A terrible war ended seventy years ago. It is called the Great Patriotic War, because our entire Fatherland, that is, the entire country, fought against the enemy. This our victory over the strong and ruthless enemies that attacked us, the fascists, ended. The war lasted four whole years. For four years our country lived a harsh and terrible military life. All who could became soldiers and went to fight. And those who could not fight, tried their best to help the soldiers: they sewed greatcoats for them, made weapons.
Imagine that your dads, dads of your friends and all older brothers, many mothers, even many older sisters suddenly put on military uniforms, take.
Imagine that for four whole years you will not know exactly how they are there, what is with them, whether they are alive. After all, then it was not that mobile phones and the Internet were not in sight, even simple mail worked with difficulty, because almost half of the country became a battlefield. And many cities were captured by the enemy for a long time. Imagine that strangers, armed to the teeth, arrogant soldiers who speak an incomprehensible language suddenly burst into your city or your village, enter your house, do whatever they want, and there is no one to protect you. That everything you are used to suddenly disappears, there is no food, not at all, not at all. Tap water does not flow, the radio does not work (there were no TVs then), buses and trolleybuses do not travel.
If you suddenly get sick, there are no doctors either, not even dentists. And there is no one to help you. And all this lasts for long, long four years. It’s scary to even imagine this and I don’t want to, but if you don’t imagine it, it’s not clear what kind of holiday we are celebrating on May 9. Indeed, it was on this day seventy years ago across the country that people heard the announcement on the radio that Victory Day had come. The Nazis defeated and surrendered. Now all the surviving parents and children can be together again and not part. Dads will come back and kiss moms, and moms - finally! - will be able to put on their beautiful dresses again. In the shops it will again be possible to buy bread and milk, and sweets, and even ice cream. And no one will shoot anymore, and instead of tanks, normal cars will drive through the streets. It won't be scary and cold anymore. Children will be able to live and not die. Can you imagine how everyone who heard this then rejoiced? How they hugged, laughed, congratulated each other. And they cried. Many cried, because in almost every family someone did not survive, did not live to see this holiday. That's what Victory Day is. That is why all of us, citizens of the victorious country, celebrate it today.
"Samarkand is the mirror of the World, the Garden of the Soul, the Jewel of Islam, the Pearl of the East, the Centre of the Universe." Located in the valley of the Zarafshan river and being surrounded by the peaks of the Pamir-Alai mountains, this fabulous oasis on the border with the Kyzylkum desert has never lacked attention. Another name, the City of Famous Shadows, indicates Samarkand as a witness to the change of historical periods. About 40,000 years ago, generous nature brought primitive man to this area. Interestingly, the city is rightfully considered the same age as Rome and Babylon, based on the fact that archaeologists date the first settlements in the area of the sixth century BC.
Today Samarkand is one of the oldest and most important cities in Asia, the third largest city in Uzbekistan. More than half a million people live in the city of Samarkand. It is famous for its ancient culture and architecture, as well as eventful history. In 1925-1930 it was the capital of Uzbekistan, before being replaced by Tashkent in 1930. The city has carefully preserved the traditions of ancient crafts: embroidery, gold embroidery, silk weaving, engraving on copper, ceramics, carving and painting on wood. Thousands of tourists visit Samarkand to see its various sights every year. Modern Samarkand is divided into two parts: the old city, and the new city which developed during the days of the Russian Empire and Soviet Union. The old city includes historical monuments, shops and old private houses, while the new city includes administrative buildings along with cultural centres and educational institutions. The state and official language in Samarkand, as in all Uzbekistan, is Uzbek language, which is one of the Turkic languages. As in the rest of Uzbekistan, Russian language is de facto the second official language in Samarkand. In Samarkand you can enjoy a tasty Uzbek cuisine.
People in the city are friendly. Welcome to my favourite city Samarkand!
Olly and I went to a lovely old village last weekend.
It wasn't very far away.
We bought some cheese, bread and fruit, and we thought about having
a picnic near the river.
We didn't have very much water.
? a shop but it was closed. We ate our food and fell asleep under the trees.