.The territory was surrounded by a stone fence.It was destroyed by the Nazis during the occupation of 1941-1943.

The Great Patriotic War expanded the number of cemeteries in our city.Mass burials from the enemy army were made in the territory of Gorky park. Actually all its part was the German cemetery.Crosses on graves were constructed from the trees growing in the park. After war the necropolis waswiped out. An expedition from Germany came there in 2006 andcarried out excavation there. Remains more than 1000 German soldiers and officers were found.

It has been recently known that except fascist prisoners withthe European roots, the Japanese worked also for the benefit of our city during the post occupational period. According to the Japanese, the dead were buried near the street Ximicheskaya.

Kogatov's beam or "Death beam" as it was called by the locals is notorious in Taganrog. Here, thousands of people of different nationalities and religions found “the shelter” in the years of occupation. In the post-war timea memorial was organized there.

But we will return to an ancient necropolis, fortunately still existing. Some of the most valuable sculptures of the necropolis were brought out in 1976. Now all the sculptures make ensemble in the yard of the Art gallery.

The cemetery was declared a monument of culture and history in 1991.The people who played a huge role in the development of Taganrog in the XIX-XX centuries are buried in this ancient necropolis. They are merchants, historians, writers, musicians, doctors, owners, directors and others. It is possible to read their names on manygravestones.

The old cemetery was closed in 1971. The new one was based along Nikolaevskoye

highway. Tens of thousands of people are buried here, there is a reserved sector for victims of the Chernobyl tragedy, anonymous graves and the honorable avenue where worthy citizens of Taganrog are buried, including a former mayor S. I. Shilo. Now it is a history, a few years ago the necropolis was closed.

Years pass, new generations come to replace, skyscrapers grow on ancient settlements. Process is natural and inevitable. And now our task is carefullyto keep what ancestors left to us and not to forget the history.

Exercises before text:

1. What parts of speech do the following words belong to:

a) carefully, actually, fortunately b) notorious, serious c) writer, owner, director?

What effects do the suffixes -ly, -ous, -er (or) have on the meaning of the words?

2. Paraphrase the following sentences paying attention to the underlined phrases.

- Taganrog is a town with a very rich history which has left for descendantsa lot of mysteries.

- When the Troitsk fortress existedon the Taganiy cape burialswere made beyond its limits …

- … the authority gave out a piece of ground forpermanent burial …

- … church services were resumed and no longer stopped.

3. The title, the 1st sentence and the 1st words of some paragraphs of a text have been given below. Guess what the author tells about.

Taganrog’s sightseeing

Taganrog is a town with a very rich history …

Various memorials and architectural city monuments …

… workers often came across …

A new place for burials …

The exact date of the beginning of burials in the cemetery is …

Mass burials from the enemy army were made …

4. Group work.

a) Look at the following word combinations and think of a story that might combine them all. You may reorder them in any way you want and you can use any form of the verb:

a town with a very rich history, keeps the century secrets, the closed necropolis, are often discussed by regional specialists, workers often came across, the authority gave out, the official date, during the Nazi occupation of Taganrog, were constructed from, a memorial was organized, are buried in this ancient necropolis, it is possible.

b) When you have decided upon the story, tell the story to your partner. Then listen to that of your partner. Ask each other as many questions as you can to learn further details or clarify some points.

Text exercises:

1. Write down synonyms for each of the adjectives in the text.

2. Find in the text words with –ing endings and decide if they are Gerunds, Participles or the forms of Progressive tenses.

3. Find in the text sentences into the Passive Voice.

4. Find the sentences with the following phrasal verbs and word combinations: to come across, to wipe out, to give out, to carry out, to be surrounded by. Make up your own sentences using these phrasal verbs and word combinations.

5. Rearrange the following plan according to the text:

- A monument of culture and history

- Coming across different burials

- O. P. Gavryushkinabout the oldest remained graves

- Taganrog is a town with a very rich history

- A notorious memorial of Taganrog

- An honorable avenue for worthy citizens of Taganrog

- Mass burialsafter The Great Patriotic War

- Two great nowadays churches in Taganrog

6. Translate the first and the last passages of the text into Russian. Then do the reverse translation. Check with the original.

Exercises after text:

1. Answer the following questions.

1. Taganrog is a town with a very rich history, isn’t it? What makes you think so?

2. What helps most of all to find out the information about the sightseeing?

3. Where were the most ancient burials of Taganrog found?

4. What interesting facts about the Church of All Saints can you tell about?

5. What is located now on the former territory of a Muslim cemetery?

6. Whose territory was surrounded by a stone fence?

7.After war the necropolis in the territory of Gorkiy park was wiped out, wasn’t it? What makes you think so?

8. Who found “the shelter” in "Death beam"?

9. What is our task to do according to young generation?

2. Complete the following sentences from the text:

1. … the greatest stain on …

2. … the Taganiy cape burialswere made …

3. … there were found more ancient burials which had remained from the Turkish settlement …

4. … there are disagreements…

5. … all the dead, regardless of their nationality and religion …

6. … the sculptures make ensemble …

7. … a huge role in the development of Taganrog …