Red Square
The most famous square in Moscow (and Russia) is Red Square. Located in the city center, it is 330 meters long and 70 meters wide (23,100 square meters). In 1990, the entire Red Square and the Kremlin were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The square dates back to the end of the 15th century, immediately after the construction of the Kremlin walls. It is said that the name of the square does not refer to the red color of communism or the color of the bricks that surround it, but in fact it comes from the Russian word krasnaya, in the old Russian language it meant “beautiful”, that is, a beautiful square.
In recent years, several concerts by world-famous performers have taken place here: Pink Floyd, Scorpions (with a performance together with the Presidential Orchestra of the Russian Federation) or Paul McCartney (who included his classics back in the USSR). Every year on May 9, the anniversary of the Great Patriotic War (World War II) is celebrated on Red Square, with a Victory Day military parade.
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Execution place
As you cross Red Square towards St. Basil's Cathedral, on your left you will see a round stone platform known as the Execution Place, whose name comes from the word "forehead". From this elevation, royal decrees were usually proclaimed, from here kings addressed the people, and solemn ceremonies were held. It was here, at the beginning of his reign, that Ivan the Terrible asked the people for forgiveness after Moscow was almost destroyed by fire, which the patriarch declared to be “God’s punishment” for the tsar’s crimes.
Execution place
However, in 1570, Ivan the Terrible organized a torture festival on the square, where 200 people died; another time he amused himself by releasing wild bears into the crowd. In 1605, False Dmitry announced his accession to the throne here; from this same place, after the overthrow of False Dmitry, his ashes were fired from a cannon towards Poland. At the same place in 1698, Peter the Great carried out a mass execution of the rebel regiments of archers on scaffolds installed nearby, personally cutting off two dozen heads with an ax.
How to get to Red Square
The first interchange connects 3 stations:
- Okhotny Ryad - belongs to the Sokolnicheskaya metro line, marked in red. You can use it to get to Leningradsky, Kazansky and Yaroslavsky railway stations.
- Teatralnaya is a station on the green Zamoskvoretskaya line. It leads to Paveletsky, Belorussky and Northern River Stations. You need to get off at Paveletskaya, Belorusskaya and Rechnoy Vokzal stations, respectively.
- Revolution Square is a station on the Arbato-Pokrovskaya line, marked on the map in dark blue. You can use it to get to the Kievsky railway station. To do this, you need to get to the Kievskaya station.
When you reach one of the platforms of this transfer hub, you need to follow the signs for the exit to Manezhnaya Square. At the top you will immediately notice the building of the Historical Museum. It is red in color, with two pointed towers. Immediately behind it is the main square of the capital.
To get there you need to go around the museum. The road on the right side will lead you to the mausoleum building and the Kremlin wall, and on the left it passes under the Resurrection Gate. Near them on the paving stones there is a symbolic mark of the Zero Kilometer. This is where the roads of our country begin. Tourists love to leave coins here and make wishes.
The second interchange hub unites 4 stations:
- Library named after Lenina - refers to the Sokolnicheskaya metro line, marked in red. You can use it to get to Leningradsky, Kazansky and Yaroslavsky railway stations.
- Arbatskaya - refers to the “Arbato-Pokrovskaya” branch, marked on the map in dark blue. It leads to the Kievsky railway station. To do this you need to get off at Kievskaya.
- Borovitskaya - belongs to the gray, “Serpukhov-Timiryazevskaya” branch.
- Alexandrovsky Garden - belongs to the “Filyovskaya” branch, marked in blue. You can also use it to get to Kievskaya.
When you reach this transfer hub, follow the arrows to Alexander Garden or ask someone for directions to Red Square.
From the metro you will exit Alexandrovsky Garden. From here you can see the Kremlin wall, the Trinity and Kutafya towers and the bridge connecting them. You can enter the Moscow Kremlin at the Kutafya Tower. If you head under the Kremlin wall to the left, then after four hundred meters you will see a view of the “Italian Grotto”, a memorial with an eternal flame and the roof of “Okhotny Ryad”. Turning behind the Kremlin wall, you will find yourself on Red Square.
There is no metro station named “Red Square”. For this reason, guests of the capital are usually interested in how to get there.
What to see on Red Square?
The monuments, cathedrals, museums, gardens and buildings that can be visited in this square are very diverse and each of them has a special significance: the Kremlin, Lenin's Mausoleum, St. Basil's Cathedrals, the State Museum of Russian History or the GUM galleries.
Some of these buildings are free to visit, while others require you to pay to enter, although tickets are inexpensive. Some of these tickets can also be purchased online in advance, which is recommended during the summer to avoid lines.
We recommend that you also visit Red Square at night to see the wonderful illuminations. If you visit Red Square at Christmas or between November 30 and February 28, you can enjoy its ice skating rink. In any case, to find out about planned events in Moscow, it is best to visit the website of the Moscow City Hall.
If you are planning a trip to Moscow, you can find cheap air tickets on Aviasales, and train tickets on Poezd. If you prefer to travel by tour, we usually find the best deals on Travelata.
Moscow Guest Card
It should also be noted that in Moscow, as in many other capitals, you can purchase the so-called Moscow CityPass card, which includes many attractions and museums in Moscow, as well as a Moscow tourist bus, a boat trip along the Moscow River and restaurant discounts.
Next we will give you an overview of all the buildings that you can visit on Red Square.
Kremlin
The word kremlin means fortress or fortified city. There are more than 20 kremlins in Russia (Moscow Kremlin, Kazan Kremlin, Novgorod Kremlin, etc.). The most famous in Russia is the Moscow Kremlin, the meaning of which has transformed since Soviet times and has become synonymous with the Government of Russia.
The current wall was built between the 15th and 16th centuries, but it is not the original wall built of wood during the founding of Moscow, back in 1147. Within the walls of the Kremlin (and beyond) you will find a wide variety of monuments, museums and buildings.
Apart from the presidential and administrative buildings, the rest are open to tourists. Below we will tell you in detail about each of these monuments, buildings, museums and objects.
Tours of the Moscow Kremlin can be found on Tripster.
Armouries
The Kremlin houses the main museum of Russia, the Kremlin Armory, which displays an extensive collection of art objects from Russia and Europe from the 5th to the 20th centuries (Faberge eggs, royal carriages, crowns, clothing of the kings, etc.)
Inside the armory you will also find the Diamond Fund, one of the most important diamond exhibitions in the world, comparable to the British Crown Jewels.
- Opening hours: open from 10:00 am to 18:00 pm (closed on Thursday)
- Tickets: These can be purchased on the same day at the box office or online in advance (it is advisable to buy tickets online in the summer to avoid queues)
- Price: 1,000 rubles (and 500 rubles for visiting the Diamond Fund, entrance to which can be purchased inside the Armory Chamber).
- Duration of visit: about 2 hours
Tours of the Armory can be found on Tripster.
Cathedral Square
In addition to the Armory, inside the Kremlin walls you can also visit four beautiful cathedrals located on the so-called Cathedral Square, famous for being the site of the coronation and funeral processions of all Russian Tsars. Even today it is used at the inauguration ceremony of the Russian President.
You can also see in this body the Tsar Cannon, a giant cannon weighing 38 tons and with a caliber of 890 millimeters, and the Tsar Bell, a huge bell (said to be the largest in the world) that weighs 216 tons and has a diameter of 6.6 meters.
- Opening hours: from 10:00 am to 17:00 pm.
- Tickets: can be purchased at the box office or online.
- Price: 700 rubles
- Tour duration: 2-3 hours
If you are going to Moscow for 3 days and don’t know what to see, follow the link to the article.
To find budget accommodation (hotels, apartments, houses) in Moscow, we recommend using the Hotellook service, where you can find a huge number of accommodation options at different prices and with high ratings.
Alexander Garden and Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
The eastern part of the Kremlin borders Red Square, but the entrance to the Kremlin is not through Red Square, but through the western part, where the Alexander Gardens, one of the first public parks in Moscow, are located. Entrance to the Alexander Garden is free.
There you will find the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a monument dedicated to Soviet soldiers who fell in the Great Patriotic War, in the center of which burns the Eternal Flame, guarded by an honor guard of the Presidential Regiment. The guard changes every hour, and at this time many tourists come to see it.
In the Alexander Garden there is also an artificial grotto, under the walls of the Kremlin, with four marble columns, built in 1821 and known as the “ruins”, as it was built as a reminder of the War of 1812 with real fragments of houses destroyed during the Napoleonic War.
If you come to Moscow and don’t know what to do, we offer the Moscow route in 3 days. More details in the article at the link.
Russian Government (not open to tourists)
The Kremlin was the residence of the Tsars and today serves as the official workplace of the President, although it should be said that the President of Russia does not live inside the Kremlin. The presidential and administrative buildings are not open to tourists, in fact they are out of reach.
Grand Kremlin Palace (visits allowed on request)
The Grand Kremlin Palace, built in the mid-19th century, is the venue for official receptions of the Russian President. You can visit it, but only by invitation of the President of Russia or by requesting a private visit for a group, the cost of which is usually quite high.
For example, Pradiz offers 2-3 guided tours per month to the Grand Kremlin Palace. Hiring a guided tour for 4 people is not very economical as it costs around $1000
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State Kremlin Palace
The State Kremlin Palace, built in 1961, is used as a conference center and concert hall. Event tickets can be purchased online or at the box office. This palace is the main headquarters of the Kremlin Ballet, one of the most important ballet companies in Russia.
- Website of the Kremlin State Palace: https://www.kremlin.ru
Classic ballet works such as Swan Lake, The Magic Flute or The Nutcracker are usually included in their program. Ticket prices range from 600 rubles, which is the most economical fee, to 3,000 rubles in the stalls. In August, the ballet troupe is on vacation, so there are no ballet performances.
The only drawback is that the ticket purchase process is carried out only in Russian, but with the help of an automatic translator you can go through it without difficulty (you can enter a fictitious Russian phone number in the telephone field, since the Russian +7 prefix cannot be changed).
Lenin Mausoleum
The Lenin Mausoleum, where Lenin's mummified body is still kept, has become one of Moscow's main tourist attractions. Lenin died in 1924 (at the age of 53), but although he expressed a willingness to be buried in St. Petersburg with his mother, Stalin insisted on the decision to have his body embalmed.
Necropolis of the Kremlin wall
When visiting the mausoleum, before entering you will pass in front of the Kremlin wall a necropolis in which other military or former Soviet presidents such as Stalin, Chernenko, Brezhnev or Yuri Andropov are buried, as well as Russian celebrities such as cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin.
Stalin's grave - necropolis of the Kremlin wall
Opening hours: it is open on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, as long as it is not a holiday, there is no official act or it does not coincide with any body treatment or restoration period monument.
Price: Entry is free, all you have to do is stand on the entry line (see photo below), which can be more or less long depending on the time of year (the line is formed on the red line that can be seen in the photo below).
- Duration of visit: approximately 15-30 minutes
Cathedrals on Red Square
In the center of Red Square, but outside the Kremlin, are two cathedrals: St. Basil's Cathedral (the city's icon) and Kazan Cathedral (less famous but very interesting).
St. Basil's Cathedral
St. Basil's Cathedral is a symbol of the city, although it is not the main cathedral of Moscow, since this name corresponds to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Construction of the cathedral was commissioned by Tsar Ivan the Terrible and took place between 1555 and 1561 to celebrate the conquest of the Kazan Khanate.
Throughout its history (it will turn 460 years old in 2021), the cathedral has been on the verge of extinction more than once, surviving fires, the invasion of Napoleon, and even a demolition plan by Stalinist collaborators who believed that the cathedral was preventing army parades on Red Square.
In front of the cathedral, in a small garden, stands a bronze statue in honor of Dmitry Pozharsky and Kuzma Minin, who collected volunteers for the army that fought against the Polish invaders during the uprisings (between 1598 and 1613).
- Opening hours : from June 1 to August 31 it can be visited from 10:00 am to 18:00 pm, you will find a detailed schedule at this link.
- Tickets: they can be purchased at the same Cathedral (they can also be purchased online).
- Price: 700 rubles for foreigners (500 rubles for Russians or citizens of CIS countries).
- Duration of visit: 1-2 hours
Behind St. Basil's Cathedral, very close to Red Square, is Zarydai Park, which was inaugurated in 2021 and is already considered one of the best public parks in the world. One of the main attractions of the park is the floating bridge across the Moscow River in the shape of the letter “V”. The panoramic views from there are unparalleled and its functional and impressive architecture is second to none.
Kazan Cathedral
Kazan Cathedral is a Russian Orthodox church located in the northeast corner of Red Square in Moscow. It was first mentioned in historical records in 1625. However, the current cathedral is a reconstruction of the original church, as it was destroyed by order of Stalin in 1936.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Kazan Cathedral was the first to be restored between 1990 and 1993. The restoration was carried out with the support of the Moscow branch of the Russian Society for the Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments and was based on measurements and detailed photographs of the original church.
- Opening hours: from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm.
- Price: Free
- Duration of visit: 15-30 minutes
Museums of Russian history
Tours of many museums can be found on Tripster.
State Historical Museum
One of the buildings most attractive to tourists is the State Museum of Russian History, built between 1875 and 1881 according to the canons of the neo-Russian style and inaugurated by Tsar Alexander III.
In its interior you will find prehistoric relics that occupied the territory of modern Russia, as well as priceless works of art acquired by members of the Romanov dynasty. The total number of items in the museum's collection is in the order of millions.
An equestrian statue of Marshal Zhukov, one of the most prominent commanders of World War II (who died in 1974), is located in front of the rear facade of the museum, on Manezhnaya Square.
- Opening hours: The historical museum is open from Monday to Sunday from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm, you can find a detailed schedule at this link.
- Tickets: These can be purchased at the same museum (usually there are not many lines) or online.
- Price: 500 rubles
- Duration of visit: A visit to the museum can take from 1 hour to several hours, depending on your interest in Russian history.
Museum of the Patriotic War of 1812
Right next to this museum, but not on Red Square, but on Revolution Square, is the Museum of the Patriotic War of 1812 (the war against Napoleon), which is also run by the State Historical Museum.
- Opening hours: the same as at the State Historical Museum
- Tickets: purchased at the same museum
- Price: 350 rubles
- Duration of visit: visiting the museum can take from 1 hour to several hours
Iberian Gate and Chapel
Between the State Museum of Russian History and Moscow's Old Town Hall is the Iverskaya Door and Chapel (also known as the Resurrection Gate), which gives access to Red Square from its northwestern end. Before entering Red Square through this door there is also the so-called Zero Kilometer of Russia, represented by a bronze plaque that marks the beginning of all roads in Russia.
On this plaque you will see many Muscovites and tourists throwing a coin back to make a wish, which will be granted if the coin lands in the center of the plaque (see photo below with the Iberian Gate in the background and the bronze Kilometer Zero plaque in the foreground).
Main department store (GUM)
GUM (Main Department Store) is a unique symbol of Moscow. This is the capital's main department store, which every tourist dreams of visiting. Its regular clients today are wealthy people who can afford world-famous brands of clothing, accessories and expensive restaurants. But this is not his typical image: for anyone who remembers GUM from Soviet times, memories arise of shelves filled with unnecessary things and queues for “scarce” goods: clothes, food. The difference between then and now is a measure of how much Russia has changed.
Colorful lighting of GUM
GUM perfectly complements the architectural ensemble of Red Square. Its neo-Russian-style façade, inspired by medieval churches from Russia's Volga region, conceals a strictly utilitarian interior that uses the same steel-framed and glass construction techniques as the great train stations of London and Paris. Erected by Alexander Pomerantsev in 1890-1893, this three-story modern gallery replaced the old hall of the Upper Trading Rows, which burned to the ground in 1825; 1,200 shops were located here under a common roof, which did not let in even bright sunlight, but did not protect from rain.
Nationalized and renamed after the 1917 Revolution, GUM continued to operate as a store until officials overseeing the first Five-Year Plan transferred the building to other hands. In 1932, after the suicide of Stalin's wife Nadezhda Alliluyeva, a coffin with her body was installed in the building; Stalin remained there for many days, silently noting who came to offer him their condolences. The giant photographs of communist leaders that decorated Red Square were also mounted here and displayed in swimming pools.
Inside GUM
Only in 1952 GUM was reopened as a shopping center, famous throughout the world. Less well known was the “100th Section,” a special clothing department for the party elite, located on the top floor of the building. With the onset of perestroika, GUM received investment injections from Western firms eager to seize a prestigious bridgehead on the Russian market; cosmetic repairs were also carried out, the store celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1993, already updated. In 2005, GUM put up for sale its least profitable premises on the outskirts of Moscow.
GUM consists of three parallel galleries, or "lines", which come together at the central fountain, visible from the galleries. The glass canopy roof fills the entire building with daylight or offers stunning views of the starry sky. The first and second floors are completely occupied by stores like Estee Lauder and the Body Shop. You can enter GUM from both ends of lines 1 and 3, from Nikolskaya Street or directly from Red Square.
GUM
