Thursday, January 17, 2013

The Red square



The Red square in Moscow after rain.

The Red Square remains, as it has been for centuries, the heart and soul of Russia. Few places in the world bear the weight of history to the extent that Moscow's central square does. From the 16th century St. Basil's Cathedral (one of the most famous pieces of architecture in the world) to the constructivist pyramid of Lenin's Mausoleum. Red Square is rich in symbols of Russia's intriguing past. 

The square's name has nothing to do with communism or with the color of many of its buildings. In fact it derives from the word "krasnyi", which once meant "beautiful", and has only come to mean "red" contemporary Russian. The name became official in the middle of the 17th century (previously it had been Trinity Square, due to the Trinity Cathedral, the predecessor of St. Basil's). Popularly, it was also known as 'Fire Square', reflecting the number of times medieval Moscow burned. 

Some of the different attractions along the different sides of the Red square are St. Basil's Cathedral, Kazan Cathedral, the Kremlin wall, Lenin's mausoleum, the statue of Minin and Pozharsky, the Resurrection gate and the Iberian chapel, GUM (Russia's most famous shopping mall) and the Lobnoe Mesto. 

*Source 

Thank you Paula! 

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