Moscow's Red Square

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Red Square

Top choice in Moscow


Immediately outside the Kremlin’s northeastern wall is the celebrated Red Square, the 400m-by-150m area of cobblestones that is at the very heart of Moscow. Commanding the square from the southern end is St Basil’s Cathedral. This panorama never fails to send the heart aflutter, especially at night.

Next to the cathedral, an elevated platform, known as the Place of Skulls, was used for reading out decrees and proclamations in the old ages and became the setting for Pussy Riot's anti-Putin video clip in 2011. Nearby, the Minin & Pozharsky Statue celebrates the heroes of the 1612 liberation war against the Poles.

The word krasnaya in the name means 'red' now, but in old Russian it meant 'beautiful' and Krasnaya pl lives up to this epithet. Furthermore, it evokes an incredible sense of import to stroll across the place where so much of Russian history has unfolded. Note that the square is often closed for various celebrations or their rehearsals, so allow some leeway in your schedule.


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1. Place of Skulls

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The 13m circular stone platform in front of St Basil's Cathedral is known as the Place of Skulls. Legend has it that it was the site of executions,…

2. Minin & Pozharsky Statue

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Out front of St Basil’s Cathedral is a statue of Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky, one a butcher and the other a prince, who together raised and led the…

3. Saviour Gate Tower

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4. St Basil's Cathedral

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