Red Sq. - Kremlin area/Manezhnaya Sq., Moscow

  St. Basil's Cathedral seen from the Red...
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  • St. Basil's Cathedral seen from the Red Square
      St. Basil's Cathedral seen from the Red...
    by HORSCHECK
  • St. Basil's Cathedral - Backside
      St. Basil's Cathedral - Backside
    by HORSCHECK
  • Domes of the St. Basil's Cathedral
      Domes of the St. Basil's Cathedral
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  • Cathedral and Statue to Minin and Pozharsk
      Cathedral and Statue to Minin and...
    by HORSCHECK
  • St. Basil's Cathedral bathed in evening light
      St. Basil's Cathedral bathed in evening...
    by HORSCHECK
 

150 Reviews of Red Sq. - Kremlin area/Manezhnaya Sq.

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Marshall Zhukov Statue
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mikey_e 1557 reviews
Statue of Marshall Zhukov
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The Russians love their war heroes, so it should not be a surprise to any visitor to Moscow to find a plethora of plaques, statues and busts dedicated to heroic soldiers, generals, marshalls and tacticians who helped the Soviet army defeat Nazi Germany. One of the most prominent such statues is the one dedicated to Marshall Zhukov, which stands in Manezhnaya Square, just in front of the Moscow State Historical Museum. It was erected in 1995 to mark 50 years since the Soviet victory over the Nazis, and was sculpted by Vyacheslav Klykov. It's a very interesting statue, and not just for those who are history buffs. On first glance it just appears to be a rider on a horse, but it requires a close up, in depth view of the statue to really take in the intricacy of the entire piece, including the symbolism of the various objects under Zhukov's horse.

Written Jul 15, 2008

Address: Manezhnaya Square

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Cathedral of the Kazan Icons
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mikey_e 1557 reviews
Sobor Kazanskykh ikoney
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The Cathedral of the Kazan Icons of the Mother of God (Sobor Kazanskikh Ikoney Bozhiey Materi) is a second church in Red Square, decided smaller but no less impressive than St. Basil's. It is tucked away next to GUM and on the opposite side of the Square from Lenin's Tomb, and has a spectacular combination of a gold dome and innumerable (probably something like 16) arched vaults that pile on top of the entrance to the Church. The interior is equally awe-inspiring, as it contains many, many icons, both new and old, that highlight the beauty and intricacy of Russian iconography. The Church is in fact quite small, and can get a bit crowded at time (not because of tourists, but because of the faithful). I have particularly vivid memories of the Church during Mass. It was packed out the door and the incense was quite thick. The small interior helps to ensure that the mass sung reverberates and fills your ears (as do the many speakers that broadcast mass to the Square and surrounding streets). Remember that Orthodox churches have fairly strict dress rules, as men should have at least short sleeves and slacks and women should be in skirts and have their heads covered.

Written Jul 14, 2008

Address: Nikolskaya, 3

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Alexandrovsky Garden
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mikey_e 1557 reviews
Monument for the fallen
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Alexandrovsky Garden is just off of Manezhnaya Ploshchad, but it really is a delightful green spot in central Moscow that really shouldn't be missed. Of course, it's only green spring through fall, which probably means half of the year. More than just the ability to stroll and escape the traffic, noise and pollution of central Moscow, the garden also allows you to reflect on the enormous sacrifices made by the Russian nation during the Second World War. The entrance to the Garden from Manezhnaya is actually a memorial to the soldiers and civilians killed, with an eternal flame, and the names of the cities that came under seige and either successfully resisted the Nazi onslaught or heroically survived Nazi occupation. Don't be surprised if you find lots of Russians taking snapshots of themselves or their friends in front of a city's name.

Written Jul 14, 2008

Address: Alexandrovsky Sad

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St. Basil's Cathedral
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mikey_e 1557 reviews
Mike below St. Basil's
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St. Basil's Cathedral, or Khram Velikogo Vasiliy, is perhaps the icon of Moscow. It's onion-shaped, multicoloured domes are recognizable to anyone and everyone who has ever played Tetris. Thanks to a reprieve from Stalin, who originally contemplated leveling the beautiful building when he was making room for the Victory Day parade ground after the Second World War, this is one of the few massive Christian monuments to have survived the Soviet period in all its splendour.

We didn't actually enter the Cathedral, as we couldn't quite figure out if it was open to the public, but we did get plenty of shots in front of and behind it. One of the best ways of getting a picture of the Cathedral is to come from below, on the street that goes past Gostinniy Dvor and the English Court (ulitsa Varvarka). This will allow you to get great perspectives of the domes and the structure. You have to be a bit farther back to get something similar when in Red Square, but you can take a few nice snapshots of the memorial in front of the Cathedral from close up.

Written Jul 14, 2008

Address: Red Square

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Lenin's Tomb
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mikey_e 1557 reviews
Mike in front of Lenin's Tomb
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No visit to Moscow is complete without a visit to Lenin's Tomb, where visitors can file past the long-deceased founder of the Soviet Union and contemplate his embalmed body for a few moments. The procedure for getting into the tomb is slightly complicated, as you must first drop off your bags and any photographic equipment at a coat check in the National Historical Museum and then pass through metal detectors on your way onto the path into the Mausoleum. You are not allowed to talk when inside the actual building, and the soldiers, despite being young and baby-faced, make no bones about telling you to shut-up. Lenin's Tomb is much more, however, than just filing past his body. It is also a chance to walk through a small garden than houses the busts and plaques dedicated to the soldiers, generals and politicians who were featured prominently throughout Soviet history. It is also a chance to understand just how much the entire Soviet military apparatus is still revered in Russia, almost twenty years since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Written Jul 13, 2008

Address: Inside Red Square

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Red Square/ Kremlin
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Ihtiandra 34 reviews

Please, do curry a valid passport with registration in it with you, when you walk around Red Sq./ Kremlin.
Do not put hands in your pockets when visiting Lenin's mausoleum. The security might think that you have a gun there.
Go to GUM, the huge shopping centre next to Kremlin/ there is a lot to buy and to eat.
More shopping could be found under Manezhnaya Square (there is another big shopping centre.)

Updated Jun 18, 2008

Address: Red Square

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Changing of the Guards
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MikeAtSea 2923 reviews
Changing of the Guards
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Following the Kremlin wall away from the Moskwa River one can observe the changing of the Russian guards. It is situated next to the monument of the fallen soldiers and has a permanent guard honouring the monument.

Written Apr 7, 2008

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Alexandrovskij Sad/Garden
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bijo69 920 reviews
eternal flame
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The Alexandrvskij Garden runs alongside the Western wall of the Kremlin and was the first public park in Moscow. It's not really large, but still a very nice place for a stroll.
Inside the park you'll find the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with the eternal flame. The changing of the guards here takes place every hour.

Written Jan 20, 2008

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Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
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tim07 807 reviews

Situated at the north end of Alexandrovsky Garden on the western wall of the Kremlin is where you'll find the tomb. It's a national pilgrimage spot, I saw newlyweds there laying flowers & having their pictures taken. The tomb contains the remains of one soldier who died in December 1941. There is an eternal flame here & other inscriptions listing the Soviet hero cities of WWII. The changing of the guard happens every hour.

Updated Jan 12, 2008

Address: Near to the Corner Arsenal Tower

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Okhotny Ryad
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brazwhazz 429 reviews
View from above
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Okhotny Ryad (Hunting Row) is an underground shopping mall whose existence can only be guessed by the series of half-domes and balustrades at ground level. It is just as worthy a visit as is the famous, and much older, GUM shopping centre on the other side of the Resurrection Gate.

The outside space is very attractive, while the inside looks like a typical multi-storey shopping mall from North America (our very own Eaton Centre in Montreal came to mind), only with more ornate elements such as statues and, of course, the half-domes. At the lower level, there is a busy, but good, food court.

Updated Nov 25, 2007

Address: Manezhnaya Ploshchad

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Red Sq. - Kremlin area/Manezhnaya Sq.

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