"Red Square"

Stretching along one of the Kremlin walls Red Square is the main square of the city. It is where national holidays are celebrated and  grand military parades were staged during the Soviet era. The name "Red Square" does not have anything to do with Communism or the Bolshevik Revolution.  The square acquired its present name in the 17th century when the word “red” meant “beautiful, magnificent” reflecting its splendor and grandeur. 

The architectural look of the square has formed over centuries. The oldest structure is the Kremlin wall with the towers that are over 500 years old and Lenin mausoleum, built in 1929 is the latest construction in the square. 

The most famous part of Red Square is the Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed built in 1555-1561 to commemorate the victory of the Russian State over Kazan Khanate. This unique whimsically designed structure uniting nine churches into a single whole is often called “the stone flower in Red Square” and referred as the symbol of Moscow and Russia.     

The square is most beautiful at night. It is both romantic and impressive when entirely illuminated by floodlights, its ruby-red stars atop the Kremlin towers glowing against the dark sky.

The Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed, "the stone flower in Red Square"