Moscow’s main plaza has a history almost as long as the city. Originally called Great Market (Veliky Torg), then Trinity Square (Troitskaya) and later Pozhar, it was renamed Red Square in the mid-17th century. Its Russian name Krasnaya means both red and beautiful. This view from St. Basil’s Cathedral orients you to the landmarks encircling this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Along the eastern Kremlin Wall (left to right) are: Senate (Senatskaya) Tower, St. Nicholas (Nikolskaya) Tower and Corner Arsenal (Uglovaya Arsenalanya) Tower. At the base of the wall is Lenin’s Mausoleum. The red building in the center is the State Historical Museum and on the right is GUM Department Store. In the foreground is the monument to Kozma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky. These heroes liberated the Kremlin from the Polish-Lithuanian enemy in 1612. They were immortalized in bronze by Ivan Martos in 1818.
