Red Square

Where it is & how to get there

• Metro: Okhotny Ryad, Teatralnaya or Ploshchad Revolyutsii stations, then a 5-minute walk.
• Entrance: Enter through the Resurrection Gate by the State Historical Museum.
• Security: Bag checks at the entrances; large events can close the square.

The story of Red Square

The name comes from the old Russian word krasnaya, which once meant 'beautiful' as well as 'red'. Markets, festivals, proclamations and executions all happened here for centuries, right outside the Kremlin's red-brick walls.

Today the square is framed by the Kremlin, Lenin's Mausoleum, the red State Historical Museum, the small Kazan Cathedral, the GUM department store and the domes of St Basil's. Together with the Kremlin it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990.

Best time to visit

Tips before you go

• Come back after dark when everything is lit.
• Stand at Kilometre Zero by the Resurrection Gate, the point from which Russian road distances are measured.
• Walk through GUM for its glass roof and a famous ice-cream cone.
• Check opening days for the Mausoleum, which keeps short morning hours.

What's around Red Square

• St Basil's CathedralAt the southern end of the square.
• The KremlinBehind the red walls; enter from Alexander Garden.
• GUMHistoric shopping arcade along the eastern side.
• Zaryadye Park5-minute walk towards the river.

Questions travellers ask