The town i live in is not very large and there are no big galleries and museums in it. but we have a good natural history museum in our town. last week i was on an excursion there. first we listened to a lecture on the history of our region which was very interesting. then a guide showed us the exposition of the museum. we walked through its halls looking at different stands with exhibits. there were ancient vases and coins, dishes and bowls, tools and arms. the guide told us about the origin and the age of the exhibits and answered our questions. the girls asked questions about national costumes and dishes and the boys were interested in arms. the next hall was even more interesting. there we saw stuffed animals and birds. it was a small zoo of the region nature. there was also an aquarium full of different fish, tortoises and shells. the collection of minerals was interesting, too. i have learned very much from my visit to the museum.
Nowadays the theatre is less popular than the cinema. due to the popularity of television and the since appearance of video, theatre has lost a great deal of its attraction. besides, theatre tickets are very expensive, especially in good theatres. so we can say that a visit to a famous theatre has become a luxury. still, the theatre is an inseparable part of the intellectual life of any country. we can even say that the theatre as an art reflects the state of society and of the mind of the nation. in every country theatre has its own history, traditions and peculiarities. there are a lot of theatres in russia and some of them are popular all over the world. in moscow theatre-goers try not to miss the first nights at the vakhtangov, sovremennik, or khudozhestvenny (art) theatres. st. petersburg also has a variety of theatres, which meet all the tastes. lovers of classic music never miss a chance to visit the philharmonic society hall. opera and ballet lovers can go to mariinsky opera house and maly opera house. those who are fond of drama visit the bolshoi drama theatre, alexandrinsky theatre, open theatre and many others. many new theatres and studios have appeared during the last five or ten years. many theatres are famous for theirexcellent company, sets and great directors. i'm not a regular theatre-goer, but sometimes i like to go and see an interesting performance. one of my favourite theatres is the bolshoi drama theatre. it is so not only because of its wonderful company, but i like the interior as well. it is quite a problem to get a ticket there; they are sold out long in advance. the house is separated from the stage by the curtain. of all the seats i prefer to sit in the stalls or in the dress circle. from there i can get a good view of the stage and can hear and see equally well without opera-glasses. but i don’t, like to sit in the balcony. i usually buy the tickets at the box-office. when the day of the performance comes, i dress up and arrive at the theatre about twenty minutes before the performance to enjoy the atmosphere. i leave my coat and hat in the cloak-room and buy a programme from the usher because i want to know what the cast is like. at last the performance begins. the house is full. everybody is deeply involved in what happens on the stage. the setting is marvellous and the costumes are wonderful. i like the cinema too, even if it doesn't create so festive atmosphere. when i have free time i often go to see some new film. there is a cinema not far from my house. it is quite a modern building with a very large hall. before every show you can see a newsreel or a documentary. in the foyer you can see photos of film stars and advertisements for the films which will be shown soon. when i want to go to the cinema i look in a newspaper «what's on» column. they publish a list of all the cinemas in the city and what is on there today. then i phone my friend and we discuss what is worth seeing. we like films with a lot of action and suspense, and sometimes, a good comedy. my parents prefer love stories and musicals. once they persuaded me to see the famous «gone with the wind», and i did not regret doing so. the film is based on the famous novel by margaret mitchell. it was produced in the 1930s, but you do not feel that it is 60 years old. it is a powerful and moving story. the english actress vivien leigh played the main role, and her male counterpart was clark gable.
