Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
139
200 rubles. Taking photos is forbidden inside the Armory and Cathedrals. Bag check
(downstairs beneath the ticket offices) costs 50 rubles if you leave a backpack, double if you
leave a camera or video camera.
Tip:
If you plan to visit Lenin's Mausoleum (see below),
do so before reclaiming your bags. The Kremlin is open to visitors Friday through Wednes-
day from 10am to 5pm unless there's a special event, as noted above. Armory admission
times are limited; see above for details. The closest metro stops are Okhotny Ryad and
Biblioteka Imeni Lenina.
Guided tours can be booked between 10am and 5pm at
&
495/203-0349
or
495/
203-4422.
2
AROUND RED SQUARE
Red Square
(Krasnaya Ploshchad) One of the world's most recognizable
public spaces, Red Square is as impressive in reality as it is on-screen. Its uneven surface
leads to a rounded peak at the center, from which Moscow unfurls on all sides. The
square was already famous by 1434, when it was dubbed “Trading Square.” Its current
name appeared in the 1660s, when the word
krasnaya
meant “beautiful” or “important”
as well as “red.” The name took on different connotations in the 20th century, when the
red flag-bearing Communists staged massive parades and demonstrations on the aptly
titled square. Tanks no longer roll over its cobblestones on Soviet holidays, but the square
still hosts big parades and the occasional rock concert. The best way to enter is through
Resurrection Gates, next to the History Museum. Before heading to St. Basil's Cathedral,
note the other two churches on the square: Kazan Cathedral in the northeast corner (a
1990s reproduction of a 17th-c. church), and the new and rather kitschy Gate Church
of the Iberian Virgin beneath Resurrection Gates. On the last Saturday of every month,
you can see the changing of the guard. Watching the sun rise or set over the landmark
square is unforgettable, especially during the long days of summer.
Red Square (Krasnaya Ploshchad). No phone. Free admission. Metro: Ploshchad Revolutsii or Okhotny Ryad.
7
St. Basil's Cathedral
(Khram Vasiliya Blazhennogo or Pokrovsky Sobor) The
geometric domes and vivid tones of this 16th-century cathedral are almost garish up
close, but they perfectly complement the solid red brick of the Kremlin wall and the gray
cobblestones of Red Square. The church was built to honor the victory over Mongol
Tatars in 1555, and legend has it that Ivan the Terrible had its architect's eyes poked out
to keep him from making anything to rival Moscow's “stone flower.” Inside, the cathedral
is more reminiscent of the Middle Ages. The church lacks one large chapel, instead hous-
ing several dim and chilly sanctuaries reached by climbing deep and treacherously worn
stairs and wandering through narrow, winding passages. Literature about the different
chapels and niches is surprisingly limited, though vendors offer icons and souvenirs. St.
Impressions
The streets teemed with spectators, some coming out of their houses to watch the
extraordinary spectacle, others moved to indignation or even pity.
-Jacob Reitenfelts, nephew of the czar's doctor, describing the execution
of revolutionary Stepan Razin in front of St. Basil's in 1671
