# Travel >> Destinations >> Other Destinations

Red Square, Moscow: The 7 Iconic Landmarks You Must See

Red Square (Krasnaya Ploshchad) is the historic and symbolic heart of Moscow—and Russia. This UNESCO World Heritage site concentrates centuries of power, faith, and art into one vast cobblestone expanse.

The Seven Pillars of Red Square

Saint Basil's Cathedral (Pokrovsky Sobor): The icon. 1555–1561. Nine onion domes, kaleidoscopic colors. Built by Ivan the Terrible to commemorate Kazan conquest. Not the Kremlin. Now a museum; services occasional.
The Moscow Kremlin: The fortress (kreml = citadel). 2.2 km walls, 20 towers. Official residence of the President. Inside: Grand Kremlin Palace, Armoury Chamber (Fabergé eggs, Diamond Fund), Cathedral Square (Assumption, Annunciation, Archangel Cathedrals), Ivan the Great Bell Tower. Separate tickets.
Lenin's Mausoleum: Granite ziggurat (1930, Shchusev). Embalmed body of Vladimir Lenin (d. 1924). Visiting: Tue/Wed/Thu/Sat/Sun 10am–1pm (check current). Free. Strict decorum: no photos, hats off, silence, bags in lockers.
GUM Department Store: Historic luxury arcade (1893, Pomerantsev). Glass-roofed, three parallel galleries. High-end boutiques, Soviet-era Gastronom №1 (famous ice cream, pastries), cafes. Facade faces the Square.
Kazan Cathedral (Our Lady of Kazan): 1630s (rebuilt 1993 after 1936 demolition). Commemorates repelling Polish invasion (1612). Icon of Our Lady of Kazan (venerated copy). Active Russian Orthodox church.
State Historical Museum: Red-brick neo-Russian palace (1875–1883). Millions of artifacts: archaeology, icons, Romanov treasures, Shchukin/Morozov collections. Sweeps from Stone Age to 1917. Allow 2–3 hours.
Lobnoye Mesto ("Forehead Place"): Circular stone platform (16th c.). Not an execution block. Used for: Tsar's proclamations, heir presentations, religious ceremonies, public readings. Symbolic "naval" of Moscow.

Practical Tips

Entry to Square: Free. Security screening (bags, magnetometer) at all entrances.
Best Light: Early morning (few crowds, gold on domes) or evening (illuminated).
Metro: Okhotny Ryad (Line 1) / Teatralnaya (Line 2) / Ploshchad Revolyutsii (Line 3) — all exit onto/near Square.
Combine: Kremlin (morning), St. Basil's (midday), GUM lunch, History Museum (afternoon).