Russian people spend their spare time in many different ways. One thing they all love is reading. Russians also love going to the cinema and the theatre. When it comes to more active pastimes, skiing and ice-skating are very popular with people of all ages. In the winter, many people skate on frozen ponds and skating rinks. Ice-skating is one of Russia's most important sports. Russians are also famous for their ice hockey teams. Many of the top players in Canada and the United States are from Russia. Other free time activities include: hiking, mountain climbing, backpacking and canoeing. Many Russians take part in organised sport. Football is the favourite, but many people also do gymnastics, or play volleyball and basketball. In the summer, chess games take place in parks. Another hobby is stamp collecting and there are thousands of stamp clubs. People from different nationalities in Russia have their own traditional types of exercise. For example, the Yakuts of central Siberia are very good reindeer-sled racers and the Buryats in eastern Siberia love archery. Discuss in class: • Which are the Russians favourite leisure activities? • What are the favourite leisure activities of the people where you live? • What do you do in your free time?

Russians' favourite leisure activities:

• Reading
• Going to the cinema and theatre
• Skiing and ice-skating
• Ice hockey
• Hiking
• Mountain climbing
• Backpacking
• Canoeing
• Organised sport (Football is the favourite)
• Gymnastics
• Volleyball and basketball
• Chess games
• Stamp collecting
• Reindeer-sled racing (Yakuts of central Siberia)
• Archery (Buryats in eastern Siberia)

My favourite leisure activities:

My favourite leisure activities include playing video games, reading books, and going for walks in nature. I also enjoy spending time with friends and family.

What I do in my free time: In my free time, I like to relax by watching movies, listening to music, and sometimes I experiment with cooking new recipes. I also find it very enjoyable to learn new things online, whether it's a skill or a topic I'm curious about. When the weather is nice, I prefer to go cycling or take my dog for a long walk in the park.