Red Square

Red Square (Russian ??????? ???????, Krasnaya ploshchad) is the most famous city square in Moscow. The square separates Kremlin, the former royal citadel and currently the official residence of the President of Russia, from a historic merchant quarter, known as Kitay-gorod. As major streets of Moscow radiate from here in all directions, being prolonged into major highways outside the city, the Red Square is often considered the central square of Moscow and of all Russia.

Sights

Each building in Red Square is a legend in its own right. One of these is Lenin's Mausoleum, where the embalmed body of the founder of the Soviet Union is displayed. Nearby is the elaborate bright-domed building of Saint Basil's Cathedral and also the palaces and cathedrals of the Kremlin. On the eastern side of the square is the GUM department store, and next to it the restored Kazan Cathedral. The northern side is occupied by the State Historical Museum, whose outlines echo those of Kremlin towers. The only scultured monument on the square is a 1816 bronze statue of Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky, who helped to clear Moscow from the Polish Catholics in 1612. The square itself is around 695 meters long and 130 meters wide.

Related Topics:
Lenin's Mausoleum - Soviet Union - Saint Basil's Cathedral - The Kremlin - GUM department store - Kazan Cathedral - State Historical Museum - Kremlin towers - 1816 - Kuzma Minin - Dmitry Pozharsky - 1612

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