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Location:
Europe,
Russia, Moscow
Category:
City view
Description:
View of
Red
Square in Moscow city centre
Location Information:
Red
Square is a city square in Moscow.
The 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. As major streets of
Moscow radiate from here in all
directions, being promoted to major
highways outside the city, Red
Square is often considered the
central square of Moscow and all of
Russia.
The
name Red Square derives neither from
the colour of the bricks around it
(which, in fact, were whitewashed at
certain points in history) nor from
the link between the colour red and
communism. Rather, the name came
about because the Russian word
красная (krasnaya) can mean either
"red" or "beautiful" (the latter
being archaic). This word, with the
meaning "beautiful", was originally
applied to Saint Basil's Cathedral
and was subsequently transferred to
the nearby square. It is believed
that the square acquired its current
name (replacing the older Pozhar, or
"burnt-out place") in the 17th
century. Several ancient Russian
towns, such as Suzdal, Yelets, and
Pereslavl-Zalessky, have their main
square named Krasnaya ploshchad,
namesake of Moscow's Red Square.
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