Moscow, Russia
Moscow is the capital and the largest city of the Russian Federation. It is the seat of the government, as well as the political, scientific, historical, architectural, and business centre of the country. It displays the country’s contrasts at their most extreme. Its distinguishable symbols of great and terrible past, as well as ancient and modern architecture, are visible side by side. Today, imposing Soviet buildings, the Seven Sisters, or Stalinist skyscrapers representing Stalin’s empire and other impressive architectures spread all over in this intimidating city. You may love or hate Moscow. You may probably be visiting monumental and palatial areas at one point. Then all of a sudden, you may be situated in a middle of a sardine-packed train.
Red Square, Kremlin, Saint Basil’s Cathedral, Lenin Mausoleum, GUM Department Store, museums, KGB building, the notorious and dreaded Lubyanka prison, and Bolshoi Theatre are amongst the main tourist attractions in Moscow city centre. All of these are situated in close proximity to one another and are conveniently reachable by walking or by riding the metro.
Like most tourists, the first stop to visit is the heart of the capital, the Red Square, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. When in Moscow, there is no better way to start exploring this enormous city other than from its heart and soul, the Red Square or Krásnaya Plóshcha, which means either red or beautiful.
Beautiful Square or Red Square spans an area of approximately 74 square metres with its establishment that probably goes back to the fifteenth century when it was the site of public executions. It is a public plaza that was meant to serve as Moscow’s main marketplace. It was also used for various public ceremonies and proclamations and occasionally as the site of coronation for Russia’s czars. (Czar or tsar is a Russian word for ruler or emperor used before 1917. The term is derived from the Latin word Caesar, like the Roman emperor.)
Red 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 Kitai-gorod.
From this historic square, you can begin your explorations by visiting the Kremlin, Lenin’s Mausoleum, Saint Basil’s Cathedral, and State History Museum. You can also window-shop in one of the most expensive shopping malls in Russia and in the world: GUM.
The word Kremlin means fortress inside a city. It is within these walls that autocratic tsars, communist dictators, and contemporary presidents have shaped the fate of the nation. It is overlooking the Moskva River to the south, Saint Basil’s Cathedral and Red Square to the east, and the Alexander Garden to the west.
It is one of Russia’s top tourist destinations. This walled complex houses four cathedrals built in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, as well as interesting museums, palaces, monuments, towers, gardens, and an administrative building. On display on the ground is Tsar Bell or Royal Bell, which stands at 6.14 metres tall and weighs 6.6 tonnes. It is currently the largest bell in the world. Another figure on display inside the Kremlin is the Tsar Cannon, cast in 1586. It is 5.94 metres long but, fortunately, was never used in a war.
Kremlin is a must-see and attractive place to visit to admire lavish architecture and to have a feel of the power and influence of the Russian history, thanks to our highly competent tour guide who openly imparted to us enthralling information about their intriguing history. Another fascinating architecture is Kremlin’s exterior wall, which, in spite of it being constructed in 1485, has been kept in very good condition.
Are you curious to know more about Russia? Visit and explore Kremlin. This huge and massive complex is fully packed with interesting information about the country’s culture and history that will surely blow your mind than just reading or watching documentaries about it.
Please visit my other blogs about Russia as listed on the Header of this website, or click below article about Saint Petersburg. You may also avail my book via Amazon.com, or from Barnes and Noble website.
