Cambridge City

4.5

Cambridge is the second oldest university city in Britain. (Oxford is the first) It lies on the river Cam and takes its name from this river. Cambridge was founded in 1284 when the first college, Peterhouse, was built. Now there are twenty-two colleges in Cambridge, but only three of them are women’s colleges. The first women’s college was opened in 1869.

The ancient buildings, chapels, libraries and colleges are in the center of the city. There are many museums in the old university city. Its population consists mostly of teachers and students. All students have to live in the college during their course.

In the old times the students’ life was very strict. They were not allowed to play games, to sing, to hunt, to fish or even to dance. They wore special dark clothes which they continue to wear in our days. In the streets of Cambridge you can see young men wearing dark blue or black clothes and the “squares” — the academic caps.

Many great men have studied at Cambridge, among them Cromwell, Newton, Byron, Tennyson, Darwin. The great Russian scientist I. P. Pavlov came to Cambridge to receive the degree of the Honorary Doctor of Cambridge. The students presented him with a toy dog then. Now Cambridge is known all over the world as a great center of science, where many famous scientists have worked: Rutherford, Kapitza and others.