Red Square

The undisputed heart of Moscow, pumping a constant stream of people through its gates. Try as they might the flocks of tourists hardly fill such a vastness, a space so open that it can easily fit the spectacular Victory Day Parade (the annual celebration of the Second World War victory) every May. It is a place of juxtapositions here lies Lenin’s final resting place, opposite a luxurious department store. Where the colorful candy cones of Saint Basil’s Cathedral swordfight with the elaborate stiletto-heeled fashionistas. The same paved stones that Tsars galloped upon, now support jumping fans of Shakira. In 1987 the symbolic aura of the square attracted Mathias Rust, a German teenage inexperienced pilot (at the time) to fly his small Cessna plane through the Russian airspace landing near the Kremlin (just outside of the square). After that incident, Moscovites jokingly nicknamed the square: “Sheremetyevo-3”. Even the actual name has nothing to do with the color of the bricks or the Communist past, it is simply derived from the world красная (krasnaya) which in old Russian meant ‘beautiful’ (and in modern ‘red’).

State Historical Museum with the statue of Marshall Zhukov.

The Northwest gate with a glimpse of Saint Basil’s Cathedral in the background.

Kilometre Zero mark. throw a coin behind your shoulder and make a wish.

State Historical Museum (inside the square view)

Photographing politsiya is fine as long as they don’t spot you.

Lenin still attracts

A group of Chinese graduated staging a whole photoshoot in front of the cathedral.

Inside GUM department store.

Outside GUM department store.