In what year was Red Square formed? History of Red Square. The history of Red Square

Address: Russia Moscow
Square: 24,750 m²
Length: 330 m
Width: 75 m
Coordinates: 55°45"14.9"N 37°37"13.9"E

Content:

The main square of the Russian capital is popular not only among city guests, but also among Muscovites themselves. It is located in the center of Moscow, on the left bank of the river, near the very walls of the Moscow Kremlin. Those who come to Red Square can see with their own eyes the main symbols of the Russian state, which everyone remembers from the pages of school textbooks. Cars have been banned here since the mid-1960s. The spacious space is paved with stone paving stones and is a pedestrian area.

Red Square from a bird's eye view

History of Red Square

The reason why a large square appeared near the Kremlin was a strong fire. This happened during the reign of John III.

The wooden buildings of the Great Posad approached the very walls of the Kremlin, and in 1493, when a fire occurred, the houses and shops of merchants burned out almost completely. For a long time, a wide strip almost 250 m long remained undeveloped, and it began to be called “Fire”. The southern side of this square was bounded by a low hill or “Vzlobye”, and the northern part by the Resurrection Gate, leading to Kitay-Gorod.

Three paved streets passed through the spacious “Fire” from the Kremlin gates - Nikolskaya, Ilyinka and Varvarka. Along them there were small temples and shops for goods. And on the square itself there were several rows where merchants traded.

Under Ivan IV the Terrible, the square was called “Big”. From the middle of the 16th century, the undeveloped space in front of Lobnoye Mesto began to be called “Red Square”. And finally, in 1661, the Russian sovereign Alexei Mikhailovich signed a special decree, according to which this name was transferred to the remaining part of the square.

Red Square from the side of St. Basil's Cathedral

Gradually the country changed and its main square became more open. It began to host not only military parades and May Day demonstrations, but also holiday festivities. Many times the square has hosted concerts by Russian stars and artists from abroad, music festivals and forums.

What can you see around the square

The buildings and temples surrounding the square were erected and remodeled for several centuries until an architectural ensemble of rare beauty was formed. Since 1990, the ancient square and the buildings around it have been protected by UNESCO as one of the World Heritage Sites.

In this regard, no large-scale reconstructions are being carried out here.

Along the entire square stretches the battlemented wall of the Kremlin with several towers - Nikolskaya, Senate, Spasskaya, Tsarskaya, Nabatnaya and Konstantino-Eleninskaya. Opposite Vasilievsky Spusk, the wall is closed by the corner Beklemishevskaya Tower.

View (from left to right) of the Nabatnaya, Tsarskaya and Spasskaya towers of the Moscow Kremlin from Red Square

Exactly in the middle between the Spasskaya and Nikolsky towers stands the granite Mausoleum of V.I. Lenin. And behind it is a necropolis - a memorial cemetery, where the leaders of the party and government, as well as foreign communists, are buried. The first to be buried near the Kremlin wall were the city residents who died during the October armed uprising.

In November 1917, 240 people were buried in mass graves.

From the north, the panorama of the square is closed by the Historical Museum, which has collected huge collections on the history of Russia. The intricate red brick building for the museum was built at the end of the 19th century according to the design of the architect Vladimir Iosifovich Sherwood. More than 4.3 million exhibits are collected here - a real national treasure!

From the south of the square rises one of the most recognizable churches in Russia - the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God. True, among the people it is better known under the name “St. Basil's Cathedral”. The multi-domed temple appeared after the capture of Kazan in the middle of the 16th century, thanks to the talented architects Postnik and Barma. Nine colorful churches on a single foundation have long been considered one of the calling cards of Moscow.

Almost simultaneously with the cathedral, the Execution Place arose. It was built on a small hill and was used to announce the sovereign's decrees and carry out public executions. At first the Place of Execution was made of wood, but then it became stone.

In front of the cathedral stands the expressive sculptural group “Minin and Pozharsky”, dedicated to the victory of the people’s militia in the Time of Troubles of 1612. The author of the monument is the famous Russian sculptor Ivan Martos, for whom his own sons posed. The opening of the historical monument took place in 1818.

Opposite the Kremlin wall stretches the facade of the Main Department Store, which has also been given the status of an architectural monument. A beautiful three-story building in pseudo-Russian style was erected at the end of the 19th century according to the design of Alexei Nikanorovich Pomerantsev.

State Historical Museum on Red Square

The corner of Nikolskaya Street is occupied by the picturesque Kazan Cathedral, decorated with neat keel-shaped kokoshniks. The church that is located in this place is new. It was built in the early 1990s, accurately recreating the original forms of the lost cathedral. And the temple that stood before it was erected in 1636 and destroyed exactly 300 years later during the period of the anti-religious campaign carried out by the USSR.

Curious facts

The area measures 330 m by 75 m. Since 1963, it has been a zone for pedestrians, in which the movement of cars, motorcycles and bicycles is prohibited.

The first time the square was completely covered with cobblestones was in 1804. Until that time, it was predominantly wooden.

The two most famous parades held here are associated with the events of the Great Patriotic War. The first of them took place in November 1941 before the start of the counteroffensive, when the Germans were still standing near Moscow. And the second was organized after the victory, in June 1945.

St Basil's Church

In 1987, 18-year-old German Matthias Rust took off on a light Cessna plane from Hamburg and landed unhindered on Vasilyevsky Spusk. This was an unprecedented case of violation of the country’s air borders, after which 34 officers and generals were brought to justice, and the main square of the state was called “Sheremetyevo-3” for some time.

For more than 10 years now, every winter a large skating rink has been built on the square, with 500 people skating at the same time. And near it they install a tall Christmas tree decorated with New Year’s toys.

Red Square is always open to groups of tourists and individual travelers, except on days when it hosts public holidays, for example, the Victory Day parade on May 9. You can get here for free. Amateur photography and video shooting is also allowed on the square.

If you want to visit the Mausoleum of V.I. Lenin, it is better to go to the square lightly. Before entering, everyone is required to go through a metal detector, and backpacks and bulky bags will have to be left in a paid storage room.

Administrator of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation Vladimir Kozhin said yesterday that his department plans to move the paving stones on Red Square, making a major overhaul of its base using “modern technologies.” The presidential administration explained that the main square of the country would have to be closed during the repairs, but found it difficult to say when this would be done, as well as how much the repairs would cost the state budget. According to Kommersant's calculations, it will cost $6 million to renovate Red Square, paved with unique volcanic rock tiles.

As Mr. Kozhin said in an interview with the Interfax agency, Red Square requires “a major overhaul that has never been carried out.” According to him, the property manager plans not only to relay the paving stones, but also to “repair the surface of the area using modern technologies,” which includes replacing the foundation on which the tiles are laid, “with a capital modern foundation.” Press Secretary of the Presidential Administration Viktor Khrekov confirmed that “a fundamental decision to carry out repairs on Red Square has already been made.” “The work is still underway, but since this will be done with budget money, naturally, the required procedures will be followed, a competition will be announced and a contractor will be selected,” said Mr. Khrekov. He found it difficult to estimate “even roughly” the cost of the work and the repair time. The press secretary of the presidential administration only clarified that access to the square will be blocked no earlier than May 9.

The first mention of Red Square as “Torgovaya” dates back to 1434. In 1493, after the great Moscow fire, Tsar Ivan III ordered the clearing of a strip of 110 fathoms (about 240 m) in front of the Kremlin for fire-fighting purposes. After this, the square began to be called “Fire”, and from the 17th century - “Red”, in the sense of “beautiful”. In 1804, the square was paved with cobblestones, and in the 1930s - with paving stones. In 1974, the paving stones were laid on a concrete base.

Partial repairs of the Red Square surface are carried out by the capital's services every year. So, in 2007, the State Unitary Enterprise Dorinvest transferred about 2 thousand sq. m. m of paving stones, and a year earlier - another 4.6 thousand square meters. m. It is likely that this organization will become the contractor for the repair work. In any case, Mr. Khrekov said that this would be a company “with experience in such work.” Dorinvest press secretary Sergei Chekina said that they have not yet received any proposals from department managers, “but if a decision is made, we will do it.” He found it difficult to estimate the cost of the work, citing the fact that “it is handmade.”

Now Red Square is paved with unique paving stones measuring 10 by 20 cm and 20 cm thick, made of gabbro igneous rock. As explained by the Dialex company, which specializes in the supply of paving stones, the uniqueness of this tile lies in its thickness. “There are no such standard sizes, this is exclusive,” the company explained. “Already a five-centimeter tile can withstand a load of up to 4.5 tons, and a ten-centimeter tile can withstand a load of 10-15 tons.” Dialex reported that similar gabbro paving stones three times thinner cost about $62 per 1 sq. m. m, tiles identical to those laid on Red Square will cost at least twice as much, and taking into account the work of laying it and replacing the concrete base, at least three times more. Considering that the main area of the country is paved with 32 thousand square meters. m of paving stones, then its complete replacement along with the foundation will cost about $6 million. Let us note that the service life of gabbro paving stones is up to 1000 years, and therefore at Dialex they are perplexed why they needed to be replaced at all on Red Square.

Alexander Kommersant-Voronov

Red Square in Moscow is the most famous and symbolic. The history of Red Square began at the end of the 15th - beginning of the 16th century (approximately 1493), when a strip of visible space was cleared in front of the Kremlin wall, which reached a width of about 240 meters. Historians cite the reasons for the arrangement of the square as the need to expand Moscow’s shopping spaces, as well as to ensure the security of an important component of the city - the Kremlin.

At first, this square looked more like a market square, and was called Torg, Pozhar, and already in the second half of the 17th century the square began to be called Red, which meant beautiful.

The most common version says that in 1493 Ivan III issued a decree according to which all wooden buildings near the Kremlin walls must be demolished, because they created a potential fire hazard. As a result of the execution of this order, the predecessor square of Red Square appeared. Small trade developed in the square, and over time, wooden houses began to be built again, which were periodically demolished. Wooden buildings continued to suffer from fires, which is why the square began to be called Pozhar.

The most ancient building of Red Square, which still exists today, was Lobnoye Mesto, which was located at the fork opposite the Spasskaya Kremlin Tower. The first mention of it is found in documents from 1547. At Lobnoye Place there was a wooden platform from which the royal decrees were read out; later, in 1597-1598, the wooden platform was replaced with a stone one.

At the beginning of the 16th century, a wide ditch (width - 36 m, depth - 10-12 m) was dug around the walls of the Kremlin, filled with the waters of the Neglinnaya River. This ditch was named after the architect Aleviz Fryazin. Bridges were thrown across this protective ditch from the access towers. At that time, the most important streets of Moscow faced the square, in addition, there were river piers nearby - this allowed the square to take the place of the shopping center of Moscow. When the Kitai-Gorod Wall was built in 1535-1538, Red Square was enclosed within the boundaries of Kitai-Gorod. After another fire that happened in 1547, at the behest of Ivan the Terrible, wooden shopping arcades were built along the eastern side of the square. And later, during the reign of Boris Godunov, they were replaced with stone ones. At this time, on Red Square there were sites for installing guns - raskats, on the raskat near Lobnoye Mesto stood the famous Tsar Cannon.

Among the first significant architectural structures built outside the Kremlin, in the suburbs, was the Intercession Cathedral, erected in 1555-1561 by order of Ivan the Terrible to commemorate the victory over the Crimean Khanate. There is an opinion that the construction of this temple outside the Kremlin walls was caused by the Tsar’s dislike for the boyar elite. The Intercession Cathedral is a complex of 9 separate churches placed on one common foundation.

A turning point in the fate of Red Square occurred in the 17th century, which was marked by significant architectural transformations. In 1624-1625, the Frolovskaya (now Spasskaya) tower was built, the gates of which began to serve for the ceremonial exit of the reigning persons and the highest clergy. It was from here that the solemn procession from the Assumption Cathedral to the Cathedral of the Intercession on the Moat began on Palm Sunday. At the beginning of Nikolskaya Street, adjacent to the square, the Kazan Cathedral was built as a sign of memory of the liberation of Moscow from the Poles in 1637. In the northern part of Kitai-Gorod there was the Resurrection Gate, through which ambassadors of foreign powers arrived in Moscow and stayed at the courtyards of Kitai-Gorod. Red Square was paved with logs; in addition to lively mobile trade, wine cellars, taverns, and many shops appeared here.

At the northern end of the square, administrative buildings appeared: the Nourishing Yard (here salaries were paid to service people), on the southern side there was the Tiunskaya Izba (the management center of Moscow churches, which collected taxes and duties).

New stage of transformation

The next wave of transformation began in 1679-1680. At this time, the square was again cleared of wooden buildings, the wooden churches were demolished, and their altars were moved to the Cathedral of the Intercession on the Moat, part of the Kremlin towers were built on, and the buildings of the Zemsky Prikaz and the Mint were erected from stone. In 1702-1703, a wooden building of a public theater was built - the Comedy Hall, which existed until the early 30s of the 18th century. When the threat of a Swedish invasion loomed over Moscow in 1701, an earthen rampart with bastions was built along the walls of the Kremlin, and at the end of the Northern War (1700-1721), the Triumphal Gate was erected on Red Square.

Despite the fact that in the 18th century Moscow lost its status as a capital, Red Square continued to be the site of fateful events in the history of the state. To attend the coronation, all reigning persons still came to Moscow, solemnly entering through the Resurrection Gate and the Nikolskaya Tower.

The formation of Red Square continued in 1780, when the wooden buildings that had managed to grow here in recent years were again demolished, the facades of the Upper Trading Rows were rebuilt, two-story retail shops were stretched along the moat, Lobnoye Mesto was cleared of buildings and moved to where it is now. Red Square was surrounded by two-story buildings of shopping arcades, and received a pronounced longitudinal direction. In 1804, Red Square was paved with cobblestones.

Red Square after the Great Patriotic War of 1812

Napoleonic troops caused colossal damage to the architectural appearance of Moscow, so after the end of the Patriotic War of 1812, restoration work began in the city, which primarily affected the Kremlin and Red Square. In the period from 1814 to 1815, according to the design of the architect O.I. Bove's shopping arcades were restored, the trading shops along the moat were demolished, and the moat itself was covered with earth. Trees were planted in two rows along the Kremlin wall. In 1818, a monument to Minin and Pozharsky was erected in front of the central portico of the shopping arcade. After these transformations, Red Square ceased to play the role of a market; various special events and folk festivals began to be held here. In 1877-1883, the building of the Zemsky Prikaz was demolished, and a historical museum was built in its place; from 1888 to 1891, the construction of new shopping arcades (Upper and Lower) lasted. In 1892, electric lights were installed on Red Square. From 1909 to 1930, tram rails ran along Red Square along the Kremlin wall.

Modern history

After the October Revolution (November 7, old style) in 1917, Red Square began to have a memorial character. On November 10, 1917, Red Army soldiers who died in revolutionary battles in Moscow were buried here. A year later, on November 7, 1918, V.I. Lenin unveiled a memorial plaque in memory of the fallen, which was removed in 1950 during the restoration of the Senate Tower.

Red Square in Moscow became the site of ceremonial military parades and demonstrations. After Lenin’s death in 1924, a wooden mausoleum was erected on Red Square, where the body of the Soviet leader was placed, and in 1930, according to the design of architect A.V. Shchusev, the stone Mausoleum of V.I. Lenin was built. In the same year, Red Square was paved with paving stones, stands were installed, the Kazan Cathedral and the Resurrection Gate were demolished (restored in 1994-1996), and the monument to Minin and Pozharsky was moved to the Intercession Cathedral. In front of the GUM façade, traffic was open. In 1938, Vasilievsky Spusk became part of Red Square.

Directly from the parade on Red Square, which took place on November 7, 1941, the soldiers went to the front, and it was on Red Square that the Victory Parade took place on May 9, 1945. In the post-war years, the guest stands were replaced with concrete ones, and a Necropolis was formed near the walls of the Kremlin. In the early 70s, the stands were replaced with granite ones, and the Necropolis was also reconstructed. The paving stones that paved Red Square were removed, a concrete base was poured and the paving stones were re-laid on it.

In the early 90s, various concerts and folk festivals began to be held on Red Square. In December 2000, a skating rink measuring 30 by 15 meters was filled for the first time on Red Square, admission to which was free.

Changing the architectural appearance of Red Square in the 21st century

Today, Red Square is located in Kitay-Gorod, and is adjacent to the north-eastern wall of the Kremlin. At the southern end of Red Square is the Intercession Cathedral (St. Basil's Cathedral), to the north is the Cathedral of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God and the Historical Museum, to the eastern part is GUM, and to the western part is the Kremlin. The length of Red Square is 330 meters and the width is 70 meters.

Now, if you are on Red Square, then between the Intercession Cathedral and the Spasskaya Tower you can see a modern high-rise building that resembles an airport control tower. This is the building of the Swissotel Red Hills hotel, which opened in 2005. This high-rise building spoils the classic panoramic view from Red Square and grossly violates UNESCO standards applied to sites included in the World Heritage List.

Since 1993, professional video and photography has been prohibited on Red Square. The prohibited group of photographic equipment includes all cameras whose body height is higher than 140 mm and whose removable lens diameter is more than 700 mm. Permission for professional filming is obtained from the Kremlin Commandant's Office upon preliminary application, delivered in person. Since 2001, it is prohibited to ride bicycles on Red Square.

Red Square is an entire architectural ensemble consisting of buildings of different styles XV-XX centuries, monuments and even necropolis.
Word " red" in the name of the square means " beautiful».
State Historical Museum(XIX century) with a rich collection of archaeological finds, icons, works of decorative and applied art.
Historical cathedrals Kazan Icon of the Mother of God and St. Basil; the latter also functions as a museum where you can see icons from the 16th-17th centuries.
Huge shopping complex GUM (19th century) in an eclectic style, where, among other things, you will find ice cream with “that” taste.
Mausoleum of V.I. Lenin(20s of the twentieth century), memorial burials of famous figures of the Soviet period - Stalin, Budyonny, Zhukov, Brezhnev, etc.

Red Square. The heart of the capital and the main square of the country. It is impossible to visit Moscow without visiting Red Square. Its monuments embody the centuries-old history of Moscow in all its manifestations. Are there many squares in the world where temples, fortress walls and towers, museums, a cemetery with a mausoleum and a huge shopping center would be located within one space? Buildings of different styles and centuries - from the 15th to the 20th - coexist in a single composition, forming a single ensemble, beautiful in its diversity.

Until now, Red Square remains at the center of the country's life: it hosts holidays and concerts, folk festivals, and in winter there is an ice skating rink. Every year on May 9, parades are held on the square in honor of Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War. Not only tourists come here, but also Muscovites themselves - Red Square has not turned into a frozen open-air museum, but continues to live in the rhythm of a modern metropolis.

The history of Red Square

Free space near the Kremlin walls did not appear immediately. At the end of the 15th century. The stone walls of the Kremlin were built, and opposite them, on the eastern side, shopping arcades were located. In 1493 there was a big fire, the fire destroyed the wooden benches, and the place remained unbuilt and burned, and was popularly called “Fire.” Three streets led through Pozhar to the Kremlin gates. In the 16th century on the northern side, near the river, the Cathedral of the Intercession on the Moat (aka) was built, and at the end of the 16th century, stone shopping arcades began to be built here. Later, the Spasskaya Tower was built on, and the entire area near the tower and the cathedral was called “Red Square”, which actually meant “Beautiful Square” (therefore, the translation of the name into English as “Red square” is incorrect). Gradually, the territory of Red Square expanded to the south and eventually reached its modern borders.

Resurrection Gate and the building of the Historical Museum

The most convenient way to start studying the history of Red Square is from the side, by going to Red Square through the Resurrection (Iverskie) Gate. They appeared in the 16th century. and at first they were called “Lion’s”, since there was a moat nearby in which lions lived. In the 17th century two elegant towers were built over the passage. The Iversky Gate was traditionally the main gate of Moscow, since it led from the main street of the city to Red Square. Victorious troops solemnly passed through them and foreign ambassadors entered. The Iveron Chapel, erected in 1781, was built for the icon of the Iveron Mother of God - one of the most revered shrines in Russia. People came to her to pray for the success of any undertaking, for protection and patronage.

Kremlin wall and Spasskaya tower

Opposite GUM, near the Kremlin wall, there are memorial graves of Soviet era figures. Budyonny, Voroshilov, Zhukov, Brezhnev are buried here... The center of the necropolis is the mausoleum of V.I. Lenin, built in the 20s. XX century according to the project by A.V. Shchuseva. The architect did not follow the path of Sherwood and Pomerantsev; the style of historicism was alien to him. Despite its absolutely modern forms for its time, the mausoleum building fit into the ensemble of the square. Placed on the axis GUM - Senate Tower, it obeys this composition, complementing rather than destroying it.

One of the most striking and iconic buildings located on Red Square is, of course, the Spasskaya Tower. Having received its final design in the 17th century, it is the high-rise dominant feature of the space, connecting the square with the Kremlin. According to tradition, the Spassky Gate of the Kremlin is considered holy, the royal gate, and in the old days everyone passing through it was required to take off their hats. According to legend, Napoleon did not do this in 1812, but a blowing gust of wind threw his cocked hat to the ground! The chiming of the Spasskaya Tower chimes is familiar to every Russian - this is where every New Year begins. Recently, in 2010, a plastered fresco from the 16th century was unveiled on the tower, depicting Christ the Savior with the holy monks Sergius of Radonezh and Varlaam of Khutyn. Now, on the same tower, the Orthodox icon and the one that replaced it in the 1930s paradoxically coexist. double-headed eagle (coat of arms of Tsarist Russia) five-pointed star. It is also a unique work of art and a symbol of its time.

St. Basil's Cathedral

Completes the perspective of Red Square With Ceremony of the Intercession on the Moat, or St. Basil's Cathedral. This amazing architectural monument of the 16th century. became a symbol of Moscow and the compositional center of the square. It attracts the eye, shapes the space and serves as an amazing backdrop for parades and concerts. The creation of this cathedral is dedicated to an important military victory of medieval Russia: the capture of Kazan by the troops of Ivan the Terrible.

It is noteworthy that the temple consists of nine independent churches, placed on a common foundation and united into a common composition - thus the author of the project, the Russian architect Barma Postnik, solved the task assigned to him to design a temple with nine altars. The churches were consecrated in honor of holidays and in memory of saints, the days of celebration and memory of which coincide with the days of important events of the military campaign against Kazan.

Today the cathedral functions as a museum, but services are regularly held in St. Basil's Church. When visiting the temple, be sure to pay attention to the beautiful icons of the 16th-17th centuries kept in its churches, as well as the paintings in its gallery. Next to the cathedral is the Execution Place. Contrary to popular belief, it was not intended for executions: it was a kind of platform for making speeches and reading out royal decrees.

Thus, on Red Square there are monuments telling about the great victories of Russian history. St. Basil's Cathedral reminds of the capture of Kazan, Kazan Cathedral - of the liberation from Lyakov, monument to Minin and Pozharsky - about the war of 1812. The necropolis near the Kremlin wall testifies to Russia's revolutionary past and the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. The original defensive role of the Kremlin is reflected in the battlements on its walls. Temples and icons remind us of the residence of Russian tsars that was once located in the Kremlin, and stars on the towers remind us of the Soviet era. About the trade past of the square - GUM, about the political past - Execution Place. About the history of the country since ancient times - Historical Museum. Everything is intertwined on Red Square: religion and politics, celebration and grief over losses, the past and present of Moscow.

Red Square - an ancient city square located under the walls of the Kremlin on historical territory and has earned the fame of the main square of Moscow.

Possessing a unique architectural ensemble, Red Square has become one of the key attractions of the capital and, together with the Moscow Kremlin, was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Its images are widely reproduced on postcards, calendars and souvenirs, and a walk around the square has become a must-see item in any tourist’s program. In addition, it borders or has access to a number of other city attractions: pedestrian, Varvarka, Ilyinka and Birzhevaya Square, being the center of tourist routes.

Modern Red Square is a huge pedestrian space stretching along the north-eastern wall of the Kremlin. The square is completely paved with paving stones made of Crimean dolerite and is used for walks by citizens and tourists, as well as for holding large public events: parades, concerts and festivals.

Architectural ensemble

Along the eastern side of the square stretches a huge building - a unique monument of pseudo-Russian architecture, the facades of which amaze with the abundance of decorative elements borrowed from Russian patterns. Next to it, on the side of Vasilievsky Spusk, there are the Middle Trading Rows, built in the same style. In the northern and southern parts of the square there are also (St. Basil's Cathedral): located opposite each other, they close the perspective of the square on both sides and look like spectacular completions of the long “corridor” formed by the Upper Trading Rows and the Kremlin Wall. The building of the Provincial Government also overlooks the square.

The similarity of the architectural appearance of the Upper and Middle Trading Rows with the building of the Historical Museum is noteworthy: these 3 buildings were built according to the designs of different architects, but the main condition for the construction was that their appearance corresponded to the historical environment. The building of the Historical Museum was built first (1875-1881, architect Vladimir Sherwood), and a little later - in 1889-1893 - the Upper (architect Alexander Pomerantsev) and Middle (architect Roman Klein) shopping arcades. Thus, these 3 buildings constitute a single pseudo-Russian ensemble and echo each other with a set of similar decorative elements.

Along the western side of the square runs the Kremlin wall with towers:, and. Behind the wall you can see the dome of the Senate Palace of the Kremlin, and right in front of it is the necropolis and the Mausoleum of Vladimir Lenin.

Among other things, in the southern part of Red Square, near St. Basil's Cathedral, there are the main city platform, from which in the past the most important royal decrees and decisions were announced - and.

Necropolis near the Kremlin wall

A significant part of Red Square is occupied by a necropolis located near the Kremlin wall - a memorial cemetery where state, party and military leaders of the USSR, participants in the October Revolution of 1917 and some foreign communist revolutionaries are buried. The wall itself was adapted into a columbarium for urns with ashes.

In the center of the necropolis is the Mausoleum of V.I. Lenin is a small stepped structure, inside of which there is a sarcophagus with the embalmed body of Vladimir Lenin.

The first burials near the Kremlin wall appeared in November 1917, when two 75-meter mass graves were dug here for Bolshevik supporters who fell during the October armed uprising, in which 238 bodies were buried. In total, over the years of operation of the cemetery, more than 400 people were buried here; of these, 300 rest in mass graves, 114 were cremated, and urns with their ashes were walled up in the Kremlin wall, 12 people were given separate graves. The last burial on Red Square took place in 1985: Konstantin Chernenko was buried here. Among others, Joseph Stalin, Felix Dzerzhinsky, Semyon Budyonny, Leonid Brezhnev, Yuri Andropov and other high-ranking Soviet figures are buried here.

Since 1974, the Necropolis near the Kremlin Wall has been protected by the state as a cultural monument.

Why is Red Square called that?

Many tourists and even townspeople are intrigued by the question of how Red Square got its name; some try to connect this with the color of the Kremlin wall or the facades of the Historical Museum, others drag in communist symbols, although the square acquired its name long before the invention of communism.

In fact, to call the Red Steel Square since 1661 without any special prerequisites for the appearance of such a name, that is, its origin is artificial. Most likely, the idea to name the square Krasnaya belongs to Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich; what motives he was guided by is unknown, but it is generally accepted that the word “Red” was used in the meaning of “beautiful” and did not refer to the color of any buildings.

Before this, the square was called the Fire, because its space was burned out during the city fire of 1493, and Torg - because there were shopping arcades behind the square, and it was to some extent considered part of their territory. During the time of Ivan the Terrible it was also called the Great Square.

History of Red Square

Red Square actually owes its appearance to the city fire of 1493. During the reign of Ivan III, when the Kremlin began to be rebuilt, Veliky Posad and Torg were located to the northeast of it. The building was quite dense and fit almost the new Kremlin wall, but during the fire of 1493, the space between the Torg and the wall burned out. After this, they decided to leave a shootable strip 110 fathoms wide (~234 meters) along the wall, and in place of the burned-out buildings, a huge area was formed, which began to be called the Fire.

However, the square remained commercial and in the 16th century actually consisted of 3 parts, separated by paving streets: Nikolskaya, Varvarka and Ilyinka, which started from the Kremlin travel towers. To prevent Torg from expanding over the entire territory of the square, at the end of the 16th century, a number of stone shops were built along its border, which outlined the eastern border of the square and, separated by streets, formed 3 shopping districts: Upper, Middle and Lower trading rows. The shops were made in the form of similar one- and two-story buildings, united by arcades - this later became a characteristic technique in the construction of commercial buildings in Russia.

In 1535-1538, the Kitai-Gorod Wall was built, the section of which with the Resurrection Gate limited the square from the north, and in the southern part of the square, called Vzlobie, in 1555-1561 the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary was built on the Moat (St. Basil's Cathedral).

Thus, in the 17th century, Red Square actually had a modern layout: it was bounded by the Kitai-Gorod wall from the north, St. Basil's Cathedral from the south, along the Kremlin wall from the west, and the eastern border was delineated by shopping arcades.

Kremlingrad: plan of Moscow from the 17th century, showing the territory of Red Square

Although the area remained free from capital development, small trade shops nevertheless appeared on it, and it retained its market character for a long time.

In the 19th and 20th centuries, Red Square came even closer to its familiar appearance. In 1814, the Aleviz ditch was buried, and in 1818, a monument to national heroes - citizen Minin and Prince Pozharsky - was erected in front of the Upper Trading Rows; later, in the second half of the 19th century, the modern buildings of the Upper Trading Rows and the Historical Museum appeared. In 1909, trams were launched along Red Square, right along the Kremlin wall.

Photo: panorama of Red Square, 1895-1903, pastvu.com

The Soviet years threatened the square with almost destruction: the General Plan for the Development of Moscow in 1935 envisaged the demolition of the Upper Trading Rows and the construction in their place of the Narkomtyazhprom high-rise building with a complete reconstruction of the adjacent neighborhoods; ideas were repeatedly expressed about the demolition of the Intercession Cathedral and the Historical Museum, but none of these plans came true.

It can be said that, in comparison with what was planned, Red Square “got off with a slight fright”: in the 1930s, the Kazan Cathedral and the Resurrection Gate of Kitay-Gorod (together with the Kitai-Gorod Wall) were demolished, and the monument to Minin and Pozharsky was moved from its original place in the center of the square to Intercession Cathedral. A necropolis with a Mausoleum was built under the Kremlin wall, which was subsequently reconstructed several times. The tram line also ceased to exist: in 1930 it was completely dismantled. Otherwise, the architectural ensemble of Red Square was preserved.

After the collapse of the USSR, the Resurrection Gate of Kitay-Gorod and the Kazan Cathedral were restored.

Holidays and parades

Over the long years of its history, Red Square has become one of the most popular places for city holidays and parades, and this tradition began in the 17th century, when a procession on a donkey passed through the square: an Orthodox rite held on Palm Sunday and symbolizing the entry of the Lord into Jerusalem.

The tradition of holding military parades on Red Square appeared already in Soviet times: parades with the participation of military equipment began to be held on May 1 and November 7 - in honor of the Day of International Workers' Solidarity and the anniversary of the October Revolution. Later, the Victory Parade was added to them: it was first held on June 24, 1945, and subsequently was held on May 9 - Victory Day. Nowadays, 2 military parades are held annually on Red Square: the Victory Parade on May 9 and the parade on November 7, dedicated to the historical military parade on November 7, 1941, held during the Battle of Moscow.

After the parade on November 7, Red Square usually hosts an exhibition of military equipment of the Great Patriotic War.

In addition to military parades, city holidays and festivals are regularly held on Red Square: for example, the military music festival "Spasskaya Tower" or the book festival "Red Square", and in winter, the GUM Skating Rink and the GUM Fair appear in front of the GUM building.

Red Square is the largest square in Moscow! Its area is as much as 7.5 hectares.

Under Ivan the Terrible, the first Moscow zoo actually appeared on Red Square: a section of the Alevizov moat near the Resurrection Gate was drained, and lions given to the Tsar by the British were kept there. And under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, an elephant was kept there, a gift from the Shah of Persia. True, they didn’t know how to care for elephants in Russia at that time (this was the first Russian elephant), so with the onset of cold weather he suddenly! - died.

Execution Place has never been a place for executions. Sometimes executions took place on Red Square (for example, after the Streletsky riot), but special wooden platforms were erected for this purpose; decrees about them could only be announced from the Execution Ground. However, there was one exception: in 1682, directly on the Execution Ground, on the orders of Princess Sophia, the head of priest Nikita Pustosvyat, an opponent of the church reforms of Patriarch Nikon, was cut off.

The Tsar Cannon, cast in 1586 by master Andrei Chokhov, was originally installed at the Execution Ground to make the Tsar's rostrum more impressive and to symbolically guard the Intercession Cathedral and the Spassky Gate. In the 18th century, it was moved inside the Kremlin and installed near the Arsenal, then moved to the Armory Chamber. The gun took its modern place only in 1960.

The square was first covered with cobblestones in 1804.

The necropolis near the Kremlin wall is constantly becoming a subject of controversy: many townspeople do not like the cemetery in the main city square, and they propose moving it to another place - however, to no avail. Surprisingly, this topic was first raised back in 1953: then in Moscow they planned to build the Pantheon - a memorial tomb for outstanding Soviet figures, where it was proposed to move burials from Red Square, including Lenin’s body. However, the project was not implemented.

Since December 2006, the GUM skating rink has been opened annually in front of the GUM building.

It may seem absurd, but Red Square is closed at night. The opening hours of the square are unknown and are not written anywhere at the entrance; this should be taken as a fact.

Nowadays, Red Square remains one of the most popular attractions in Moscow, its heart, and this is quite natural: after all, it is considered the main square not only of the capital, but of all of Russia! Surrounded by bright architectural monuments, it has become one of the recognizable symbols of our country: coming to Moscow and not visiting Red Square is nonsense for any tourist.

The townspeople also like it: after all, who doesn’t want to listen to the chimes at least occasionally, right? ;)

Red Square is located in the Tverskoy district of Moscow. You can get to it on foot from metro stations "Okhotny Ryad" Sokolnicheskaya line, "Revolution square" Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya and "Theatrical" Zamoskvoretskaya.