Red Square: history, description, sights

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

In the heart of the capital of the Russian Federation are world-famous sights - the Kremlin and Red Square, the scene of many of the most important events in Russian and Soviet history. It is here that mass events take place: demonstrations, parades, and in recent years, grandiose festive concerts. It is believed that the square was founded at the end of the 15th century, and it has always been the main symbol of the Russian capital. Further in the article we will tell you about the history of the founding, about the origin of its name, about significant sights on Red Square. Despite the fact that every inhabitant of the country knows about it, there is a lot of interesting information that was hidden and which was not mentioned much in the history books.

Location

Red Square in Moscow is located in the central part of the radial-ring layout of the capital, between the Kremlin and Kitay-gorod. From it to the Moscow River, you can go downsloping Vasilievsky descent. The exact location of the square is along the northeastern wall of the Moscow Kremlin. You can get to it through the Kremlin passage, Resurrection Gates, Ilyinka, Nikolskaya street, Varvarka and Vasilevsky descent. The streets that leave the square then branch out and merge into the main thoroughfares of the city, leading to different ends of Belokamennaya and Russia.

History

When was the Red Square founded? Its history spans about 6 centuries. It was then that the walls of the Kremlin, rebuilt during the reign of Ivan III, were erected. It was decided to locate the square in the north-east side of Veliky Posad, the development of which came close to the walls of the Kremlin. In 1493, a severe fire broke out in Moscow, from which the territory located between the Kremlin walls and Torg suffered. For some time it remained unbuilt. Its width was 110 fathoms, which is equal to 240 m. Initially, the place where it was decided to build a square was called Pozhar.

According to history, Red Square was supposed to be delineated from the west by the Kremlin moat, from the east by Torg, from the north by the gates of Kitay-gorod, and from the south by a hill, the so-called "Vzlobie". Already in the 15th century, the square consisted of 3 independent parts, which were separated from each other by the paving of Nikolskaya Street, Ilyinka and Varvarka. All of them started from the main gates of the Kremlin. On the square between them stood churches and small shops. In those years, there was a danger of the growth of the Trade, and in order to avoid this, in 1596-1598. along its borders began to buildtwo-story stone merchants' chambers (shops), which outlined the eastern border of the future Red Square (at that time it was not yet called that). With their help, it turned out three quarters - Upper, Middle and Lower.

The architectural appearance of these stone shops - similar cells, which are united by arcades - has become over time a characteristic feature of most commercial buildings throughout Russia. It was he who was used for the construction of Gostiny Dvor, merchant estates and houses. The division of the square into 3 parts survived until the first half of the 17th century.

Origin of the name

In 1625, the Spasskaya Tower of the Kremlin was built, and the territory on which it was located, along with a certain section of the Fire, located between the built on Vzlobie in the middle of the 16th century. St. Basil's Cathedral and the Execution Ground, became popularly known as Red Square. Why exactly? The word red in Old Russian is synonymous with the word beautiful, and since it was very smart in comparison with other areas of Moscow at that time, it began to be called that way. In the spring of 1661, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich himself issued a decree that the square was given the name "Red". According to history, this Russian tsar, like none of his predecessors, quite often intervened in questions of Moscow toponymy. By the way, according to the notes of some foreign guests of the Russian capital, during the time of Ivan the Terrible, the square was called Bolshoy. As for the modern Red Square, that is, the one that lies south of the Spassky Gates, then until 1924year it was called Vasilievskaya. There were times when it was called Pokrovskaya or Troitskaya.

Soviet times

Until the beginning of the 20th century, most of the square was built up with various buildings, some of them were demolished by the Soviet authorities, and then the size of the square increased. In 1972, a reconstruction was carried out here, tunneling shields of large diameter were used, and a year later the necropolis (mausoleum) was reconstructed, the stands were converted into granite, the paving stones were renewed and laid on concrete. From 1967 to 1990, military parades were regularly organized on Red Square. And on May 28, 1987, an unprecedented incident occurred here: a German pilot, athlete Matthias Rust, made an unauthorized landing right on the square, or rather on the bridge across the Moscow River. Then the plane on the chassis drove right up to the Pokrovsky Cathedral and stopped there. Of course, this act made a lot of noise, but the case had to be hushed up.

What is interesting on Red Square in Moscow?

This is the main attraction not only in the capital, but throughout Russia, the very heart of the country! It witnessed the most fateful events taking place in the country. In the Middle Ages, heralds announced royal decrees from the Execution Ground. During wars, troops left the Spassky Gate and went to war. The rulers also went outside the gates of the Kremlin to communicate with their own people, and instead of the trading square (as it was originally intended), Red Square became a place for a people's meeting. And yet, for severalFor centuries it has been a place of trade, fairs and festivities.

The appearance of the square changed when the Gothic tower with the Spassky Gates was erected. She, of course, decorated the entire area. The most beautiful place here is, of course, the section between the Spasskaya Tower, the Execution Ground and St. Basil's Cathedral, which looks like a fairy-tale palace. Yes, all the other buildings, painted in crimson and decorated in the style of Russian patterns, give the square an incredibly beautiful look. That is why millions of tourists from all over the world are eager to get here and see everything with their own eyes.

Temples and cathedrals on Red Square

One of the main decorations of Moscow is the Kazan Cathedral. It was built in the 17th century by Dmitry Pozharsky in honor of the deliverance of the Russian lands from the Polish-Lithuanian invaders. Its main shrine is the miraculous icon of the Mother of God. It was acquired in 1579 for the Assumption Cathedral, but later it was transferred to Kazansky. In 1936, the Soviet authorities decided to demolish it to the ground. In 1990, restoration work began, which lasted about 3 years. This is a very complex architectural composition, the work was entrusted to excellent craftsmen, thanks to whom the cathedral was completely restored.

Cathedral of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos on the Moat - an Orthodox church, which is a unique monument of Russian architecture. Its construction took place from 1555 to 1561. The structure of the cathedral includes 10 churches (chapels). Some of them are consecrated in honor of Orthodox saints, whose name day coincided withdates of decisive battles for Kazan. The church, located in the center of the structure, was built in honor of the Intercession of the Virgin. Grouped around it are separate churches dedicated to the Holy Trinity, Nikola Velikoretsky, the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, the Three Patriarchs - Alexander, John and Paul the New, Gregory of Armenia, Cyprian Justin, Alexander Svirsky and Varlaam Khutynsky (all of them are placed on the same base - basement), well, and a chapel in honor of St. Basil the Blessed, whom Ivan the Terrible himself was afraid of. It was after his name that the temple received its second, more well-known name - St. Basil's Cathedral. By the way, the name of this cathedral on Red Square mentions a moat that ran along the Kremlin wall and served as a defensive fortification. Its depth was 13 meters and its width was approximately 36 meters. Since 1990, St. Basil's Cathedral has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Monuments

Minin and Pozharsky… Even those who don't know who the bearers of these names are, associate them with a landmark on Red Square. The monument to these two heroes is located right here, opposite the Pokrovsky Cathedral, next to the Execution Ground. It was erected on this very spot in 1818. Alexander the First himself attended the grand opening. Minin and Pozharsky have since been considered national heroes of Russia, since it was they who played the main role in the victory of the Russian people over the Polish-Lithuanian invaders in 1612. The author of the sculptural composition is Ivan Martos.

Alexander Park

Everyone who comes to the capital of the Russian Federation is certainly in a hurry to visit the Kremlin, and hence the main square of the whole country adjacent to it. Here you can find an incredible number of interesting places to visit. Moreover, in order to get around them and look at everything carefully, you will need more than one day. However, they are all within walking distance from each other. There are several successful tourist routes that guides offer to everyone. Thus, in a couple of days you can get acquainted with most of the historical monuments on Red Square. Most often, tourists start their walk from the Alexander Garden, and from there through Manezhnaya Square they go to the main one.

So let's go! In the garden you can see a beautiful landscape design - wide alleys and beautiful compositions of beautiful plants. This park, which is located in the heart of Moscow, covers an area of 10 hectares. And once here, a person is disconnected from the noise and bustle of the city, can have a great rest. It was created by order of Alexander I at a time when the capital was just beginning to recover from the invasion of the "civilized" French. In addition to the beautiful landscape, the garden boasts several historical sights: "Ruins", for example, are reminiscent of the Patriotic War of 1812. At the very entrance to the park is the Eternal Flame and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. A guard of honor departs from here to the Mausoleum, and during the parade on Red Square, representatives of thetelevision.

Manege

Many have also heard about the Moscow Manege, but not everyone knows what it is. This is one of the main museums on Red Square. There are many exhibition centers in the building. In 2004, there was a major fire here, which damaged many exhibits, and the building as a whole. After the reconstruction, the original appearance of the Manege was greatly changed. Prior to that, its building was restored only in 1930. Initially, this building was built in order for soldiers of the tsarist army to drill here. Its authors were Augustine Betancourt and Osip Bove. But for military purposes, it served only a few years, and from 831 it turned into an exhibition institution. The Soviet authorities took up this idea and also began to use the Manege as a museum. There is a small square in front of the building, also called Manezhnaya.

Its history is not yet 100 years old. After most of the buildings on the territory were demolished, in order to build the subway, a square was formed in their place. In 1967, it became known as the 50th Anniversary of October Square. In the 1990s, the name Manezhnaya was returned to the square, and a huge Okhotny Ryad pavilion was opened under it, above which a whole cascade of fountains with sculptures was arranged. Today, Manezhnaya Square, as an addition to Red Square, is a new symbol of modern Russia.

Kilometer Zero

"What is this?" the uninitiated will surely ask. In fact, not everyone knows about its presence in Moscow. This is a symbolic designation of the place from where it comescountdown of all roads of Russia. This mark is located between Red Square and the Manege, near the Sunday Gates. Kilometer Zero was created as a visual object in 1995. This is a creation of the modern Moscow sculptor A. Rukavishnikov. It is a metal sign that is built into the pavement. It says "Kilometer zero of the roads of the Russian Federation." There are 4 more parts of the composition around the sign. Together they form a square. Each of the corners where the figures of animals, characteristic of a particular continent, are installed, symbolizes one of the parts of the world. Tourists stand with their backs to the sign and throw a coin over their shoulder, trying to get inside the square.

Resurrection Gate and Historical Museum

In the first half of the 16th century, a red-brick wall was erected around Kitay-Gorod to protect it from the raids of the Crimean Tatars. Its length is more than 2 km. The wall has not survived to this day intact, only two-arched passage gates, which are called Resurrection Gates, remained from it. They are located between the Historical Museum on Red Square and the State Duma. In 1680, a room with 2 8-sided twin towers in the form of a tent was built over this passage by decree of Peter the Great. They received the name Resurrection after the icon of the Resurrection of Christ was installed on the tower in 1689.

Despite the fact that the chapel was demolished during the Soviet period, in the 1990s everything was restored in its classic form. The historical museum was built at the end of the 19th century. His firstthe expositions were exhibits related to the Crimean War. Today, more than 22 thousand exhibits have been collected here, each of which is of historical value.

Other attractions

Another famous place in the heart of Moscow, that is, on Red Square, is GUM. This is not an ordinary shopping center, although here you can buy whatever your heart desires. GUM is a legend. The department store building itself is an architectural masterpiece. It was built in 1893, before that there were shopping arcades in its place. The architect of the building is Pomerantsev. He specifically chose a pseudo-Russian style for GUM to harmonize with the rest of the buildings on the square.

For many years the central figure of Red Square was the Mausoleum. It is part of the architectural ensemble. This is a truncated three-stage pyramid. The ensemble includes stands where spectators are accommodated during events on Red Square. However, this is only on very solemn occasions, and during concerts, rallies and festivities, people are located around the entire perimeter of the square.

The Moscow Kremlin has about 20 towers, but the most famous of them is the one on which the main clock of the country is located - the Spasskaya Tower with chimes. It was built in 1491. The gate icon was installed on it in 1514. For a long time, these gates were considered sacred, and before passing through them, people dismounted, and men also bared their heads. Passing by the icon, everyone was baptized. These rules were followed by everyone without exception, even the Grand Dukes.and kings. The tower owes its current beautiful appearance to the English architect H. Galoway, who designed for it a multi-tiered Gothic tent made of stone and installed a clock on it. The red star on the spire was installed over 75 years ago, during the Soviet era.

Transportation

Surely tourists are interested in how to get to Red Square. In the capital, it is most convenient to get to certain places, especially in the center, by metro. The following metro stations are located in relative proximity to the main square: Revolution Square (Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya Line), Okhotny Ryad (Sokolnichya Line) and Teatralnaya Station (Zamoskvoretskaya Line).

Of course, it is difficult for tourists unaccustomed to the metropolitan underground transport to understand all these branches, to understand how to get to Red Square, which metro leads where. But among Muscovites there will always be those who will help with advice. Another thing is if the hotel or guest house in which the tourist is staying is located far from metro stations, then they will need to use ground transport - public or taxi. For the information of the guests of the capital, the services of the latter in Moscow are not so cheap. Therefore, it is better to find out how to get to Red Square by bus, tram or trolleybus.

The bus stop with the same name is the closest. Bus number 25 and trolleybus number 8 arrive here. Of course, this is the most budget option to get to the very heart of Moscow, however, due to traffic jams,especially during rush hour, this trip will not be pleasant. Therefore, the ideal option is to use the services of the metropolitan metro. It will be cheaper than a taxi and much faster than other land transport. It remains for you to find out which station is closer to Red Square, which metro to choose. If you get to the "Revolution Square", then you can walk to Krasnaya Street in just a couple of minutes, since you can walk no more than 210 m along Nikolskaya Street. This is certainly the closest option.