new book of lectures USA Новик Н,А.... new book of lectures USA Новик Н,А... Учебное пособие по дисциплинам Страноведение иЛингвострановедение
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The National World War II Memorial is a newly built national memorial to Americans who served and died in World War II. It is located on the National Mall at the eastern end of the Reflecting Pool, between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. It was opened to the public on April 29, 2004, by President George W. Bush, two days before the Memorial Day. Many citizens liked the park-like atmosphere of the memorial. Others remarked that the plaza was symbolic of the nation's commitment to the war because it re-created the sense of community that the war stimulated within the nation. Critics such as the National Coalition to Save Our Mall opposed the design and the location of the memorial. The main critique of the location is that it interrupts the vista (perspective) between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. It was also criticized for taking up open space that has historically been used for major demonstrations and protests. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial honors members of the U.S. armed forces who served in the Vietnam War (65,000 troops dead). The Memorial consists of three separate parts — the Three Soldiers statue, the Vietnam Women's Memorial, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, which is the most recognized part of the memorial. The Memorial Wall was completed in 1982 and is located in the Constitution Gardens on the National Mall, just northeast of the Lincoln Memorial. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial receives around 3 million visitors each year. This is the world's most visited monument. The Memorial Wall also called the Wailing Wall is made up of two black granite walls 75 m long. The walls are sunk into the ground, with the top flush with the earth behind them. On the walls in chronological order are inscribed some 65,000names of American soldiers that were killed or went missing in Vietnam. Information about rank, unit, and decorations is not given. Approximately 1,200 of these are listed as missing (MIAs, POWs, and others), they are denoted with a cross; the confirmed dead are marked with a diamond. If the missing returns alive, the cross is replaced by a circle, (although this has never occurred as of August 2005); if the death is confirmed, a diamond is superimposed over the cross. There is a pathway along the base of the Wall, where visitors may walk, read the names, make a pencil rubbing of a particular name, or pray. The first inscription on the wall reads, "In honor of the men and women of the armed forces of the United States who served in the Vietnam War. The names of those who gave their lives and of those who remain missing are inscribed in the order they were taken from us." Next to the Wall is the Korean War memorial. It commemorates the Korean War of 1950 -1953. Dedicated on July 26, 1995, this memorial depicts 19 soldiers in full battle dress marching toward an American flag, a reflecting pool and a granite wall inscribed with war scenes. Sadly, this 3-year war was a bloody passage. It left 45,000 troops dead and 103,000 injured. The Ulysses Grant Memorial is located in front of the Capitol Building. The Pentagon is actually located in Virginia, but it is unquestionably a part of the military history of the U.S. The Iwo Jima memorial (or Marine Corps War memorial) stands next to Arlington National Cemetery. It is dedicated to all personnel of the Marine Corps, who have died in the defense of their country since 1775. The concept of the statue is based on a photo, taken during the Battle of Iwo Jima. Arlington National Cemetery is also located in Virginia. This military cemetery was established during the civil war, on the lands of Arlington House, which previously belonged to the family of General Robert E. Lee. An eternal flame marks the location of the single most visited grave in America – the burial place of President John F. Kennedy. Buried with the 35th president are former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and two of their children who died in infancy. In a grassy plot nearby there is a grave of his brother Robert F. Kennedy marked by a simple white cross. A most remarkable ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery is the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns which holds the remains of four U.S. servicemen, one each from WWI, WWII, the Korean and the Vietnam Wars. The Library of Congress and the National Archives also house thousands of documents, covering every period in American history. Some of the more notable documents in the National Archives include the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. Other points of interest in the District include the Supreme Court Building, Union Station, Washington Metro, Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the Washington National Cathedral,Ford's Theatre, Blair House, Old Post Office Building, and Frederick Douglass National Historic Site. Now we return to the Mall. At the beginning of the Mall on the right, you will see the colorful red sandstone building known as the Castle, it is the world famous Smithsonian Institution. Created to serve the American people through “the increase and diffusion of knowledge”, it conducts research in a multitude of disciplines and has collected more than 142 million objects – historic artifacts, scientific specimens, and works of art. It consists of 19 museums and seven research centers. The Smithsonian Institution was founded for the promotion and dissemination of knowledge by a bequest to the United States by the British scientist named James Smithson (1765–1829). He was born out of wedlock to Duke of Northumberland Hugh Percy and Elizabeth Keate Macie and was educated in Oxford. James Smithson made a number of discoveries in chemistry and published many scholarly papers. But despite all his scientific reputation and the fortune he has inherited from his father, his illegitimacy precluded (prevented) him from assuming noble status in England. His deeply felt resentment over this exclusion was responsible for his decision to leave his estate to the U.S. government to found in Washington under the name of the Smithsonian Institution an "Establishment for the increase and diffusion of Knowledge among men". In 1835, President Andrew Jackson informed Congress of the bequest, which amounted to 100,000 gold sovereigns, or $500,000 U.S. dollars ($9,235,277 in 2005 U.S. dollars after inflation). Today the Smithsonian Institution pursues its noble mission to increase and diffuse knowledge and has become deeply involved in mounting traveling exhibitions, fostering research, conducting educational outreach programs, preserving archives, maintaining music and lecture programs, etc. The Smithsonian Institution is a collection of museums including the Anacostia Museum, Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Hirshhorn Museum, National Air and Space Museum, National Museum of American History, National Museum of the American Indian, National Museum of Natural History, National Gallery of Art, National Portrait Gallery, National Postal Museum, Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the National Zoo. Most of them do not charge any entrance fee and operate free of charge. Most prominent of them are located on the Mall. On the left side of the Mall opposite the Castle, there is the National Museum of American History. It opened in 1964 as the Museum of History and Technology and adopted its current name in 1980. The museum has three exhibition floors, two floors for offices, and one floor (the ground floor) for retail and dining. On the first floor, major exhibitions include "America on the Move," detailing the history of transportation in the U.S. from the Oregon wagon of the 18th century to the present, including this 1950 Buick Super sedan, it houses Southern Railway steam locomotive 1401 as well as many famous automobiles. Also on the first floor is "TV Objects," which has various props (реквизит -property) from famous television shows. Julia Child's kitchen is also located on this floor. The second floor has the inaugural gowns of First Ladies from Martha Washington to Laura Bush and to Michel Obama. The gigantic 15-star and 15-stripe American flag which flew over Fort McHenry during the War of 1812 and inspired Francis Scott Key to write "The Star-Spangled Banner" (the American national anthem) is located in a conservation lab on the second floor. It used to hang in the main hall, but was removed due to its deteriorating condition. In its place is a modern 50-star flag which draped the Pentagon after the September 11, 2001 attacks. “Communities in a Changing Nation” exhibits explore the ever-changing world of 19th-century America, revealing the everyday experiences of workers in new factories, of Jewish immigrants, and of enslaved and free African Americans. It also exhibits the 20th century detention camp with barracks where deported Japanese American citizens were held during WWII (no photos published anywhere). The main highlight of the third floor is "A Glorious Burden," an exhibit on Presidents of the U.S. The portable desk Thomas Jefferson used to write the Declaration of Independence and the top hat Abraham Lincoln was wearing the night he was assassinated are highlights of this exhibition featuring 900 objects from the presidential office. Another major highlight is “American Popular Culture” which shows popular culture artifacts. It is a changing exhibition, but Dorothy's ruby slippers are a permanent part of the exhibit. The "History of Money and Medals," the museum's oldest exhibit, was on this floor but was recently closed. An exhibit entitled "The Price of Freedom" on U.S. military history opened on November 11, 2004. This gallery explores the nation’s military history, from the French and Indian War in the 1750’s to recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. The exhibition features a restored Vietnam-era Huey [hju:] helicopter, and a World War II jeep. Next to the National Museum of American History you will visit the National Museum of Natural History. Established in 1910, the museum's collections total over 125 million specimens of plants, animals, fossils, minerals, rocks, meteorites, and human cultural artifacts. The museum is the second most popular of all of the Smithsonian museums. Notable exhibits on the first floor (mall entrance) include the Hall of Mammals, which displays preserved pelts of mammals throughout the world, some of which were collected by former president Th. Roosevelt. Also located on the first floor is the Hall of Dinosaurs. Adjacent to the dinosaur collection are exhibits which detail the evolution of life on Earth, going as far back as the Pre-Cambrian. The first floor also has many artifacts from non-western cultures. The second floor contains the National Gem Collection, in the Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals which includes the Hope Diamond. Also on the second floor there is the Orkin Insect Zoo (used to be the collection from the Indian culture). The only notable exhibit on the ground floor is a collection of over 100 bird species which inhabit the Washington, DC metropolitan area. The museum is also home to about 185 professional natural history scientists, the largest group of scientists dedicated to the study of the natural and cultural history in the world. The National Gallery of Art is located further eastwards. It is comprised of two buildings, the East Building and the West Building, linked by an underground passage. The NGA was created by Congress in 1937. The original museum building, now known as the West Building, opened on March 17, 1941. Its design is neo-classical, with a gigantic columned portico and a massive dome reminiscent of the Pantheon, except for the West Building's symmetrically attached, extended wings. The design of the East Building is also geometrical, but fragmented or ‘faceted (grinded) by comparison to the West Building's cool classicism; from above, it appears as if made of interlocking diamonds. The East Building opened in 1978. The NGA also opened an adjacent sculpture garden in 1999. As a federally-owned museum, entry to both buildings of the National Gallery is free of charge, though the museum displays thousands of exhibits from privately owned collections. The West Building has an extensive collection of paintings and sculptures by European masters from the medieval period through the late 19th century, as well as pre-20th century works by American artists. Highlights of the collection include paintings and portraits by American artists, many paintings by Degas, Renoir, Sisley, Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, Claude Monet, E. Manet, the richest collection of Toulouse Lautrec’s paintings, Van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Modigliani, some paintings of Perugino, El Greco and the only painting by Leonardo Da Vinci within the Western Hemisphere. On the ground floor there are most famous sculptures of Rodin, Degas, Gauguin, Picasso, etc. The East Building focuses on modern and contemporary art, with a collection including works by Chagall, Picasso, Matisse, Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol, and Alexander Calder. The East Building also contains the main offices of the NGA and a large research facility. It is a place of various temporary exhibitions from most popular world museums. In the passage between the Buildings there hangs the highlight of the present Museum’s collection and my favorite picture “Last Supper” by Salvador Dali. The National Air and Space Museum maintains the largest collection of aircraft and spacecraft in the world and is the most popular museum in Washington, D.C. and in the U.S.A. It is a vital center for research into the history, science, and technology of aviation, space flight, planetary science and terrestrial geology and geophysics. The Museum has a research department, archives, and library. Originally called the National Air Museum, it was formed on August 12, 1946. The beginning of the conquest of space in the 1950’s and 1960’s helped to turn a small museum into the National Air and Space Museum, which opened on July 1, 1976 and became one of the most popular tourist destinations of the city. In addition to the rooms crowded with historic aircraft and state-of-the-art artifacts, there is an IMAX theater and the Albert Einstein Planetarium. Some of its notable exhibits include:
The museum's total collection numbers over 30,000 aviation-related and 9,000 space-related artifacts, and is thus larger than will fit in the main hall. Many of the aircraft are at the Garber Restoration Facility in Suitland, Maryland. In addition, the museum has an annex, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, located near Dulles Airport, opened on December 15, 2003. It has 200 aircraft and 135 spacecraft on display, some of these aircraft were too large for NASM's main hall. Its notable exhibits already include:
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian is dedicated to the life, languages, literature, history and arts of the Native peoples of the Western Hemisphere; the museum was established in 1989, through an Act of Congress. Operated under the auspices of the Smithsonian Institution, the National Museum of the American Indian has three facilities: the National Museum of the American Indian on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., which opened on Sept. 21, 2004; the George Gustav Heye Center, a permanent museum in lower Manhattan; and the Cultural Resources Center, a research and collections facility in Suitland, Maryland. |