Red Square facts for kids

For other uses, see Red Square (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids
Kremlin and Red Square, Moscow
UNESCO World Heritage Site

Location	Moscow, Russia
Criteria	Cultural: i, ii, iv, r ,87
Inscription	1990 (14th Session)

Red Square (Russian: Красная площадь, tr. Krasnaya ploshchad', IPA: [ˈkrasnəjə ˈploɕːɪtʲ]) is one of the most famous and largest squares in Moscow, Russia. It sits right in the middle of Moscow's historic area, next to the eastern walls of the Kremlin. It's a super important landmark in the city. You can find famous buildings here like Saint Basil's Cathedral, Lenin's Mausoleum, and the GUM department store.

Since 1990, Red Square has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Over the years, it has been a place for many important events. These include big parades, speeches, and even historical demonstrations. The square is huge, covering about 73,000 square meters (800,000 square feet). It is located just east of the Kremlin and north of the Moskva River. A ditch that used to separate the square from the Kremlin was filled in back in 1812.

Exploring Red Square's Location
The Story Behind the Name
A Look at Red Square's History
Famous Buildings of Red Square
Images for kids
See also

Exploring Red Square's Location

Map of Red Square from 1917, showing its layout

Red Square has a shape that is almost like a rectangle. It is about 70 meters wide and 330 meters long. The square stretches from the northwest to the southeast. It runs along part of the Kremlin wall, which forms its border on the southwest side.

On the northeast side, you'll find the GUM department store and the old area called Kitay-gorod. To the northwest, there's the State Historical Museum and the Resurrection Gate. At the southeast end is Saint Basil's Cathedral. Tverskaya Street starts behind the State Historical Museum to the northwest. To the southeast, a slope leads down to the Moskva River, which you can cross over a bridge to reach the Zamoskvorechye District.

Two streets branch off to the northeast from Red Square. These are Nikolskaya Street, named after the Nikolaus Tower of the Kremlin, and Ilyinka (Ильинка). Both of these streets have been around since the 14th century. They were once very important roads in old Moscow. Today, most of Red Square is a walking area, except for a road that goes to the Savior Gate of the Kremlin.

The Story Behind the Name

Many main squares in Russian cities, like those in Suzdal and Yelets, are called Krasnaya ploshchad. This means 'Beautiful Square'. Long ago, the Russian word krasnaya (красная) meant 'beautiful'. Today, it means 'red'. The current word for 'beautiful' is krasivaya (красивая), which comes from the older word.

In Moscow, the name Red Square first referred to a small area. This was between St. Basil's Cathedral, the Spasskaya Tower of the Kremlin, and the Lobnoye Mesto platform. Later, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich officially made the name cover the whole square. Before that, it was called Pozhar, which means "burnt-out place". This name came from earlier buildings on the site that had burned down.

A Look at Red Square's History

Red Square has always been a very important place in Moscow. It was designed to be the city's main marketplace. It was also used for many public events and announcements. Sometimes, a coronation ceremony for Russia's Tsars would even happen here. The square has grown and changed over time. All Russian governments since its beginning have used it for official ceremonies.

Early Years: Before the 18th Century

The eastern side of the Kremlin was the most open to attacks. This side, next to Red Square, wasn't protected by rivers or other natural barriers. So, the Kremlin wall was built very high here. Italian architects working on the walls told Ivan the Great to clear the area outside. This created an open space for defense. Orders were given in 1493 and 1495 to tear down all buildings within 234 meters of the wall.

From 1508 to 1516, an Italian architect named Aloisio the New built a moat in front of the eastern wall. This moat connected the Moskva and the Neglinnaya and was filled with water. This moat was about 541 meters long, 36 meters wide, and 9.5–13 meters deep. It was lined with stone and had low brick walls on both sides.

Three gates were on this side of the wall. In the 17th century, they were called Konstantino-Eleninsky, Spassky, and Nikolsky. The Spassky and Nikolsky gates are directly across from Red Square. The Konstantino-Elenensky gate was behind Saint Basil's Cathedral. The Spassky Gate was the main entrance to the Kremlin for royal visits. Wooden and later stone bridges crossed the moat from this gate. Books were sold on these bridges.

The square was first called Veliky Torg ('Great Market') or Torg ('Market'). Then it was called Troitskaya after a small church that burned down in 1571. After that fire, it was known as Pozhar, meaning 'burnt'. It wasn't until 1661–62 that it was first called by its current name, Krasnaya.

The Moscow Kremlin walls, finished in 1495

Red Square became Moscow's main trading spot. Even though Ivan the Great first said trade should only be face-to-face, these rules changed. Soon, permanent market buildings appeared. After a fire in 1547, Ivan the Terrible organized the wooden shops on the eastern side into market rows. Streets like Ilyinka and Varvarka were divided into Upper, Middle, and Bottom lines.

A few years later, the Cathedral of Intercession of the Virgin, known as Saint Basil's Cathedral, was built. This was the first building that gave the square its unique look. In 1595, the wooden market rows were replaced with stone ones. A brick platform called Lobnoye Mesto was also built. This was used for announcing the tsar's orders.

Red Square was seen as a holy place. Many festive parades happened there. On Palm Sunday, a famous "procession on a donkey" took place. In this, the patriarch, riding a donkey, would go from Saint Basil's Cathedral into the Kremlin, joined by the tsar and the people.

During the war in 1612, Prince Dmitry Pozharsky entered the Kremlin through the square. To remember this, he built the Kazan Cathedral. This was in honor of the "Kazan Icon of the Mother of God," which had been with his army.

Around the same time (1624–1625), the Spasskaya tower got its famous tent-shaped roof. This was suggested by Christopher Galloway from Scotland, who was hired to design the tower's new clock. Later, a golden double-headed eagle was placed on top of the tower. After this, the square became known as Krasivaya, meaning 'beautiful'.

In the late 17th century (1679–1680), all wooden buildings were removed from the square. All Kremlin towers, except Nikolskaya, also received tent roofs. A special tent roof was built on the wall above Red Square (the Tsarskaya Tower). This allowed the tsar to watch ceremonies in the square. Tent roofs were also added to the Voskresensky (Iberian) gates. These were strong gates at the Voskresensky Bridge over the Neglinnaya River.

In 1697 and 1699, buildings were rebuilt on both sides of Voskresensky Bridge. These became the Mint and Zemsky prikaz (a department for city and police matters). The Zemsky prikaz building, where the Historical Museum now stands, was then known as the Main Pharmacy. It was founded by Peter The Great. In 1755, the first Russian University was first located in the Zemsky prikaz building. The (now drained) Alevizov moat was used as a garden for growing medicinal plants for the Pharmacy.

A 17th-century Palm Sunday procession leaving Saint Basil's Cathedral for the Kremlin.
The execution of streltsy by Tsar Peter I (on a horse to the right) in Red Square, 1698 (painted in 1881).

Book shops at the Spassky bridge, near the main gate of the Kremlin.
Kazan Cathedral (rebuilt in 1993, originally from 1612–25).
Zemsky prikaz, a town hall built in 1700.

18th Century Changes

In 1702, Russia's first public theater was built near the Nikolsky gate. It stayed there until 1737, when a fire destroyed it. In the 1730s, a new mint building, called the Gubernskoye pravlenie (Provincial Board), was built in front of the old one.

During her rule, Catherine the Great decided to improve the square. In 1786, the upper floor of the market lines was made of stone. This line was built on the opposite side of the square, near a moat between the Spasskaya and Nikolskaya towers. Then, architect Matvey Kazakov built a new Lobnoye Mesto from cut stone. This was slightly west of its old spot.

19th and Early 20th Century Developments

A view of Red Square in 1896.

In 1804, merchants asked for the square to be paved with stone. In 1806, Nikolskaya Tower was rebuilt in a Gothic style and got a tent roof. New improvements to the square began after Napoleon's invasion and the fire in 1812. The moat was filled in 1813, and trees were planted in its place.

The market line along the moat, which was damaged by the fire, was torn down. On the eastern side, Joseph Bové built new market buildings in the Empire style. In 1818, the Monument to Minin and Pozharsky was put up. This monument showed the rise of patriotic feelings during the war.

In 1874, the old Zemsky prikaz building was torn down. In its place, the Imperial Historical Museum was built in a traditional Russian style. After Bové's market lines were removed, new large buildings were built between 1888 and 1893. These were also in the traditional Russian style. They included the upper lines (GUM department store) and middle lines. The upper lines were for retail sales and became Moscow's first department store. Middle lines were for wholesale trade. At the same time (in 1892), the square was lit by electric lights. In 1909, a tram appeared on the square for the first time.

The Kremlin with the Alevizov moat and Nikolskaya Tower in front. By Fyodor Alekseyev, 1800.
Red Square with St. Basil's Cathedral and Moscow Kremlin in the background, by Fyodor Alekseyev, 1801.
From left to right: Zemsky prikaz, Voskresensky gates, Provincial Board, and Kazan Cathedral, 1802.
From left to right: market lines by Bove, Saint Basil's Cathedral, and the Kremlin. View from 1816. These market lines were replaced by the GUM store in 1893.
The Minin-Pozharsky monument from 1818, remembering the removal of Polish forces from Moscow, 19th century.
Saint Basil's Cathedral, the Monument to Minin and Pozharsky, and Spasskaya Tower in 1908.

Red Square in the Soviet and Modern Eras

During the Soviet era, Red Square remained very important. It became a central place for the new government. It was the official address of the Soviet government. It was also famous for military parades starting in 1919. Lenin's Mausoleum became part of the square complex in 1924. It served as a special viewing stand for important people during national celebrations.

In the 1930s, Kazan Cathedral and Iverskaya Chapel with the Resurrection Gates were torn down. This was to make space for heavy military vehicles to drive through the square. Both were later rebuilt after the Soviet Union ended. There were even plans to tear down Saint Basil's Cathedral, Moscow's most famous building, and the State Historical Museum. This would have made Red Square even larger.

In 1990, the Kremlin and Red Square were among the first places in the USSR to be added to UNESCO's World Heritage List.

Red Square has also hosted many big concerts. Bands and artists like Linkin Park, The Prodigy, Shakira, Scorpions, and Paul McCartney have performed there. For New Year's celebrations in 2006, 2007, and 2008, a skating rink was set up on Red Square. Paul McCartney's concert was a big moment for many. The Beatles were banned in the Soviet Union, so they couldn't perform live or sell records there. While McCartney's show was historic, he wasn't the first Beatle to perform in Russia. Ringo Starr had performed in Moscow in 1998. In 2008, the KHL announced they would hold their first outdoor all-star game on Red Square in January.

Red Square as a Venue for Parades

A 360° Panorama of Red Square: Kremlin (towards SE), Saint Basil's Cathedral with Lenin Mausoleum (from 1930) in front, State Historical Museum (NW), and GUM store. You can also see Voskresensky gates just to the right of the museum, Kazan Cathedral just to the left of the GUM store, and the Minin-Pozharsky monument in front of Saint Basil's (it was originally in front of the GUM store).

Two of the most important military parades on Red Square were the 1941 October Revolution Parade and the Victory Parade in 1945. In 1941, the city was surrounded by German forces. Troops marched from Red Square directly to the front lines. In 1945, the flags of the defeated Nazi armies were thrown at the foot of Lenin's Mausoleum.

The Soviet Union held many parades in Red Square. These included parades for May Day (until 1969), Victory Day, and October Revolution Day. These parades featured propaganda, flags, workers' demonstrations, marching troops, and displays of tanks and missiles. Special parades were also held for Defender of the Fatherland Day (1925), the Day of Tankmen (1946), and the state funeral of Joseph Stalin (1953).

Since 1995, the annual Moscow Victory Day Parade has been held on the square. This parade marks the anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. In January 2008, Russia announced it would start parading military vehicles through Red Square again. This was complicated by the recent rebuilding of Iverski Gate, which closed one path for heavy vehicles. In May 2008, Russia held its annual Victory Day parade. For the first time since the end of the USSR in 1991, Russian military vehicles paraded through the square. On May 9, 2010, to celebrate the 65th anniversary of Germany's surrender in 1945, soldiers from France, the United Kingdom, and the United States marched in the Moscow Victory Day parade. This was a first in history.

A military parade in 2008, marking the sixty-third anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.
Red Army soldiers cheering Joseph Stalin in Red Square, from the 1942 film Moscow Strikes Back.
A soldier during a parade on Red Square in 2017.

Famous Buildings of Red Square

Let's take a walk around Red Square and learn about the important buildings you'll find there. We'll start at the northwest end and go clockwise.

State Historical Museum: A Journey Through Time

State Historical Museum, as seen from Red Square

The striking dark red building of the State Historical Museum marks the northwest end of Red Square. It was built between 1875 and 1883. This makes it one of the newer parts of Red Square's amazing architecture. Before it was built, Moscow's first pharmacy stood here from the early 18th century. This building was rebuilt in 1755 and served as the first campus for the new Moscow State University for twenty years.

Today's museum building was built specifically for the historical museum. This museum was founded in 1872 and officially opened in May 1883. Its architect was Vladimir Osipovich Sherwood. He was a key figure in the "Russian style," which used traditional Russian architecture ideas. The museum building looks very "Old Russian." Its walls have arched windows and decorations like old Russian Orthodox churches. It also has decorative towers that look like some of the Kremlin towers. The roof shape reminds you of the Great Kremlin Palace in the Kremlin.

Today, the Historical Museum is Russia's largest and most famous history museum. It has about 4.5 million items about Russian history from almost all time periods. It also holds special themed exhibitions several times a year. Besides the main museum building, the historical museum also includes Saint Basil's Cathedral and the Novodevichy Convent, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Resurrection Gate: A Grand Entrance

Resurrection Gate, facing southeast

The Resurrection Gate is one of the two entrances to Red Square from the northwest. This structure was first built in 1680. It was originally part of the Kitai-Gorod defenses. It has two arched doorways at its base. These are topped by two rectangular towers that look a lot like the Kremlin towers.

The Resurrection Gate used to be part of a group of buildings at the northern end of Red Square. This group included the government administration building and the old pharmacy building (which was replaced by the History Museum). During the time of the Russian Empire, this gate was a special entrance to the heart of Moscow. Tsars would always pass through this gate during their coronation celebrations.

In 1931, the new government took down the gate. They did this so it wouldn't block military vehicles during big parades on Red Square. Today's gate is mostly a copy of the original and was rebuilt in 1996. Between the two doorways on the north side of the gate, the chapel of the icon of the Mother of God of Iviron was also rebuilt. This chapel was originally built in 1781. A new copy of the icon was made for this chapel on Mount Athos.

Former Government Administration: A Place of Power

The building in 2018

The building between the Resurrection Gate and the Kazan Cathedral is less noticeable on Red Square. It was built between 1733 and 1740. Since then, it has been the main office for the city of Moscow and the Moscow Governorate (which is similar to today's Moscow Oblast).

This government building was damaged during the war against Napoleon in 1812, when much of Moscow was destroyed. In the 1810s, it was rebuilt under the direction of architect Joseph Bové. He was very important in rebuilding the city at that time. During this rebuilding, a tower was added to the roof. For a long time, this tower was used as a lookout for a fire station. However, this tower was taken down in the early 20th century.

In the courtyard of this former government building, the old state mint building is still standing. This mint was built in 1697 by order of Peter the Great. It made silver coins for almost 25 years before the money system of the Russian Empire moved to Saint Petersburg. After it stopped making coins, the windowless lower part of the building was used as a Debtors' prison for merchants who couldn't pay their debts. Today, both the former government building and the old mint are part of the nearby historical museum.

Kazan Cathedral: A Symbol of Victory

Kazan Cathedral

The Kazan Cathedral is to the right of the former government administration building. It sits on the corner of Red Square and Nikolskaya Street. Today's cathedral is a copy from 1993. Originally, there was a church here since the 1620s. First, it was made of wood, then of stone from 1636.

The Kazan Cathedral is named after the icon of Our Lady of Kazan. This icon has been greatly respected by followers of the Russian Orthodox Church for centuries. A legend says that this icon helped the Russian People's army, led by national heroes Kuzma Minin and Dmitri Pozharsky, defeat the Military of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1612. A few years after this victory, Prince Pozharsky built the cathedral dedicated to this icon. This followed a Russian tradition of building churches to remember important military victories.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Kazan Cathedral on Red Square was one of Moscow's most important churches. It was the site of grand processions led by the patriarch and the tsar. These were especially held on the anniversary of the victory over the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

In 1936, the cathedral, like many other Moscow churches, was torn down with the approval of Joseph Stalin. It wasn't until the early 1990s that people called for its reconstruction. The rebuilding began and was finished in 1993. This made the Kazan Cathedral one of the first churches in Moscow, destroyed during the Soviet era, to be rebuilt in the 1990s.

GUM Department Store: A Shopping Landmark

GUM

The GUM department store is on the eastern side of the square. It takes up the whole area between Nikolskaya and Ilyinka streets. Because it's right on Red Square and is very large (about 35,000 square meters of sales area), GUM is Russia's most famous shopping center.

Built in 1893, it replaced an Empire style building. That older building had housed the Upper Trading Ranks since 1815. This place brought together much of Kitai-Gorod's trading activities. After the old building started to fall apart in the mid-19th century, there were plans for a new one. But it took until the 1890s to start building. A special company was formed, and architects competed with their ideas.

The winning design came from architecture professor Alexander Pomeranzewas and engineer Vladimir Schuchow. Building the new trade rows lasted from 1890 to 1893. When it opened on December 2, 1893, the new building amazed people. It had an incredible variety of goods. It also featured a brand new glass roof design for its three passages, created by Schuchow. This roof used about 60,000 panes of glass. The building's style, like the nearby Historical Museum, was in the historical "Russian style." It had a roof gable like 16th-century boyar palaces, two decorative towers like the Kremlin, and a main front that looked like old Russian buildings.

During the Soviet era, the new upper trading ranks had a busy history. In 1921, they got their current name, GUM («ГУМ»). At that time, it meant «Государственный Универсальный Магазин» ('State Department Store'). Today, it stands for «Главный Универсальный Магазин» ('Main Universal Store'). In the early 1930s, GUM was closed for twenty years. It was used as office and residential buildings. From late 1953 until the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the store was seen as a model department store in the middle of the socialist shortage economy. In the 1990s, the store became private and was fully renovated. Today, it is a fancy shopping center with high-end boutiques for locals and tourists.

Middle Trade Rows: A Historic Market Area

Middle Trade Rows

This building is at the easternmost point of the square, on the corner of Ilyinka Street. It stands exactly where the Middle Trading Rows were in the 17th century. These, along with the Upper Trading Rows (where GUM is now), were part of a larger market area. This market helped shape the Kitay-gorod district, which is next to Red Square.

This huge area of market stalls and wooden huts was first replaced in the late 18th century. A building complex specifically for trade was built. This building is thought to be designed by the Italian builder Giacomo Quarenghi. However, these buildings burned down in the war of 1812. They were replaced by the Middle Trading Rows building, rebuilt by Joseph Bové. This building is still standing today on Ilyinka Street, a few hundred meters east of Red Square.

The current Middle Trade Rows building was not built until 1894, just like the GUM store. It was planned from the start to go along with GUM. The upper rows were for retail (selling to individuals), while the Middle Trade Rows were for wholesale trade (selling in bulk). That's why both buildings look very similar in their design. The architect for this building was Roman Klein. He also designed many other famous Moscow buildings in the late 19th century, including the Pushkin Museum.

After the Bolsheviks came to power, the building was no longer used for trade. Instead, it became the headquarters for various government groups. Until recently, it belonged to the Russian Armed Forces. In early 2007, four inner parts of the old trading rows were torn down. Plans were made to rebuild the entire building to look like the original. The idea was to turn it into a fancy hotel. These plans were criticized by both Russian and foreign media. They said it was a way to get around preservation rules. Work is now underway to create a museum inside the building. This new museum will be part of the UNESCO protected Moscow Kremlin Museums. It will bring some of the Kremlin Armoury collection outside the Kremlin walls.

Lobnoye Mesto: The Stone Platform

Lobnoye Mesto at the center

The Lobnoye Mesto (Russian: Лобное место) is a round, raised platform made of white stone. It's in the southeastern part of the square, in front of Saint Basil's Cathedral. It's one of the oldest buildings on the square that we know about today. Lobnoye Mesto was first mentioned in 1549. That's when the 19-year-old tsar Ivan The Terrible gave a speech there. So, it was likely built from the start as a platform. From here, the tsar's orders were announced to the people.

The name Lobnoye Mesto can mean 'forehead' or 'skull'. Some think it's like Golgotha, a place of skulls. But other ideas suggest it's named after its location near a steep river bank, which was called a "praise" in old Russia.

Traditionally, the platform on Red Square was first made of wood. The stone building we see today, with an iron gate, dates from the late 1590s. Over time, Lobnoye Mesto was used for more than just state announcements. It became a center for important events. The patriarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church gave speeches to crowds here during special services. Lobnoye Mesto also became known as a place for executions, like that of Stenka Rasin in 1671. However, these executions didn't happen directly on the stand, but a few meters away.

After Saint Petersburg became the capital of Imperial Russia, Lobnoye Mesto lost its role as the tsar's platform. It has been a monument ever since. In 1786, it was rebuilt based on a design by architect Matvey Kazakov. It was also moved a few meters to the east.

Monument to Minin and Pozharsky: Honoring Heroes

Monument to Minin and Pozharsky

The monument to the two Russian national heroes, Kuzma Minin and Prince Dmitri Poszharsky, stands right in front of Saint Basil's Cathedral. It was built between 1812 and 1818. Just like the Kazan Cathedral, which Prince Pozharsky helped build, this monument also remembers the liberation of Moscow from Polish–Lithuanian troops in 1612. The army led by Minin and Poszharsky played a key role in this victory.

The bronze monument weighs 20 tons. It was paid for entirely by donations at the time. The sculptor Ivan Martos designed it. After almost 15 years of planning and building, it was revealed in a grand ceremony in February 1818. At that time, it had been five years since Russia successfully stopped the French invasion led by Napoleon. The rebuilding of Moscow had just finished. So, the monument was celebrated as a symbol of Russia's strength and its heroes.

Originally, the sculpture was not in front of Saint Basil's Cathedral. It was in front of today's GUM department store, at the main entrance. It was moved to its current spot in 1930. This was done to create more space for military parades and large demonstrations.

Saint Basil's Cathedral: A Colorful Icon

Saint Basil's Cathedral

Saint Basil's Cathedral is on the southern side of the square. It is definitely the most famous building on Red Square. It is also one of Russia's cultural icons. The church used to be the main place of worship in Moscow. But today, the cathedral mostly works as a museum. It is part of the State Historical Museum complex across the square. Since the early 1990s, services have been held in the cathedral sometimes.

In the middle of the 16th century, a wooden church called the Church of the Holy Trinity stood exactly where Saint Basil's Cathedral is now. In 1555, Tsar Ivan the Terrible ordered a huge church to be built there. This was to celebrate Russia's victory over the Khanate of Kazan three years earlier. Building churches to remember military victories was a common tradition then. The wooden church was torn down, and the current cathedral was built by 1561. This makes it one of the oldest buildings on the square. The cathedral's more common name, Saint Basil's, was given in memory of Basil the Blessed. Tsar Ivan respected Basil, and after Basil's death in 1522, he was buried near the cathedral. Ivan Barma and Postnik Yakovlev were among the most popular architects of the church.

From when the cathedral was finished until Russia's capital moved from Moscow to Saint Petersburg, it was the most important church in the city. It hosted grand services on all major Orthodox holidays. Throughout its history, the cathedral was almost destroyed several times. Legend says that Napoleon ordered the cathedral to be blown up when he left Moscow in 1812. But a sudden rainstorm put out the fuses that had already been lit. In 1918, after the October Revolution, the cathedral was closed by the Bolsheviks. Its head priest was executed. There were also plans to tear down the cathedral. Only the personal efforts of architect Pyotr Baranovsky, who was asked to prepare for the demolition, stopped them from doing it.

What's really special about the cathedral is its unique and uneven architectural style. It looks very different from most other Russian Orthodox churches. The main part of the building is its nine church towers. These have brightly painted, onion-shaped domes. Some are very different in size and color. This also means the building doesn't have one main front. So, it looks interesting from every side. The cathedral was first built with white stone. But during a renovation in the mid-17th century, parts were decorated with red bricks. This gives it its striking mix of colors today. Inside, the cathedral is also very impressive with a maze-like system of hallways and galleries.

Eastern Kremlin Wall: A Strong Defense

The eastern part of the Kremlin wall, and Red Square behind it, appeared in its current spot in the 15th century. This was during the rule of Ivan III. The wall and the square were separated by a wide defensive moat. This moat was filled with water from the Neglinnaya River. The moat had a second fortress wall and three bridges that connected the Kremlin to the posad (a settlement outside the fortress).

The northernmost of the three Kremlin towers is the 70-meter-high Nikolskaya Tower. It is named after Saint Nicholas, whose icon was originally on the lower part of the tower. Today, this tower is one of the four Moscow Kremlin towers that have an entrance gate to the Kremlin. It was first built in 1491 by the master builder Pietro Antonio Solari. He was one of several Italian architects who helped build the Kremlin. In 1806, Nikolskaya Tower was greatly changed and rebuilt in a Gothic style. This was very unusual for the Kremlin. Only a few years later, Napoleon's troops destroyed it. It was finally rebuilt in 1816 with help from Joseph Bové. Because of its Gothic style, Nikolskaya Tower is still the most unique of the twenty Kremlin towers.

The Spasskaya Tower is the main tower of the eastern Kremlin wall. It is probably the most famous Kremlin tower. It also has an entrance gate. This gate, along with the nearby Saint Basil's Cathedral, closes off Red Square from the south. The tower is named after an image of the Savior that once hung over the gate. It rises over 71 meters high. Like Nikolskaya Tower, it was also built by Pietro Antonio Solari in 1491. However, it was then about half as tall as it is today. The tower has its current shape since a rebuilding in 1624–1625. At that time, a bell tower with a large clock, designed by Christopher Galloway, was added. This clock is now the tower's most famous part. The clock has four faces, one on each side, and each is 6.12 meters wide. The very accurate clockwork takes up three floors of the tower. A dozen bells below the top of the tower ring every fifteen minutes.

Both the Nikolskaya and Spasskaya Towers are topped with a three-meter-wide red star. These stars are made of three layers of ruby and agate glass. These stars were symbols of Communism. They were placed on a total of five Kremlin towers in 1937. Before that, the towers had the Imperial Russian double-headed eagle.

The small tower near Lenin's Mausoleum, between the Nikolskaya and Spasskaya Towers, is the Senatskaya Tower. It was built in 1491, also by Pietro Antonio Solari. It was purely for defense. It guarded the Kremlin on the Red Square side. For a long time, it didn't have a name. It was only in 1787, after architect Matvei Kazakov built the Kremlin Senate inside the Kremlin, that it got its current name. You can see the Senate's dome from Red Square. Inside the tower, there are three levels of arched rooms. In 1860, the flat tower was given a stone tent roof. This roof was topped with a gilt weather vane. The tower has a passage that allows important people to travel from the Kremlin to Red Square. Its height is 34.3 meters.

Lenin's Mausoleum: A Revolutionary Leader's Resting Place

Lenin's Mausoleum, as seen in front of the Kremlin

An important monument from the Soviet era is the Lenin Mausoleum. It is on the western side of the square. It stands by the Kremlin wall, near the Senate Tower. This is almost exactly where the protective moat used to be until the 18th century. A tram line also ran here from 1909 to 1930. Inside the mausoleum, the carefully preserved body of Vladimir Lenin rests in a glass case. To this day, the mausoleum is open to visitors on certain days.

Today's building is made of granite and labradorite. Before it, there were two temporary mausoleums made of oak. The first was built in January 1924, just days after Lenin's death. It was a simple cube shape, three meters high. A second temporary one was set up in the spring of 1924. The current building was built between 1929 and 1930. From the outside, it looks like a multi-layered pyramid. This design was meant to show the mausoleum as a grand burial place, similar to ancient monuments. The famous architect Alexey Shchusev designed it. He also built the two earlier mausoleums.

From when it was finished until the end of the Soviet Union, the mausoleum was a central attraction. It was a place of great respect in the socialist world. During military parades and marches on Red Square, heads of state would appear from the central stand on the roof of the mausoleum. This continued until the mid-1990s. In 1953, the body of Joseph Stalin, Lenin's successor, was also preserved and placed in the mausoleum. However, eight years later, he was removed from the mausoleum. This happened during the "de-Stalinization" period, which began after the 20th Congress of the CPSU. Stalin was then buried at the Kremlin wall.

Today, the mausoleum still attracts many tourists. However, most are no longer visiting because of the strong focus on the revolutionary leader. Still, keeping Lenin's remains in the mausoleum is a debated topic. Many famous people, including the last Soviet head of state, Mikhail Gorbachev, have said that Lenin should be buried.

Kremlin Wall Necropolis: Heroes' Resting Place

Right behind Lenin's Mausoleum, along the walls of the Kremlin, there is a large cemetery of honor. This cemetery was created in November 1917. About 250 soldiers who died during the October Revolution in Moscow were buried here. They found their final resting place in two shared graves near the Senate tower.

The tradition of burying revolutionaries on Red Square, a key symbol of the Bolshevik Revolution, continued right away. In the spring of 1919, Lenin's important friend Yakov Sverdlov was buried at the Kremlin wall. With Lenin's Mausoleum, finished in 1930, this burial place became its central feature. Since then, the mausoleum and the surrounding cemetery have been called the Revolutionary Necropolis.

From the 1920s to the 1980s, hundreds of people were buried in Red Square. These were considered the most deserving people of the Soviet Union. They included revolutionaries, heroes of the Soviet Union, important leaders, and military commanders. Being buried in the Kremlin wall necropolis was seen as the highest honor after death. Only a few people received it.

A total of twelve leaders, including Sverdlov, Mikhail Kalinin, Kliment Voroshilov, Leonid Brezhnev, and Stalin (who was in the mausoleum until 1961), were buried in individual graves. A large number of revolutionaries rest here in 15 shared graves. Most of the burials here, however, are niches in the Kremlin wall. In these niches, over 100 urns hold the remains of revolutionaries, heroes, or main thinkers. People whose urns are in the Kremlin wall include Lenin's partner Nadezhda Krupskaya, the first cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the writer Maxim Gorky, and the nuclear weapon developer Igor Kurchatov. Some foreign politicians like Clara Zetkin and Fritz Heckert are also buried here.

The necropolis on the Kremlin wall has been a memorial since 1974. After the funeral of leader Konstantin Chernenko in 1985, no more burials have been made. The tombs of the necropolis can now be visited at the same time as the mausoleum.

Images for kids

17th century Palm Sunday procession leaving Saint Basil for Kremlin.
Execution of streltsy by Tsar Peter I (to the right on a horse) in Red Square, 1698 (painted 1881)
Book shops at the Spassky bridge at the main gate of the Kremlin
Kazan Cathedral (1993 reconstruction, it originates back to 1612–25)
Zemsky prikaz, town hall built 1700
The Kremlin with Alevizov moat and Nikolskaya Tower in front. By Fyodor Alekseyev, 1800
Red Square with St. Basil's Cathedral and Moscow Kremlin in background, by Fyodor Alekseyev, 1801
Left-right: Zemsky prikaz, Voskresensky gates, Provincial Board and Kazan Cathedral, 1802
Left-right: market lines by Bove, Saint Basil and Kremlin. View from 1816. Market lines were replaced by GUM store in 1893
Minin-Pozharsky monument from 1818 commemorating the expulsion of the Polish forces from Moscow, 19th century
Saint Basil's Cathedral, Monument to Minin and Pozharsky and Spasskaya Tower in 1908
2008 Military parade marking the sixty-third anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War
Red Army soldiers cheer Joseph Stalin in Red Square in a scene from the 1942 film Moscow Strikes Back
A soldier during a parade on Red Square in 2017.