Krasnaya Ploshchad (metro station Ploshchad Revolutsii and Okhotny Ryad) is the main and most famous square in Moscow and Russia, the arena of many important events of Russian history and the history of the Soviet state, the place of mass demonstrations of the working people of the capital and parades of the Armed Forces of Russia. Muscovites in general on Red Square are not often - returning at night from clubs and the New Year.
Even in ancient times, near the eastern wall of the Kremlin, there was an area where buzzing trade was buzzing. In the 16th century it was called Troitskaya from the name of the church of St. Trinity, standing on the site of St. Basil's Cathedral. In the Middle Ages, fires were often blazed here, so the square had another name - "Fire". From the middle of the 17th century it was called "Red", which in Old Russian meant "beautiful."
The modern Red Square is a solid stone, but this kind acquired only in the 19th century, and before that it was mostly wooden. The square was completely cobbled in 1804.
After the revolution, the Red Square retained its importance, becoming the main square of the new state . The Lenin Mausoleum was built near the Kremlin wall, which made the square the ideological center of Moscow . According to the plan for the socialist reconstruction of Moscow demolished the Kazan Cathedral, and even earlier destroyed the Iberian Chapel with the Resurrection Gates . So the place was vacated for the festive parades and demonstrations . In November 1941 in the besieged capital on Red Square the famous parade took place Soviet troops from where they went directly to the front . And in June 1945 the columns of the Victory Parade passed here and 200 Nazi banners were thrown at the foot of the Mausoleum . At present, the Red Square has regained its historical appearance - by the efforts of the Moscow authorities, the national the shrines were recently restored .
What to see
From the north side the Red Square is blocked by the Historical Museum (architect Vladimir Osipovich Sherwood, engineer A. A. Semenov, 1875-1883) with a restaurant of traditional Russian cuisine. From the south - the most beautiful Cathedral of the Intercession on the Ditch (St. Basil's Cathedral, 1555-1560). Vasily Blazhenny - the name of the people, unofficial - on behalf of the Moscow fool, who was buried near the northeast corner of the temple.
Almost the entire side of the Kremlin is occupied by the Upper Trading Rows - now GUM. Near St. Basil there is now the very first monument in Moscow, a monument to "citizen Minin and Prince Pozharsky." Here, near St. Basil the Blessed, - The place of execution (literal translation of the Jewish Golgotha). At the Kremlin wall - the mausoleum of Vladimir Lenin
The Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God (the Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed) was built under the decree of Ivan the Terrible in honor of the capture of the Kazan Khanate, part of the former Golden Horde
Temple erected Russian architects Barma and Postnik Yakovlev . There is a legend that when Ivan the Terrible saw the temple, he ordered to blind the masters that they could no longer build such a miracle . The throne of the central tent is consecrated in the name of the Intercession of the Theotokos, and the cathedral was completely called the temple The Protection of the Mother of God that on the Roof . The small church of St. Basil the Blessed, later built on the grave of the holy fool, revered in Moscow, gave the whole church a different, more common name - the Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed . .@ St.Basil's Cathedral
On the left from the Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed is the Execution Ground - a high platform of white stone behind a cast-iron fence. It appeared here in the first half of the 16th century and served as a platform from which royal decrees were issued and sentences were pronounced to criminals.
The place is located on a steep hill - "brewing". In Orthodox Moscow, it symbolized the Jerusalem mountain Golgotha, on which Jesus Christ was crucified.
On the Execution Ground, holy relics were exhibited for national celebration, Ivan the Terrible addressed the people here, and boyars Boris Godunov and Vasily Shuisky were proclaimed kings of him
@.According to custom, when the heirs of the throne reached the age of 14, they were taken out on their hands to the Execution Ground so that the people could see their future lawful tsar personally and would not allow impostors to enter the Russian throne . Contrary to popular belief, executions at the Execution Ground were never made . Scaffolds placed near him, and more often on Vasilievsky descent beyond St. Basil's Cathedral .
Monument to Minin and Pozharsky
Monument to the leaders of the people's militia of 1612, Minin and Pozharsky, was erected on Red Square in 1818 for the project with cultivator And . Martos . Until 1936 the monument stood in the center of Red Square, and Minin symbolically pointed to Pozharsky on the Kremlin-occupied Moscow Kremlin, calling for his release . After the construction of the mausoleum, the monument was directly opposite him, and belligerently Minin's gesture became very ambiguous, besides the monument began to interfere with the demonstrations . At that time there were calls to destroy it, but then the monument was transferred to St. Basil's Cathedral .
| St. Basil's Cathedral |
| Historical Museum |
| Kazan Cathedral |
Lenin Mausoleum
The Mausoleum was built on Red Square in January 1924 by architect A . Shchusev to save Lenin's body . The name comes from the tomb of the Carian king Mausolus, built in Halicarnassus (Asia Minor) in the 4th century BC . e . In the spring of 1924, Shchusev received the task to build a new The mausoleum is monumental and majestic, and the mausoleum in the form of a stepped pyramid symbolizing eternity was erected for two months . He was very similar to modern, granite, but executed it from a tree - then it was still unknown whether it would be possible to preserve the embalmed body of Lenin for a long time . Later it was decided to replace the wooden mausoleum with stone ones, without changing its habitual appearance . Schusev proposed the project of a granite mausoleum, which was erected on the square in 1930. In March 1953, a sarcophagus with Stalin's body was installed in the mausoleum, but during the Khrushchev "thaw" it was decided to bury him in the necropolis near the Kremlin wall, where the graves of Kr the most prominent figures of the Soviet state .
Kazan Cathedral
Kazan Cathedral - the first of the churches restored in the post-Soviet time in Moscow . It was built in the second quarter of the 17th century in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in gratitude for ridding Russia of Polish-Lithuanian invaders in 1612 and in memory of the dead Russian soldiers . After the revolution, the Kazan Cathedral shared the sad fate of most of Moscow's temples, although in the 1920s the architect P . D . Baranovski managed to restore it and remove the drawings . In the summer of 1936 the cathedral was broken, later a summer cafe was opened here . According to the decision of the Moscow government, the Kazan Cathedral on Red Square was rebuilt according to the project of the pupil of Baranovsky Oleg Zhurin . November 4, 1990 the Most Holy Patriarch Alexy II laid the foundation stone of the cathedral, and three year consecrated a newly erected temple .
Chapel of the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God
Chapel of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God at the Resurrection Gate was always one of the most revered Moscow shrines . Exact list (so called opium from icons) from the Iberian icon was delivered to Moscow in the 17th century, and it was placed on the Neglinnaya (Neglinnaya) tower . To build a small iconic canopy to protect the Iberian icon and praying people from the wind and rain, . Moscow Iverskaya Chapel . The place for her was chosen not by chance: The Neglienensky Gate was the main gate of the China-city, and through them the ceremonial visits of the Russian tsars to the Red Square were held . Therefore there was another name - Triumfalnye .
In 1680 the dilapidated gates were rebuilt anew, and then two tall tents crowned with double-headed eagles . appeared above them. Above the gates there was placed the icon of the Resurrection of Christ, and since then they have become known as Voskresensky . The Iberian Chapel received its modern look at the end of the 18th century .After the revolution, the Iberian chapel was demolished, and in 1931 the Resurrection Gates were demolished and the place for demonstrations and motor traffic was freed . Recently a list was again made on Mount Athos with a true Iverian icon . In November 1994, Patriarch Alexy II consecrated the Iberian chapel and the Resurrection Gates . In less than a year they were restored under the project of architect Oleg Zhurin . In 1995 the chapel was again opened .
Comments on the Red Square (5)
Very beautiful snow-covered area 09 June 2014
The main pride of Russia April 29, 2014
Red Square-the heart of Russia October 22, 2013
In winter Red Square looks different .... Read the entire review
Red Square - The Heart of Moscow August 30, 2013
Main site of the country - Red Square August 27 2013
On the territory of the square there are historical monuments of architecture and architecture. The famous Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed, whose history is still known from the school program. I remember even the story about this cathedral, the history of its formation and about dazzling ... Read the whole review