Historic reference about Altai Krai

For the first time Russians got acquainted with Altai in the 17th century. Exploration of Altai proceeded faster after Beloyarskaya (1717) and Bikatunskaya (1718) forts had been constructed.

Altai had long been known as the region of metal mining. Father and son Kostylevs are by rights considered to be discoverers of ore deposits in Altai. Their godsend was quite successfully taken by a well-known Ural mine-owner Akinfy Demidov who got a monopoly right to building works and mines in Altai in 1726. And on September, 21, 1729 there started to function the firstling of Altai’s metallurgy - Kolyvano-Voskresenskiy Factory.

In 1730 Demldov's messengers, who were searching for more convenient location for constructing a new bigger factory, chose the mouth of the Barnaulka river. It is 1730 that dates the foundation of Barnaul.

Altai's interiors were rich in silver. In 1744 Demidov's assistants started silver-melting production. And in 1747 empress Elizaveta Petrovna issued a decree by which Altai became a property of Russian tsars - and the Cabinet was in charge of Demidov's former enterprises. In the 18^th - beginning of the 19th centuries 90% of Russia’s silver was smelted in Altai. Gold extracting was also accelerating. By the end of the century there functioned 70 placer mines and about 1680 kg of gold were extracted annually.

The discovery of rich reserves of jaspers, porphyries, marbles and granites promoted the development of stone-cutting industry. In 1802 in the village of Kolyvan, not far from Mountain Sinukha was founded a lapidary works. Here there were created famous masterpieces of stone-cutting art many of which are preserved till present times. They are exhibited in the largest world museums. The largest vase in the world - "Queen of Vases" decorates one of the Hermitage's halls.

By the end of the 19th century mining industry underwent the period of crisis and almost all works were closed. Merchant and agrarian Altai came to change the previous epoch. In the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries private manufacturing industry was presented by flour and grain mills, distillery works, winter footwear works and sheepskin wear works. Agriculture was becoming the basis of Altai's economy. In addition to growing grain there developed potato planting and apiculture was in rapid development as well. In the beginning of the 20th century first positions in agriculture was occupied by dairy farming and butter manufacturing. Altai butter was exported to the countries of Western Europe.

Stolypin's land reform had a great impact on peopling and development of Altai: labor resources grew considerably, a new advanced culture was introduced into agricultural production, and commodity-money relations expanded.

By 1915 Altaiskaya railway had been built and it connected Novonikolaevsk, Barnaul and Semipalatinsk. The water transport was modernized as well.

In 1917 provisional government formed Altaiskaya Guberniya with Barnaul as its center. It existed up till 1925, in the period from 1925 to 1937 the Altai Territory was a part of Western- Siberian Krai, and in 1937 Altai Krai was formed.

The economic development of Altaiskaya Guberniya was greatly affected by building of Turkestano-Sibirskaya railway in the end of the 1920s. Barnaul Blended Yarn Factory was constructed in Altai for processing cotton from Middle Asia. There were constructed grain elevators in Barnaul, Biysk and Kamen-on-the-Ob; sugar processing factories appeared in Biysk and Aleisk, meat processing factories were built in Rubtsovsk and the village of Pospelikha. An extensive metal processing and building material production commenced in Altai; the transportation network also enhanced. By the end of the 1930s Altai changed into one of the largest agro-industrial regions of Siberia. During World War II period about 100 industrial enterprises were evacuated to Altai from western regions of our country, including 24 factories of national significance. After the war the extensive exploration of new engineering and technology began in Altai. The growth rates of industrial production in Altai were six times higher than the national average. The industrial development influenced agriculture positively. But the greatest event was the development of virgin lands (about 2,619 thousand hectares). Altai gained strength, its popularity grew, and by the 1990s it stood in the lineup with leading regions of the country.

II. Read, translate and reproduce the dialogues:

1. peculiarity 2. feature 3. to be situated 4. equal 5. crossing 6. ancient trade routes 7. besides 8. search 9. freedom 10. century 11. silver 12. treasury 13. it seems to me 14. no wonder 15. according 16. scientist 17. researcher 18. engaged 19. study 20. origin 21. development 22. emergence 23. various 24. as a proof 25. unique 26. species 27. insects 28. to found 29. as far as I remember 30. to become 31. in former times 32. to include 33. province 34. famous 35. motherland 36. sharply 37. to call 38. corner of paradise 39. landscape 40. varied 41. hilly 42. mountainous 43. smooth 44. plane 45. surface 46. to turn 47. pine 48. to stretch 49. lake 50. the others 51. salina 52. water chestnut 53. relict one 54. raspberry pink 55. pink-crimson shade 56. due to 57. planktonic crustaceans 58. saline 59. consistent 60. to lie 61. to sink 62. bottom 63. reservoir 64. salt crust 65. to possess 66. curative properties 67. border 68. district 69. to mean 70. meat 71. kind 72. sandy beach 73. it’s worth it 74. to be treated 75. foothills 76. to flow 77. to wash 78. to link

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Дата добавления: 2017-02-01