Прочитайте текст, переведите его (письменно), выпишите сложные слова, написав их перевод и транскрипцию. Symbols of Russia — official and non-official The national symbols of Russia are a part of the cultural heritage of the country which has given the country its national identity. The official and non-official symbols play an important role in formation of a country and a nation’s image; they build up its recognition. Symbols of Russia and Russians are quite diverse. There are only three official symbols, i.e. authorized by law, symbols of the state — the flag, emblem and anthem. But there are a lot of informal symbols, which are often much more famous and popular. Оfficial symbols: National Flag of Russia The national flag of Russia is a three-color flag-white color which lies on the top, blue in the middle and red on the bottom. White stands for nobility and frankness; blue symbolizes loyalty, honesty, chastity and scarlet represents self-sacrifice, generosity and love. While some Russians believe that red means the land, blue stands for sky, and white symbolizes heaven. The current Russian flag was adopted on August 21, 1991 just before the country became an independent state. Two-headed Eagle The two-headed eagle first appeared in Russia, during the time of Moscovia, in the 15th century. Two-headed eagle has been the symbol of the monarchy of Russia for more than four hundred years. The two heads of the eagle stand for the two parts of vast Russian empire — European and Asian, which are believed to be an important part of the country of Russia. National Anthem of Russia In 2000, the national anthem of Russia was accepted. The music was composed by Alexander Alexandrov and the lyrics were written by Russian Federalist Sergey Mikhalkov. Non-official symbols of Russia: Matryoshka Matryoshka is the most famous symbol of Russia and the most popular Russian souvenir all around the World. It is a set of wooden dolls nested into each other. The painted image on them is most often a woman wearing traditional Russian costume decorated with flowers and patterns. It seems that the matryoshka has come to us from the antic world of legends and fairy tales, though in reality the wooden doll is only about hundred years in existence. Valenki Valenki, or felt boots, are Russian national footwear. They are traditionally made of milled fleece, and each pair requires at least a kilogram of fleece that must undergo a long processing treatment. It must be combed out, made into thin strips of felt, shaped, boiled, and dried out. Balalaika The balalaika is a plucking string instrument that resembles a guitar, but has a triangular shape and only three strings (or two in some cases Today the balalaika has disappeared from Russians’ everyday life almost completely. There aren’t many people left who can play it – not to mention, only professional musicians in Russian folk music ensembles. The first mention of the term «balalaika» was in a Russian document from 1688 — balalaika was used by Russian peasants, skomorohki, or wandering minstrels.