Упражнения по теме State and Political Organization of Russia / Государственное и политическое устройство России

1. Read the texts and do some exercises below.

Political System of Russia

The politics of Russia take place in the framework of the federal semi-presidential republic of Russia. The power is divided among the legislative, executive and judicial branches.

The executive power is concentrated in the President and the Prime Minister, although the President is dominant as the head of the state. The President of Russia is elected by the people for a term of 6 years for a maximum of two consecutive terms. The President is the chairman of his consultative bodies: the State Council and the Security Council and is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The President determines basic domestic and foreign policies of the Russian Federation and he can veto draft bills. He is also vested with power to dismiss the government.

The Prime Minister is appointed as the head of the government by the President, with the State Duma’s approval. Government duties are distributed between several ministries. The government ensures realization of domestic and foreign policies, works out the federal budget, provides the principles of law, human rights and freedoms.

The legislature in Russia is represented by the bicameral Federal Assembly. It consists of the State Duma (the lower house) and the Federation Council (the upper house). The Federal Assembly makes federal law, approves treaties and declares war. All bills must be first considered by the State Duma. Once a bill has been passed by a majority of the Duma, it is sent back to the Federation Council. The Federation Council has such special powers as declaration of presidential elections, the President’s impeachment and decisions on the use of the armed forces outside Russia’s territory.

The judicial power in Russia is exercised by the courts and administered by the Ministry of Justice. The Supreme Court of Russia is at the highest level. The judges of the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court and the High Arbitration Court are appointed by the Federation Council.

Vocabulary:

According to the Constitution, The Russian political system is multiparty. The party with its majority in the parliament can form the Russian government.

All parties registered by the Ministry of Justice have the right to participate in any elections all over the country. The list is placed on the Justice Ministry website. As of December 20, 2019, 53 political parties were officially registered in the Russian Federation.

Currently represented in the State Duma are:

• United Russia (340)

• Communist Party (42)

• Liberal Democratic Party (40)

• A Just Russia (23)

• Rodina (1)

• Civic Platform (1)

It’s rather hard to describe the political spectrum (a system to characterize and classify different political positions in relation to one another) of our country.

As Lenta.ru wrote, at the dawn of perestroika, supporters of Yegor Gaidar were called “leftists” precisely because they reformed the socialist system traditional for the USSR, and reformers in Europe were always on the left flank. But at some point, capitalism in Russia was considered a traditional system, and Gaidar’s supporters automatically became “right”. In the West, all kinds of conservatives and traditionalists are called “right”. Since the capitalist system has existed there for a long time, the right defends the prevailing economic order, market values, the interests of private owners, etc. Radicals and reformers of a communist and socialist nature are referred to the “left”. There are also ultra-leftists (“Red Brigades” and other revolutionaries) and ultra-rightists (Nazism and racial segregation). The West is not characterized by a link between the ultra-left and ultra-right, the juxtaposition of the ideas of communism and nationalism. Whereas, according to Lenta.ru, “the ideas to “take away and share” and “Russia above all” often come together. So, they call “red-brown” both the NBP (National Bolshevik Party) and the Communist Party (Communist Party of the Russian Federation)”.

Vocabulary:

Exercise 1. Read the first text. Using the information from it, your own knowledge, the page from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Russia) or any other source fill the gaps in diagram.

The Political System of Russia

… power

THE PRESIDENT

Functions: - the head of the state

….

….

THE PEOPLE

THE …. COURT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

… power

THE SUPREME COURT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

MINISTRIES

THE ….

(the Chairman of the Government)

THE ….

(450 deputies)

THE FEDERATION COUNCIL

… power

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

Functions: - works out the federal budget

….

… power

THE FEDERAL ASSEMBLY

Functions: - makes federal laws

….

….

Exercise 2. Read the second text. Using the information from it, the pages from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_parties_in_Russia; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_spectrum), and the picture below divide all the political parties into 3 blocks: right, left and central.

Exercise 3. Prepare the summary of the texts you have read answering the following questions:

1. What is the form of government in Russia?

2. How many branches of power are there in the Russian Federation? What are they?

3. Who are the representatives of the executive power?

4. Who is the head of the state in Russia?

5. What are his functions?

6. Who is the head of the Government in Russia?

7. By what body is the legislature represented in Russia?

8. How many houses are there in the Federal Assembly?

9. What special powers does the Federal Council have?

10. What is the highest level of the judicial power in Russia?

11. What political system does the Russian Federation represent?

12. How many parties are officially registered in Russia?

13. What are the parties currently represented in the State Duma?

14. Why is it hard to describe the political spectrum of our country?

Exercise 4. Choose the correct variant.

1. The official name of Russia is … .

a) Russia c) the Republic of the Russian Federation

b) the Russian Federation

2. The national Government of Russia consists of … .

a) the President and the Prime Minister

b) the President and the Council of Ministers

c) the President, the council of Ministers and the Federal Assembly

3. There are … Houses in the Federal Assembly.

a) two c) four

b) three

4. The lower House of the Federal Assembly is … .

a) the State Duma c) the Federal Council

b) the Council of Ministers

5. The Head of the Republic of Russian Federation is … .

a) the President c) the Speaker of the State Duma

b) the Prime Minister

6. The Duma consists of … deputies.

a) 540 c) 400

b) 450

7. The Chairman in Russia is … .

a) elected c) appointed

b) invited

8. In Russia … can declare laws unconstitutional.

a) the President c) Constitutional Court

b) the Supreme Court

9. … elect the members of Federal Assembly.

a) the government c) the president

b) the people

2. Read the text and do some exercises below.

What are the state symbols of Russia?

A state symbol is a special historically established distinctive sign of a particular state, established by the constitution or special law, embodying its national sovereignty, originality, and sometimes also bearing a certain ideological meaning (state flag, national emblem, national anthem).

The Russian flag has three equal horizontal fields with white at the top, blue in the middle and red at the bottom. Some Russians believe that white stands for generosity, blue for loyalty and red for courage. But there is no official explanation for the meaning of the colors.

The Russian flag first appeared in 1668. It was the symbol of Russia for more than 300 years. August 22, Russia celebrates national Flag Day. For the first time it was hung over the White House in Moscow in 1991.Officially, in 1994, was adopted a decree on the appointment of this festival. When Russian people celebrate their national holidays you can see the national flag in all streets, squares, official buildings, blocks of flats and houses in big cities, small towns and villages.

The Russian coat-of-arms can be described as the eagle carrying a sceptre, the sign of state power, and an orb, the sign of unity. The emblem also includes St George. It is the oldest Russian symbol of love for Motherland. The double-headed eagle is the emblem of Russia. Above the heads there are three crowns. Three crowns is the symbol of sovereignty [ˈsɔvrəntɪ] of the state, equality of the main governmental branches of power – legislative, judicial and executive.

The eagle has long been a symbol of power and dominion. In the Holy Roman Empire’s heraldry, it represented the Church and the State. The coat-of-arms of Russia have gone through three major periods in their history, undergoing major changes in the transitions between the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union, and the Russian Federation.

They date back to 1472, when Ivan III began using the double-headed eagle in his seal, which, along with the image of St. George slaying a dragon, have been common in the coat of arms since. The coat of arms were changed in 1918 with the creation of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, and depicted communist symbols such as the hammer and sickle and red star. The current coat-of-arms, in use since 1993, once again uses the double-headed eagle with the image of St. George.

The “State Anthem of the Russian Federation” is the name of the official national anthem of Russia. It uses the same melody as the “State Anthem of the Soviet Union”, composed by Alexander Alexandrov, and new lyrics by Sergey Mikhalkov, who had collaborated with Gabriel El-Registan on the original anthem.

The anthem debate intensified in October 2000 when Yeltsin’s successor, Vladimir Putin, commented that Russian athletes had no words to sing for the anthem during the medal ceremonies at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games. Putin brought public attention to the issue and put it before the State Council.

In a November session of the Federation Council, Putin stated that establishing the national symbols (anthem, flag and coat of arms) should be a top priority for the country. Putin pressed for the former Soviet anthem to be selected as the new Russian anthem, but strongly suggested that new lyrics be written. Putin submitted the bill “On the National Anthem of the Russian Federation” to the Duma for their consideration on 4 December. The Duma voted in favor of adopting Alexandrov’s music as the national anthem on 8 December 2000. Following the vote, a committee was formed and tasked with exploring lyrics for the national anthem. After receiving over 6,000 manuscripts from all sectors of Russian society, the committee selected lyrics by Mikhalkov for the anthem.

Vocabulary:

Exercise 1. Check yourself answering the following questions:

1. What are the state symbols of the Russian Federation?

2. What is the state flag? What do colours of it (red, white and blue) mean?

3. What do three crowns of Russian coat of arm mean?

4. What does St. George on the breast of eagle mean?

5. What does the scepter mean?

6. What does the orb mean?

7. Who is the author of the state anthem of the Russian Federation?

3. Read the text and make the presentation about symbols mentioned in it.

The official symbols of the Russian Federation are: a white-blue-red flag, a double-headed eagle and a national anthem.

But the is a number of unofficial symbols too.

A bear. They say a global warming can change Russian climate, but the stereotype of a bear on Red Square will never change. The bear symbolizes the Russian policy too.

Matryoshka – first wooden doll with a secret. But at the same time, no one disputes: matryoshka is associated only with Russia.

Vodka – a drink (of 40 degrees alcohol) – an indispensable element of foreign short stories about Russia. Russian vodka became legendary first “there”, and only then “here in Russia”. Honey braga and other local alcohol drinks could not compete with it.

Hat with-ear-flaps is seriously believed that the “hat ears” as it is written in foreign guidebooks, they say the Russians treat it as the Scots treat their kilts.

Samovar – an enormous size kettle with a tube in the twenty-first century is not separated from the Russian way of life.

Balalaika. “All Russians play the balalaika” these words correspond to the foreign notions of musical taste in Russia. It is pointless to argue, because they think that today even rock-n-roll is played on the Russian balalaika.

Spasskaya tower is an architectural symbol of Russia – it is a synonym of Supreme power, and a reminder of popular superstitions: With the first chiming it is customary to make a wish, with the last - to celebrate the New year.

Birch tree actually grows everywhere. But only in our history birch is a lyrical hero in poetry and prose, a bath broom, and dance ensemble – a symbol of advanced Soviet art.

Troika. “Bird-Troika — Rus” is taught in our school, and for foreigners it is also one of the unofficial symbols of Russia.

Exercise 2. Write an essay about the symbols of Arkhangelsk and Arkhangelsk Region. Remember that Arkhangelsk doesn’t have a flag, but both Arkhangelsk and Arkhangelsk Region have coat-of-arms and anthems.

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