Red Square

Red Square - most important information

Red Square is situated in the center of Moscow and it is one of the oldest and most interesting opened squares in Russia and Europe. The total length of the Red Square is 330 meters and the width 70 meters. It is a place with a prominent political and social significance for the culture of Russia. Besides that, it is the symbol of Russian cohesiveness and strength with great historical importance. All that was acknowledged in 1990, when Krasnaya Ploshchad was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

History of the Red Square

At first, the Red Square was constructed to serve as a big marketplace, but eventually, it became the center point of many ceremonies by all Russian tsars and later on political representatives. The meaning of this place was changed over centuries. So in the 17th century, The square was called Veliky Torg (Great market) or simply Torg (Market), then Troitskaya by the name of the small Troitskaya (Trinity) Church, burnt down in the great fire during the Tatar invasion in 1571. After that, the square held the name Pozhar, which means "burnt". At this time, this square was considered a sacred place. Two significant improvements to the square were made later on, first during the rain of Katherine the Great, and second after 1812. and Napoleonic invasion. During the Soviet era, Red Square kept its aura and became the focal point of political influence - so many military parades were held here and many protests.

What to see?

Red Square is the landmark of Russia, and it is painted and complimented with many beautiful and essential sights which will be presented in a clockwise direction:

State Historical Museum: Today the Historical Museum is the largest and most famous history museum in Russia. In 16 specialist departments, it houses around 4.5 million exhibits on Russian history from almost all epochs and also organizes themed special exhibitions several times a year.
Resurrection Gate: forms one of the two entrances to Red Square from the northwest side. It consists of two arched portals crowned symmetrically by two rectangular towers, the tops of which are strongly reminiscent of the Kremlin towers.
Former government administration: This was built in 1697 by the decree of Peter the Great and since then has housed a production facility for silver coins for almost a quarter of a century.
Kazan Cathedral is one of the first places of worship in Moscow to be destroyed during the Soviet era and rebuilt in the 1990s.
GUM department store: today, it presents itself to the locals and tourists as a well-known shopping center of Russia.
Lobnoye Mesto: earlier it was some kind of a tsars tribune, but now it is a monument.
Saint Basil's Cathedral: is undoubtedly the square's most famous building, and one of Russia's cultural icons. At one time it was a church, and now it is a museum.
Eastern Kremlin Wall: it was constructed in the 15th century by Ivan III. It has several towers: Nikolskaya Tower, Spasskaya Tower, Senatskaya Tower.
Also, a very interesting thing to see while here is changing the Eternal Flame guard. Before entering the square, you can see an eternal flame on the right. It was installed here in 1967, on the tomb of the unknown soldier to keep the memory of all those who fought fascism and died from it. You can see this every hour from 8 am to 8 pm.
Another suggestion is walking in Zaryadye Park. It is settled on the banks of Moscow, and it is accessible on foot from Red Square. It is open for a whole day and there is no entry fee.

How to get to Red Square?

Red Square is the main square of Moscow and the most visited place in the capital of Russia so it is not difficult to find it. All roads in Moscow lead to the Red Square. Most tourists get to Red Square by metro. The nearest stations are located about 300 – 400 meters away (Ploschad Revolutsii, Okhotny Ryad, Teatralnaya).

Trivia of Red Square

The main squares in Russian cities, such as Suzdal, Yelets, and Pereslavl-Zalessky, are frequently named Krasnaya ploshchad, or Beautiful Square. Archaically, the Russian word красная (krasnaya) meant "beautiful", but now means "red", with the current word for "beautiful", красивая ('krasivaya'), being derived from it.
In Moscow, the name Red Square originally described the small area between St. Basil's Cathedral, the Spasskaya Tower of the Kremlin, and the Lobnoye Mesto. Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich officially extended the name to encompass the entire square, which had previously been called Pozhar, or "burnt-out place", reflecting that previous buildings occupying the site had burned down.
The body of Vladimir Lenin, the Soviet Union’s first dictator who died in 1924, has been on display since 1930 in the granite tomb that flanks the square.
Red Square has also served as a venue for high-profile concerts. Paul McCartney's performance there was a historic moment, as The Beatles were banned in the Soviet Union, preventing any live performances there.