Cities of Great Britain

Great Britain has the reputation of a country with old beautiful cities and towns. Each of them has its own character, charm and beauty. Many of them lived a very long life and saw many events.

All English cities have their unique spirit which differs them form other cities in the world. These are the cities with special architecture, which attracts millions of visitors. These are the cities which breathe with quietness and strictness, culture and mystery.

Where to go and what to see depends on a person’s taste. Of course in the first place it’s interesting to visit London, the capital of the United Kingdom of Great Britain. London began its life as a Roman fortification at a place where it was possible to cross the river Themes. Since that time the city grew and grew. It became very beautiful with many places of interest, such as the House of Parliament with its famous Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and Nelson’s column in Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery, the British Museum and countless parks.

After London, another interesting city is Stratford-upon-Avon. It is the native town of William Shakespeare, the great playwright and poet. People from all countries visit the town to see the house he was born. They also visit other places connected with his name and his life.

Holidays and Special Days in Britain

The word “holiday” comes from the words “holy day”, and holidays were first religious festivals. Now many holidays have no connection with religion, but still a lot of them are religious. Almost every country has its own holidays which differ from the holidays of other countries. Some holidays celebrate only in one country, and some holidays – in many countries. All people wait for holidays, especially children, because people give presents to each other, get together with their families, friends and relatives.

In Great Britain there are a lot of customs and traditions and most of them are closely connected with holidays and festivals.

The fist holiday of the year is New Year, but in Great Britain it is not as popular as in our country. In London people usually celebrate New Year in Trafalgar Square. They sing songs near a fir-tree, which people of Norway sent to Great Britain traditionally.

On February 14^th comes St. Valentine’s Day, which is very popular in England. On that day many people send cards to their friends and people who they love.

Kiev

 Kiev is the wonderful and unforgettable city! Its magnificent architecture, countless historical monuments, imposing modern structures, greenery and beautiful suburbs make Kiev a city of an infinite charm. It’s full of spirit of antiquity and everything around reminds you about its history, the wealth of its culture and traditions. Kiev is a very old city. In the 11^th century Kiev was already one of the largest cities of Europe, the capital of Kievan Rus, a mighty state with a high developed culture. It became the cradle of the three peoples: the Russians, the Ukrainians and the Byelorussians. People called Kiev “The Mother of all Russian Cities” and it became the capital of this state.

Kiev’s visitors have a tour on the Dnieper, a long and majestic river. The Dnieper impresses everybody by its beauty and grandeur. There are many churches and monuments on its banks. In summer all the banks are green and these white and gold churches look at the Dnieper with its cupolas.