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Russia facts & history in brief
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Map of Russia
Red Square
Excerpted from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Red Square (Russian: Krasnaya ploshchad)
is the most famous city square in Moscow.
The square separates the Kremlin, the former royal citadel
and currently the official residence of the President of
Russia, from a historic merchant quarter known as Kitay-gorod.
As major streets of Moscow radiate from here in all directions,
being promoted to major highways outside the city, the Red
Square is often considered the
central square of Moscow and of all Russia.
Contents
Origin and name
The rich history of Red Square is reflected in
many artworks, including paintings by Vasily
Surikov, Konstantin Yuon, and others.
The land on which Red Square is situated was
originally covered with wooden buildings but
cleared by Ivan III's edict in 1493, as those
buildings were dangerously susceptible to fires.
The newly-opened area (originally known simply as the
Pozhar, or "burnt-out place") gradually came to
serve as Moscow's primary marketplace.
Later, it was also used for various public
ceremonies and proclamations, and occasionally
as the site of coronation for Russia's tsars.
The square has been gradually built up since that
point and has been used for official ceremonies by
all Russian governments since it was established.
The name of Red Square derives neither from the colour
of the bricks around it nor from the link
between the colour red and communism.
Rather, the name came about because the Russian word
krasnaya can mean either "red" or "beautiful" (the
latter meaning is archaic).
The word was originally applied (with the meaning
"beautiful") to Saint Basil's Cathedral and was
subsequently transferred to the nearby square.
It is believed that the square acquired its current
name (replacing the older Pozhar) in the 17th century.
Several ancient Russian towns, such as Suzdal,
Yelets, and Pereslavl-Zalessky, have their main square
named Krasnaya ploshchad,
namesake of Moscow's Red Square.
Recent history
During the Soviet era, Red Square maintained its
significance, becoming the main square in the
life of the new state.
Besides being the official address of the Soviet
government, it was renowned as the
location for military parades.
Kazan Cathedral and Iverskaya Chapel with the
Resurrection Gates were demolished to make room
for heavy military vehicles driving through the
square (both were later rebuilt after the
fall of the Soviet Union).
There were plans to demolish Moscow's most recognized
building, Saint Basil's Cathedral, as well.
The legend is that Lazar Kaganovich, Stalin's associate
and director of the Moscow reconstruction plan,
prepared a special model of Red Square, in which the
cathedral could be removed, and brought it to Stalin
to show how the cathedral was an obstacle
for parades and traffic.
But when he jerked the cathedral out of the square,
Stalin objected with his famous quote:
"Lazar! Put it back!"
Two of the most significant military parades on Red
Square were the one in 1941, when the city was
besieged by Germans and troops were leaving Red
Square straight to the front lines, and the
Victory Parade in 1945, when the banners of
defeated Nazi armies were thrown
at the foot of Lenin's Mausoleum.
On May 28, 1987, a German pilot named Mathias Rust
landed a light aircraft on St Basil's
descent next to Red Square.
In 1990, the Kremlin and Red Square were among
the very first sites in the USSR
added to UNESCO's World Heritage List.
Red Square served as a virtual pit
stop in The Amazing Race 9.
In recent years, Red Square has served as a
venue for high-profile concerts.
Shakira, Paul McCartney, Pink Floyd, Alyonka &
Diana Larionov, and many other
celebrities performed there.
For the New Year 2006 and 2007 celebrations, a
skating rink was set up on Red Square.
Paul McCartney's performance there was a historic
moment for many, as The Beatles were banned in Russia,
preventing any live performances there of any of
The Beatles; Russia also banned the sales of
Beatles records, and this was the first time
that a Beatle performed in Russia.
Sights
Each building in Red Square is a legend
in its own right.
One of the best known is the elaborate brightly-domed
Cathedral of Intercession of the Virgin on the Moat - or
as popularly known, - the Saint Basil's Cathedral
and also the palaces and cathedrals of the Kremlin.
On the eastern side of the square is the GUM department
store, and next to it the restored Kazan Cathedral.
The northern side is occupied by the State Historical
Museum, whose outlines echo those of Kremlin towers.
The Iberian Gate and Chapel have been
rebuilt to the northwest.
The only sculptured monument on the square is a bronze
statue of Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky, who helped
to clear Moscow from the Polish invaders in 1612,
during the Times of Trouble.
Nearby is the so-called Lobnoye Mesto, a circular platform
where public ceremonies used to take place.
The square itself is around 330 meters (1100 feet)
long and 70 meters (230 feet) wide.
For a more information about
Red Square see Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This page was retrieved and condensed from
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Square)
see Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, January 2008.
All text is available under the terms of the
GNU Free Documentation License
(see
Copyrights for details).
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
This information was correct in January 2008. E. & O.E.
2007
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