My name is Nikita. I'm 13 years old and I'm a secondary school student. My native town is Voronezh. Every year in September we celebrate a special holiday - the City Day. It usually falls on the third Saturday of the month. The holiday commemorates the date of city foundation. In my opinion Voronezh is a beautiful city of great importance for the country. Sometimes our History teacher lectures us about the history of the city. I know that it was founded in 1586 not far from the River Don. By the 17th century it was one of the most valuable trade centers of Russia. In the time of Peter the Great the city became famous as the cradle of the navy and merchant marine. The first remarkable event took place in 1860, when the monument to Peter I was established. At the end of the 19th century there were many new enterprises, plants, libraries, and theatres built in the city. One of the main educational institutions of the country, the Voronezh State University, was founded in 1918. Hopefully, in the future I will be studying there at the biological faculty. Today, our city is actively growing and developing. Surprisingly, the world’s first supersonic passenger aircraft Tu-144 was created here. Local citizens are fond of the City Day celebrations and I’m proud to be the part of it. Every year, my family and I participate in various festive events on this day. In the afternoon we observe the cheerful processions and parades or hear the speech of municipal authorities. I especially like the evening part, which is followed by the concert, featuring popular artists, and massive fireworks.
There are lots of holidays and celebrations Russia both national and foreign. Even though many Russians celebrate world holidays, such as St.Valentine’s Day, April Fools, Halloween and others, there are a number of purely Russian national holidays, which are celebrated only in Russia. These holidays emphasize the spirit of nation and support folk traditions. One of the most interesting holidays in Russia takes place at the end of February to celebrate the end of winter. The holiday lasts for a week which is known as a Shrovetide. In Russia this holiday is called “Maslennitsa”. People traditionally eat lots of pancakes on this holiday and burn the scarecrow saying farewell to winter snow. Another traditionally Russian celebration takes place on January 7th, which is an Orthodox Christmas. People visit their relatives on this day carrying rice pudding with raisins, which is called “kutya”. Many young and single girls try to read their fortune on the night of 6th and 7th January. Russian weddings are also very joyous events and they differ a lot from other countries. There is a special person on Russian weddings called “tamada” who entertains the guests by various toasts and games. Every June many Russians celebrate the holiday called "The night of Ivan Kupala".People traditionally weave the wreaths from wildflowers, make the bonfires and swim in lakes on the night of this day.
