Spotlight on Russia

1.

Spotlight on Russia
Life

2.

Letter from the Editors
Our names are Ann and Bill and we want to welcome you to this edition of §3
Spotlight on Russia. We are both Year 11 students from Ridgeway Secondary
School in Liverpool, England. We are very lucky to be living and studying in
Russia this year as part of a student exchange programme.
Spotlight on Russia has invited us to work for the magazine as guest editors.
This year we will be travelling across this amazing country and learning as
much as we can about Russian culture, geography, environmental issues, freetime activities and much more. We'll share our impressions of life in Russia with
you, and we hope you'll tell us more about different aspects of life in your great
country!
Please send us your ideas about places we should see and things we should do
while we are here. You can contact us by email
at bill&[email protected] Remember, teenagers from all over the world
read this terrific magazine, so this is a great opportunity to let people know about
your country!
We hope you enjoy our articles.

3.

1. Life
Russia is a huge country so, of course, the way of life can be very different
depending on where people live.
A quarter of the population of Russia, about 40 million people, live in
villages. Russia's size means village life has hardly changed in centuries and
is still very traditional, although quite hard. People's livelihoods depend on
crops and livestock. They must work in the fields and tend to their animals.
The summer harvest has to last through the winter and often the only way
for people to make money is to sell their produce at the market in the
nearest town or city. However, the isolation and simplicity that makes viilage
life difficult is also what makes it wonderful. There are no factories or
traffic, only fresh air, clear streams and beautiful forests

4.

Life in the city
Most Russians live in
the city. As a rule, they
live in multi-storey
residential buildings
that can
accommodate up to
400 apartments. The
apartments range
from 40 m2 to 200
m2. Many families of
4-5 people live in a 2
or 3-room apartment.
Often 2 or 3
generations live in the
same apartment, and
therefore the
apartment can
become crowded.

5.

The best stretch of coastline in Russia is in
the south¬east on the coast of the Black
Sea. This is where many Russians go for
their summer holidays. It is a densely
populated area and the people who live
there make their living from the tourists
who come for their holidays between May
and October. Every house has rooms to
rent and the streets and beaches are
crowded with people selling all sorts of
souvenirs and refreshments. There are also
many different types of water sports
available.

6.

LIFE IN THE NORTH
In the far north of Russia, conditions are harsh and life
is very difficult. This is where you will find large oil
fields and mining operations. Big companies attract
people to work and live there by giving them high
salaries and free housing. Even so, many people leave
after a short time because they cannot cope with the
freezing cold conditions and temperatures as low as 50°.

7.

ACTIVITY
Describe the place where you live.
What is it like to live there?
Write to Spotlight on Russia and tell
us all about it.