CRAWFORD SALES COMPANY: Red Square and the Kremlin

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Red Square and the Kremlin

We were unable to enter the Kremlin - we don't know if it was a state holiday or what, but all entrances were guarded and we didn't feel it was a good idea to challenge armed guards.

We were able to roam around Red Square but most of the buildings/exhibits were closed due to the End of Winter Festival being held in the Square.

Much of the information here can be found on Moscow-Taxi.com, an excellent travel information website.

Click on the pictures to go to a larger version

Red Square is outside the Kremlin, its four sides made up of St. Basil's Cathedral, the eastern wall of the Kremlin, the National Historical Museum, and the GUM department store.

This picture shows the Cathedral, Savior Tower, and part of the Kremlin Wall.

The Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed was commissioned by Ivan IV in 1552 to commemorate his successful military campaign against the Tartar Mongols in the city of Kazan. It is actually composed of nine different churches, each with its own unique dome and each commemorates a victorious assault on the city of Kazan.

This picture also shows the statues of two heroes of another war - more about them below.

Minin and Pozharsky Monument - This is a memorial to the two men credited with liberating Moscow from foreign invaders in 1612. Kuzma Minin (the standing figure) was a wealthy citizen who provided the money. Prince Dmitri Pozharsky (sitting) was the general who led the army.

This is Savior Tower, built in 1491. This tower was for several centuries the main official entrance to the Kremlin. The gate was reputed to have miraculous powers and to have saved Moscow from invasion many times.

In this picture of the Kremlin Wall, you can see the dome of the Senate Building behind it, and in front of it, Lenin's Tomb.

The National Historical Museum is the world's largest museum of Russian history. The museum charts the development of Russian civilization since Neanderthal times.

GUM Department Store - The leading department store in Russia, making up almost one whole side of Red Square - and seems to be the only building there that isn't red.

The Place of Skulls was built in the early 16th century and used primarily as a platform from which the Tsar's edicts were read out, special church sermons were given, holy relics displayed and the sentences of convicted criminals were announced.

It is a common belief that the the Place of Skulls was the square's execution site, but most executions were carried out behind St. Basil's Cathedral.