Ex.3a, p. 186
The borders of Belarus were changed so many
times it can be hard to know where your family really comes from: Russia,
Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine or Belarus. Our lecture is not limited to persons of
Belarusian ethnicity; Russians, Jews, Poles, Vikings, etc., may be found in the
list.
How many of us would have guessed that the
legendary Hollywood actor Kirk Douglas was born to Belarusian parents? They
emigrated from Gomel to the USA when Kirk was just three years old, in 1919.
Likewise, top American designer Ralph Lauren’s parents are from Belarus (his
father from Pinsk and his mother from Grodno).
Belarus also has its fair share of writers.
Yanka Kupala, Yakub Kolas, Vasil Bykov… Science-fiction king Isaac Asimov was
born in the village of Petrovichi in the Mogilev Region of Belarus. Few know
that Fyodor Dostoevsky - one of Russia’s greatest prose writers – was born into
a Belarusian family. Although his parents had moved to Moscow by the time he arrived
in the world, they hailed from the small Belarusian village of Dostoevo in the
Ivanovo District. Last autumn, the village celebrated the 500th anniversary of
the famous family.
Belarus has brought forth some of our world’s
most prominent athletes. Just think of Olga Korbut – from Grodno or Max Mirnyi
(nicknamed The Beast for his aggressive play). Other notable sporting heroes
include Olympic medalists Yulia Nesterenko, Yekaterina Karsten, Yanina
Korolchik and Ellina Zvereva. How about Stuttgart midfield Alexander Hleb? The
wrestler Alexander Medved? The winner of the 2009 World Chess Cup, Boris
Gelfand?
One of most famous of all people from Belarus,
Marc Chagall is known around the world as a master of classic avant-garde art.
The pioneer of geometric abstract art Kazimir Malevich, sculptor Osip Zadkine,
Vladimir Vyshnevski also come from this land.
As far as science is concerned: Ignat Domejko
was a well-known geologist who spent most of his life in Chile where he became
a national hero. He is officially recognised by UNESCO for his achievements.
Alexander Chizhevsky, born in the Grodno region in 1897, was a famous scientist
who studied the biological effects of the sun and universe. Zhores Alferov,
born in Vitebsk, won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2000.
Haim Weizman from the small village near Pinsk
was an outstanding chemist who gave lectures in Switzerland and Great Britain.
He also became the first president of Israel in 1949 and remained at this post
until his death. By the way, Shimon Peres, Israel’s new President and Nobel
Prize winner, was born in Belarus in the village of Vishnevo in the Minsk
Region.
Petr Klimuk, the first Belarusian cosmonaut and
a researcher in technical sciences was born in Komarovka village, Brest region,
in 1942. He made three space flights as a member of spaceship and orbital space
station missions.
Vladimir Kovalenok was born near Minsk in 1942.
He trained as a pilot and became a celebrated cosmonaut in the Soviet Union. He
commanded 3 space missions and was twice declared a Hero.
There are successful Belarusian artists,
writers, models and businessmen all over the world. But the number one
Belarusian in the world is Boris Kit. This outstanding rocket scientist and
Belarusian turned 100 this year. Today he lives in Frankfurt-am-Main but
remains truly devoted to his language and his motherland. Perhaps he is the man
to make you feel that, in fact, you are lucky to come from Belarus.
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий