Eravna
Eravna rayon occupies a territory of Eastern Buryatia , covering 30 725 square kilometers. It borders on the Chita region in the east, Bagdarin rayon in the north,
Khorinsk rayon in the west, Kizhinga rayon in the south.
The rayon is multicultural: Buryats, Russians, Tatars, Evenks and other nationalities live here.
The climate is extreme continental. The frost in winter is usually cold. The coldest month is January, the temperature is 35-40 C under zero. The summer is short and hot with few rainy days. The hottest month is July.
The rayon is a variety of steppes and taiga, forests and lowlands, highlands and picturesque lakes, bogs and boggy lots of land with unique genetic, biochemical qualities.
The name «Yaruna » came from Mongolian and means « fine, beautiful ».
Sometimes the beauty of Eravna is compared with Switzerland.
They say Eravna-a place of blue lakes. They are especially charming. In Eravna there are many forest lakes. There are about 10 big and more than 200 small lakes. These are: Lakes Bolshaya and Malaya Eravna , Sosnovoye , Khamisan , Gunda, Isinga and others.The greatest lake is Lake Bolshaya Eravna ( 946 hectars ,its depth is 6,0 meters).All of these lakes are rich in fish ,except small forest lakes. Mostly of them are inhabited by fishes: perch, pike, crycian, bream, carp.
Bream, sazan are breed here.
Such lakes as Angirta, Ukyr are strong mineralized and in rayon there are also
deposits of medicinal mud.
The longest rivers are the Uda and the the Konda .The Uda with its tributaries gathers waters from the area of rayon and flows into the Selenga. The world-famous Lake Baikal is fed by a number of large and small rivers, naturally they have a direct influence on Baikal life.
The rayon is abundant in life-giving sources of mineral waters. The most famous of them are the Mokhei, the Marakta , the Khuretei , the Daban-Gorkhon , the Uta-Nur , the Arshanta.
Eravna is mostly mountainous. People honored from ancient times their sacred places- mounts, such as the Bayan Khan , the Under , the Darkhita , the Burel , the Altan and many others. The highest peaks are situated in the north of the Zaza river, they are 1629 meters high. The highest peak in the south of rayon is mount Malta (1224 meters high).
The mountains are rich in mineral resources: gold, coal, limestone, lead, zinc, tin,
khaltzedon (sakhuer).
All the territory of Eravna is located in zone of taiga. Its area is occupied by aromatic fir, leaf-bearing tree, pine and there are also wide stretches of steppe, meadow and bogs. Everywhere are here rhododendrons-the beauty of the Siberian forest, sweetbrier, bird sherry-tree, hawthorn. There are many wild berry-fields.
Also here are the great number of herbs and flowers represented. Mostly of them are valuable and useful.
The taiga is rich in fur-bearing animals: bear, wolf, fox, squirrel, hare, lynx, ondatra, stoat. Only ondatra was taken away in 1932 and was acclimatized at all territory of rayon. It lives in the Konda river and fast in all Eravna’s lakes.
The bird world is very numerous. At all area of rayon are represented some species of birds: wood pecker, pincer, falcon, crane, bustard, goose. The most numerous are kites, cuckoos. The lakes are places of many aquatic birds. Only in the southern part of rayon there are 122 species of birds, 109 of them are-nest making. So, animal world of Eravna is very rich and various and has a big value. Nowadays is given attention to the nature protection. On the territory of rayon are located Tuldun, Mochei, Konda preserves, where hunting and cutting of forest are forbidden
The rayon is known for its extreme continental climate. There is no much snow in winter, but the frosts are very cold. The coldest month is January, the temperature is 40-48 C under zero. The summers are usually warm and short with few rainy days. The hottest month is July, the temperature is 35-40 C above zero.
The agriculture is developed in rayon. There are many collective farmers and farmers. The agriculture is presented by cattle-breading, sheep-breading, horse-breading. Milk and meat products are produced in rayon: butter, cheese, sausage and others.
Sport :In rayon are held sometimes championships in archery, wrestling and other sport arts. Sport federations in rayon are headed by best trainers.
The names of Zhamso Dashiev, B.Ts.Tsyrendylykov, D.Tsybikov are famous.
Eravna is associated with the names of the Shoidagbayevas: Galina and Tatyana, Tsyrenzhap Sampilov, Tsyren-Dulma Dondogoi, Sokto Nomtoyev and others.
The 2005 Youth Festival was devoted to Youth of Eravna. There is the Garden of Stones on the Marakta river. Since 2005 here are held poetry tournaments in honour of world-famous son-Namzhil Nimbuyev and his great father-Shirap Nimbuyev. There on the stone are written some words in his favourite style from poetry N.Nimbuyev:
О Еравна!
Тайны дебрей твоих
Каждый камень и лист
Вольным духом отчизны настоян!
Sosnovo-Oserskoye- a official and cultural centre of Eravna. Here are many official buildings, a large sport stadium, sport hall, church and Buddhist dugan, numerous shops and a supermarket, monument to the Fallen soldiers in the 1941-1945.There are many cultural groups in rayon: «Yaruna» in the centre, «Ayanga»-in Ust-Egita. Different interesting exhibitions are held in the Sampilov Picture Gallery.
Next to Lake Bolshaya Eravna are located beautiful beaches, which are the beloved places of people.
Vocabulary
To occupy- занимать, охватывать
To cover-покрывать
To border on..-граничить с …
Multicultural-многонациональный
Variety-разнообразие
Lowlands-низкогорья
Highlands-высокогорья
A bog-болото
Sea level-уровень моря
Life-giving sources of mineral waters-живительные источники
Perch-окунь
Crycian-карась
Pike- щука
Bream-лещ
Deposits of medicinal mud-запасы лечебной грязи
limestone-известняк
Lead-свинец
Tin-олово
Zinc-цинк
A preserve-заказник
Leaf-bearing tree-лиственница
To be represented-быть представленным
Valuable-ценный
Sweetbrier-шиповник
Bird-sherry tree-черемуха
Haw-thorn-боярышник
Species-виды
aspen-осина
wild berry-fields-дикие ягодники
wood pecker-дятел
goose-гусь
pincer-клест
falcon-сокол
crane-журавль
bustard-глухарь Kite-коршун
Task I: Answer the questions.
1. What do you know from the history of name «Yaruna»?
2. Name border-regions of Eravna.
3. Is Eravna rich in natural riches?
4. Eravna-place of blue lakes, isn’t it?
5. What are the main branches of agriculture in Eravna?
Task II: Form sentences.
1. The rayon is a)lives the elk
2. bird-sherry-tree, hawthorn, sweetbrier b) steppes, taiga, forest, lakes, bogs
3. about 20-25 years c)1 629 meters high
4. It is a variety of d)is everywhere in taiga
5. They say e)a place of blue lakes
6. Its meat and f)multicultural
7. The highest peak is g)are used in medicine
Task III: Read these statements about Eravna and add some information.
The rayon was found on 26th of September in 1927.
Every summer many people visit mineral waters, have their vacations in the lap of nature.
There is a Garden of Stones on the Marakta river.
Task V: Take part in comprehension, using these questions.
What parts may the text be divided into? What parts of the text give information about:
the mountains of Eravna
the chief rivers of Eravna
the longest lakes in Eravna
the reason why Eravna can be also called place of blue lakes
the area of Eravna
Find the topical sentences for each of them.
Task VI: Answer the questions.
What are the highest points in Eravna?
Do you know the highest points in the Caucasus, the Crimea, the Urals?
Are there many lakes and rivers in Eravna? What are they?
What is the area of rayon?
Grammar Practice
The Article. Remember!
THE before mountain chains rivers
The Khamar-Daban the Uda
The Urals the Volga
But: no article before individual mountains peaks: Ben Nevis, Elbrus, Munku-Sardyk.
The Active and Passive Voice.
Find sentences with the verbs in the Passive Voice in the text, read and translate them into Russian.
Insert the verb in the correct form of the Passive Voice
Eravna (to associate) with the names of Galina Shoidagbayeva, Tsyrenzhap Sampilov, Tsyren-Dulma Dondogoi, Tzyrenzhap Badmayev, Dugar Zhamsuyev.
The 2005 Youth Festival (to devote) to Eravna
Sport federations in rayon (to head) by best trainers.
Read aloud.
1927, 1932
26 000 sq.km.
20 000 peope
200 small lakes
946 hectars
6,0 meters
336 rivers
122 species
40-48 C under zero
35-40 C above zero
1 407
36 051 
