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Russia assumed control of Soviet assets abroad and most of the Soviet Union's production facilities and defense industries. The Russian military is divided into the Ground Forces, Navy, and Air Force. There are also three independent arms of service: Strategic Rocket Forces, Military Space Forces, and the Airborne Troops. In 2006, the military had 1.037 million personnel on active duty.

Pic. 47. The RT-2UTTH Topol M,

an ICBM designed to attempt to avoid missile defenses

Russia has the largest stockpile of nuclear weapons in the world. It has the second largest fleet of ballistic missile submarines and is the only country apart from the U.S. with a modern strategic bomber force. The country has a large and fully indigenous arms industry, producing all of its own military equipment. Russia is the world's top supplier of weapons accounting for around 30% of worldwide weapons sales and exporting weapons to about 80 countries. Following the Soviet practice, it is mandatory for all male citizens aged 18–27 to be drafted for two years' Armed Forces service. But there are still various problems associated with this, such as dedovschina (institutionalised hazing). This explains why the armed forces have reduced the conscription term from 18 months to 12 since 2008, and are planning to increase the proportion of contract servicemen to 70% of the armed forces by 2010. Defense expenditure has quadrupled over the past six years. Official government military spends $40 billion for 2008 and makes Russia the eighth largest country in the world. But it is important to note that various sources, including US intelligence, and the International Institute for Strategic Studies, have estimated Russia’s military expenditures to be considerably higher.

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Currently, the military is undergoing a major equipment upgrade with about $200 billion on procurement of military equipment between 2006 and 2015.

27. Look at the following abbreviations from the text. What do they stand for?

OSCE; APEC; CIS; UN; EU; NATO; ICBM; U.S.

28.Consult the dictionary and find their definitions. Write down them into your copybooks.

29.What is the English for:

ОБСЕ, Организация по безопасности и сотрудничеству в Европе

АТЭС, Азиатско-тихоокеанское экономическое сотрудничество

СНГ, Содружество Независимых Государств

ООН, Организация Объединённых Наций

ЕС, Европейский союз

НАТО, Североатлантический союз

МБР, межконтинентальная баллистическая ракета

США, Соединенные штаты Америки

30.Match the facts from the text “Foreign relations and military” with the following figures.

1.037; 30; 26; 2008; 70; 2010; 200; 2015.

31.In pairs. Ask and answer your own questions using information from the text.

32.Group work. Discuss the perspectives of Russian economic development. Use all information you have learnt from the previous texts and exercises.

33.Write an essay on the topic above.

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34.What do you know about our region economy? What industries do you consider to be the most important?

35.Find the information about one of the Omsk industrial enterprises. Make up a dialogue. Imagine you are talking to a foreigner. You may use the following words:

to be situated; products; to produce; industry; to belong to; to develop; environment restrictions; to satisfy; to work; enterprise; to want; the future plans etc.

36. Read the text about the development of Omsk Metro. Give its summary. Compare with your partner’s.

Omsk Metro (Omsky metropoliten) is currently under construction in Omsk, Russia. After long delays, the first section is scheduled to open in 2010, which will make it Siberia's second metropolitan underground railway system after the Novosibirsk Metro system that was opened in the mid 1980s.

Central planners in Moscow first identified Omsk as a metro-eligible city during the 1960s, due to its length along the Irtysh River and its relatively narrow streets. But after the plan was approved and financed, the planners decided to build an express tram instead, and the money allocated to Omsk was given to Chelyabinsk. In 1979, a Gosplan commission rejected a plan to build an express tram system since it was predicted to be unable to handle projected passenger flows without severely discomforting riders. In 1986, metro plans were revisited and financing began, along with the demolition of residential buildings to make way for tracks and a yard.

Construction began in 1992 between the stations Tupolevskaya (Russian: Туполевская) and Rabochaya (Russian: Рабочая ~ Workers' Station). The initial plans involved opening the section between the stations Marshala Zhukova and Rabochaya on the right bank of the Irtysh River to connect downtown to the manufacturing district, and then later to connect the line to the opposite bank of the Irtysh. Due to poor financial circumstances, by 2003 just the section between Tupolevskaya and Rabochaya was completed (with no intermediate stations). At this time the plans changed and the authorities decided to connect the two banks of the Irtsh with a metro bridge, going between one station on the right bank and three on the left bank. The combined metro (lower level) and motor-

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vehicle (upper level) bridge was built and opened to vehicular traffic in 2005.

The current phase of construction involves four stations:

Biblioteka Imeni Pushkina (Библиотека имени Пушкина ~ Pushkin Library)

Zarechnaya (Заречная ~ Over the River)

Kristall (Кристалл)

Sobornaya (Соборная ~ Cathedral Station)

This section is 6.1 km in length. The average speed is expected to be 36 km/h and travel time along the entire route is expected to be 10 minutes 12 seconds. Daily ridership is projected at 190,000 passengers and yearly ridership at 69 million.

Stations

All of the stations will be shallow.

Biblioteka Imeni Pushkina was planned as Krasny Put' (Красный Путь ~ Red Way).

Kristall was planned as Bulvar Arkhitektorov (Бульвар Архитекторов ~ Boulevard of the Architects)

Sobornaya was planned as Avtovokzal (Автовокзал ~ Bus Terminal).

Future development

Plans call for the line to be extended on the right bank of the Irtysh to Rabochaya station (the section between Tupolevskaya and Rabochaya is partially complete). The first line is planned to have 11 stations and a total length of 13.6 km, with an additional metro bridge over the Om River, by 2015 or 2016 (the latter date is the 300th anniversary of Omsk). When the line is complete, it is expected to have a daily ridership of 330,000 passengers.

Construction of the second line will start after 2015. It will go on the right bank of the Irtysh, mostly parallel to the river. Transfer to the first line will be available at Biblioteka Imeni Pushkina. This line is expected to have twenty stations. At the same time, the first line is planned to be extended on the left bank by four stations.

The third line will not be built until the distant future. If built, it will likely be on both banks of the Irtysh, like the first line.

November 11, 2008 from http://wikipedia.ru/

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37.Using the internet or some other sources find the information about the current phase of construction.

38.Work with a partner. Discuss the following questions:

What kind of transport do you prefer to take? Why?

Is it necessary to construct the metro in our city? Why?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the metro construction?

Pic. 48

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