Photo: architectural monuments, castles, fortresses and palaces, Red Square, Moscow

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Red Square - the Heart of White-stone Moscow

Architectural Monuments • Castles, Fortresses and Palaces

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The outlines of Red Square took shape under Tsar Ivan III, when the white-stone Kremlin gained its final appearance. For several centuries this area was the center of Russian life. Lobnoye Mesto is a platform on Red Square, which appeared in the sixteenth century and from where royal decrees were announced, and war and peace were reported, Ivan the Terrible spoke, and the rebellious Streltsy (shooters) and False Dmitry I were executed. It was from Red Square that the troops went to the front line in 1941. By the way, Red Square, with its temples and the Kremlin, was disguised so artfully during the Great Patriotic War that it almost did not suffer as a result of air raids. Windows and doors were painted on the Kremlin walls, the battlements were hidden under the plywood, the domes were covered with paint and the rest of the buildings were stylized to the usual high-rise buildings.

Today tourists from all over the world come to Red Square to see the colorful domes of St. Basil's Cathedral, the Monument to the people's militiamen Minin and Pozharsky, wander around the Kremlin and visit Lenin's Mausoleum, to which you can nearly always see people standing in line. The Tomb is annually visited by over one million people. You can look at the leader of the world proletariat free of charge every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. Opposite the Mausoleum there is the main store of the country - GUM, which occupies a whole block. Its facade in pseudo-Russian style looks out on Red Square, directly opposite the Kremlin wall. Inside, GUM is made up of three longitudinal passages, which house boutiques and shops. The black towers of GUM are architecturally aligned with the nearby building of the Historical Museum, known for its unique exhibits from ancient times to the early 20th century.

Red Square - the Heart of White-stone Moscow

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