I love my Birthplace.

The Birthplace. What is it? I can’t say it in one word. For some people it is the whole country, for others it is the city, the village – the place where they were born, where they spent their childhood. For someone the Birthplace is his own flat. But for all people it is the place where they want to return to.

Adults educate children to love Russia and to be proud of it from early years. Love to native country begins from love to the family, to the parents. If the child values his family, he values his country, too. The feeling of the native country comes in our childhood. It is the snowdrift in which I once fell with laughter. It is the stream where I let the paper ships go. It is the alley in our park with beautiful birches. It is the meadow with wonderful dandelions, yellow as the sun. It is my favourite toy – a dog, which I took in my bed. It is the time which I spend with my mother and farther.

The knowledge of the history of Russia is love to our native country, too. Russia is the country with great past. I`m very proud of its past. There were more victories than defeats. Why so? The success is in our Russian spirit, in daring actions, in Russian people. I’m proud of people who went into the fire of the war, who shielded a woman with her child, who worked in the rear. They didn’t think about death. They went into the fight for their children, for Russia. There are not many people rest who saw the terrible war. What a pity to hear that some base people deceive the participants of the war, steal their orders and medals, and even kill them! My great grandfather is the participant of the Stalingrad battle. He is 92. He lost his friend not long ago. He was killed by such people. They don’t know about the hardships of the war and do base actions. Every year I go to the parade on the 9^th of May to give flowers to veterans. The heroes and their feats must live in memory of Russian people.

I’m proud of spirit of Russian people. Russians are given the most important thing – the faith. It brings us together. It makes us patient and understanding, the qualities which help us to survive in the hardest times and help us to win. The national characteristics of Russians are: the ability to be glad to somebody’s happiness, kind soul, submission, sense of community and optimism. Russians had to overcome many hardships. That's why they are ready to help their friends and neighbours without any reward. Russians are known as hospitable people. According to old traditions, a guest should always be welcomed with the symbol of life-giving food — bread and salt.

I like the traditions of my country. Not long ago people in Russian villages performed traditional khorovods and sang chastushki and rode in a troika. The village people still prefer to drink tea from samovar.

Russians are famous for their specific crafts: painted boxes from Palekh, wooden ware from Khokhloma and toys from Dymkovo.

We like traditional Russian cooking: porridge, pancakes, borsch, pies, meat dumplings and kvass.

I think there is no person in our country who has not heard these names: M.Lomonosov, one of the greatest people in the history of Russia, a man who made contribution to the development of our science and literature, Y.Gagarin, the first cosmonaut in the world. I live in the country of such great people as Pushkin, Tolstoy, Chekhov, Esenin, Chaikovsky.

To love your native land means to know its customs, folk traditions, celebrations, songs and culture, to keep its monuments and nature. The best way to discover Russia is to visit Russia. If someone would like to learn more about its cities, it is useful to walk along the streets and look around to see historical places, buildings and monuments.

I love my Russia for its beauty. Our country is very large. There are many wonderful sights in our country: beautiful forests, blue mirrors of lakes and seas, green grassy hills and meadows, plains and mountains.

I like the poem «Oh, Russia! I’m in love with you!» by L. Khusainova:

Remember, Russia, you are great
Not in the field of battles past
But in the green fields full of wheat
And forests, gardens, free of dust.
I love you deeply, dear land,
Your hills and rivers, sand on strand
Your songs and dances, lakes and seas
Your beasts and fish, birds in trees.
Your sunrise in a splendid sight
Which gives me always such delight!

It’s very interesting to live in Russia. I don’t want to leave my native country for any other country. I’m not angry if there are problems in our life. I don’t want to lose my heart. Everything will be all right! I love my country, my Birthplace! And I want to be the worthy citizen of Russia!

The Composition written by Nazarova Karina form 5A school № 37 Vladimir