10 THINGS TO SEE IN MOSCOW RED SQUARE, CURIOSITIES AND HISTORY

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In all of Russia there is no more emblematic place than the Red square of moscu. This place is beauty and pure history, and it is almost impossible not to feel a chill when you plant there for the first time. Well, if you go in August like us, you may find it full of scaffolding and of course, tourists! Still, you're going to freak out. Writing the post of the things to see and do in Moscow we realized that this square deserved a dedicated post: there are so many stories, curiosities and places what to see in the Red Square in Moscow That a little paragraph is not enough. And here we are. Ready to travel to Russia? Come on!

We start with a first curiosity: although the vast majority of visitors believe that the name "red" is due to the reddish color of their buildings, or relates to the communist party, the reason is very different. The name comes from the Russian word Красная (krásnaya) that in ancient Russian meant "beautiful" and that today has derived in the meaning of "red". The Red Square... it's really the Beautiful Square.

And yes, pretty is very pretty!

Now, we tell you everything better to see in the Red Square in Moscow:

It has become clear that there is much to see here, but the best of the best ... is the St. Basil's Cathedral, one of the most iconic churches in the country (and probably around the world).

He rose between 1555 and 1561 from the hand of Ivan the Terrible to fulfill a promise: he would build a beautiful church in the center of Moscow at the time he succeeded in taking over the Kazan Kanato. They say that when the Cathedral was finished, the Tsar asked the architect if he could replicate something so beautiful elsewhere, to which he responded affirmatively. Then the Tsar ordered him to be blinded so that he could never do it (although that smells a bit of urban legend).

What is certain is that it is impossible to resist taking dozens of photos with domes in the form of colored bulbs, or cone ice creams of different flavors. To enter you will have to pay 500 rubles, but our guide told us that it is not as impressive as it is from the outside. So, considering that we would see many more churches on our trip, we decided NOT to enter.

Curiosity: St. Basil's Cathedral comes out in one of the most famous video games of all time: the Tetris, which was invented by a Russian!

From near the Red Square they leave free tours Like this, they will teach you a lot about Moscow. Remember to sign up in advance (it's free, although at the end of the tour it's always good to leave a tip to the guide).

In front of the Cathedral of San Basilio you can see the Monument to Minin and Pozharsky, a sculpture that is a tribute to the two responsible for assembling a voluntary army that expelled the Polish-Lithuanian army. This fact is fundamental in the history of Russia, since it puts an end to the well-known "tumultuous period", a dark and complicated time for the country, which begins with the end of the reign of Ivan the Terrible.

For a long time the sculpture was located in front of the GUM stores, but when Stalin set out to "clean" the Red Square and tear down some of the buildings that prevented the passage of the tanks in the military parades, he decided to reposition the statue where the see now. At least he didn't destroy it :-p

It is curious to think that, in the middle of the Red Square, a symbol of an iron communism, a huge and luxurious shopping center rises ... but it is so. We talk about the GUM Galleries. Unless you don't have a bulky bank account, shopping here is not something we advise, but luckily looking is free! And shop around those hallways that give off luxury, is something to do in Moscow yes or yes. Do not forget to tour the side gallery on the ground floor where many of Russia's most typical products are sold: chocolates, vodka and of course, caviar! Look, look at the prices to see what you think.

And if you think this mall is recent, you are wrong: it was built in 1893, although it is clear that it was very different from how we see it today. During the time of the USSR the building was used as a residence for senior office officials and as administrative offices. You have to go, it's a little bit of Russian history.

The good thing is that among so many expensive stores, there are places to eat well and cheaply, such as Stolovaya 57. Although here the typical thing is to try its famous ice cream: it is sold in the small stands that are distributed on the ground floor of the building, and it costs 100 rubles Mind you, go to the bathroom, avoid the one on the ground floor if you do not want to pay 200 rubles! They are so luxurious that they have become a tourist attraction.

Tip: pass in front of this mall also at night to contemplate its striking lighting ... although for our too Christmas taste :-p but hey, it is still one of the things to see in the Red Square in Moscow!

Past the GUM Galleries is the Kazan Cathedral, which draws attention for its pink hue. Before planning the trip to Russia we had no idea of the existence of this cathedral and, being honest, all eyes are captured by St. Basil's, on the other side of the square. But Kazan Cathedral is super beautiful! It was a surprise. The bad thing is that, during our visit, it was closed for renovations, so we had to settle for seeing it from the outside.

Curiosity: in 1936, Stalin decreed that all churches should be torn down and / or transformed into museums / warehouses. In the Red Square the only one that was saved was the Cathedral of San Basilio, so yes: that of Kazan is a reconstruction.

It is one of the accesses to the Red Square, but it is certainly the most beautiful. This double arch door, as happened with the Kazan Cathedral, was demolished by Stalin, so it is a reconstruction. And, of course, how are the tanks going to fit through these little arches? Two towers with pointed octagonal roofs rise above the arches, and in the middle of the door by the outside of the square, there is a small chapel that houses a replica of the image of “Our Lady of Iveron” in Georgia , hence its name.

Curiosity: in front of the chapel is a small golden plate that symbolizes KM 0... come on, it's like the Plaza del Sol in Madrid.

If you are one of those who enjoy diving in the history of a country, the State History Museum will be your little paradise. The ticket costs 500 rubles and once inside you can learn more about Russia thanks to millions of pieces that relate the evolution of the country's history and culture. It is located in a beautiful building in the Red Square and was inaugurated in 1883, when Czar Alexander III was crowned.

Tip: rent an audio guide and eye ... that closes on Tuesdays!

If you pass the Gate of Resurrection and turn left into the Alexander Gardens, you will reach this point. It is one of the most moving corners of Russia, a symbolic monument in honor of the millions of Soviets fallen during the Great Patriotic War (the Russians call it the Second World War). This tomb is guarded by two soldiers, if you want to see the changing of the guard is done every hour on the hour.

Curiosity: a bronze star is engraved on the tombstone where the eternal flame is kept and next to the monument you can read a writing in Russian that says “your name is unknown, your feat is immortal”.

Another of the things you can do in the Red Square is to meet Lenin in person (separate controversy). In the Lenin Mausoleum is the embalmed body of one of the most important characters in the history of Russia. To visit the mausoleum you must do some queue, leave the mobile at the entrance and pass quickly without standing in front of the grave, taking off your hat and taking your hands out of your pockets. Admission is free, open from 10 to 13 every day except Mondays, Fridays and Sundays. As a reference, the queue from the bathrooms (free, by the way) takes about 1 hour.

We, really, had no special interest in seeing Lenin's embalmed body and considering that when we passed by there was always a queue ... we decided to skip this visit.

Curiosity: Lenin's last wish was to be buried in his beloved St. Petersburg, along with his mother, Peeero Stalin decided to create this mausoleum so that the people could give a last goodbye to the first leader the former USSR, and in passing make a good propaganda maneuver: the success of the mausoleum was such that thousands of people were going - and are going to pay tribute to this key figure of the October Revolution.

Just behind the Lenin Mausoleum, in the walls of the Kremlin you can see the tombs of characters like Stalin or Yuri Gagarin. In fact this is the only place where we saw a bust of Stalin (we did not see any other image, sculpture or reference of him throughout the city). The reason is simple: after his death, there was a total "detalinization". In our Russian history post we tell you more about the subject.

Curiosity: an American is also buried here ... we speak of John Reed, a communist journalist who attended the October Revolution and who wrote the book "Ten days that shook the world."

Finally, we could not forget one of the best things to see in the Red Square: the Kremlin, the symbol of the political power of the Russian Federation. But, unlike what is usually believed, it is NOT simply the seat of the Russian government. The word Kremlin in Russian means "small fortified city" or "walled enclosure" and inside there is much more than a palace with man in suits. During your visit you can see spectacular cathedrals, squares, gardens, palaces, corners full of meaning, and museums such as the Armory, which with its collection of gold, crowns, costumes, carriages, Fabergé eggs, weapons and armor, is among The best in Russia.

To visit the Kremlin there are two different entrances: one gives you access to the Cathedral Square (700 rubles) and another to the Armory Museum (1000 rubles). They can be purchased online some time in advance, or directly at the box office of Alexander Gardens (Aleksandrovsky Sad) the same day of your visit. Another option is to sign up for a guided tour in Spanish, to get the most out of the visit and save yourself some queues.

Here we give you a few tips to visit the Kremlin (pending).

Eye: keep in mind that the Kremlin closes on Thursdays. And if you're asking NO, you can't visit the Government of Russia. Peeeero, if you want to know more about Putin's figure, look here.

Curiosity: it is not the only kremlin of Russia ... nor of the capital of the country! We also visit the Kremlin of Izmaylovo and there are so many things to see and do in Moscow.

- The May 9 it is a key date for the Russians: every year, here in the Red Square, it is celebrated with an immense military parade on victory day, that is, the anniversary of the end of World War II (the Great Patriotic War).

- Square measures more than 24,000 square meters and only pedestrians and military vehicles are allowed. Although it is large, it is not one of the largest squares in the world, not even in Moscow. The Plaza de Colón in Madrid or the Plaza de Catalunya in Barcelona are larger.

- One of the rarest things that ever happened in Russia took place on May 28, 1987, when a plane landed in full Red Square 0_0 It was Mathias Rust, a 19-year-old pilot who managed to outwit the Soviet air defense (Gorbachev immediately dismissed the defense minister). After serving just over 1 year in jail, the German was released, but some year later he stabbed a co-worker -_- He returned to prison, went out again and it seems that today he lives quietly and without problems :-p

Do you like that data? If you want you can read this post with 30 curiosities about Russia (pending).

Here we leave you a map with all the marked points of what to see in the Red Square in Moscow

We hope you liked our virtual tour of this place so loved by the Russians (and tourists). Do you know more things to see in Moscow Red Square? Leave us a comment with your experience!