The place I live in is full of mysteries

The place I live in is full of mysteries and secrets. There is no scientist who is able to puzzle out all riddles of this place.

When I was little, my mom told me about our city. She said that most of the inhabitants of the city called Alexandrov "a royal place”.  In the history of our city there was the great Tsar Ivan the Terrible. Many historical books tell about our city as a royal one. I am very proud of it.

City of Alexandrov (Vladimir region) has a rich history. Now few people know that it has been the capital of Russia for 17 years, during the reign of Ivan the Terrible and that he has drowned one of his wives in our Seraya River.

Many streets are named in honor of the great events and people – heroes.  For example, Lenin Street, the main street of our city is named after Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin (Ulianov).   Tereshkova Street is named after the first female cosmonaut, who flew in space in 1963. Another street is named after Arkadiy Gaidar, a famous writer who wrote for children and adults.

There are a lot of picturesque places in our town. If a painter comes here he will be able to paint a lot of beautiful pictures. There are wonderful forests with high ant-hills, tasty mushrooms and sweet cranberries; sometimes you can find old trees that can’t be embraced as they are very thick. There are friendly people and small houses sunk to one side in the villages. I like to travel with my grandmother to the village of Suslovka by bus.  You can see a very picturesque landscape there.

Our region is beautiful in each season. In winter our city is like a great forest and you can notice the domes of the churches shining in the sun, they are partly hidden under the blanket of white snow. In winter I like to skate or ski, and play snowballs.  In winter we celebrate my favourite holiday New Year. In spring ice on the Seraya River becomes melting and a lot of streams flow. I was born in spring that’s why I like this wonderful season most of all. In summer the sun shines brightly and I like to dream on the banks of the river. Schoolchildren have long holidays in summer and it is great! And in autumn all the trees shed their leaves and I go to school along the colourful carpet.

My town is a large and interesting book. When you open it and try to read you will find a lot of mysteries here. And you will read it again and again.

Darya Serova,

Grade 6,

School #1, Alexandrov,

Teacher: E.R.Sibirina,

Photo: D.Serova.