The World's Most Famous Square

The Red Square is the center of Moscow. It separates the Kremlin from the merchant neighborhood Kitai Gorod (Chinatown) and was originally called Pozhar (burnt-out place) due to its abundance of fire-prone wooden buildings. Moscow’s most important streets start from the Red Square area and extend in a spider-web of avenues, making it truly the hub of the city.

The name “Red Square” is derived neither from the color of the Kremlin walls nor from the link to the Soviet era. The name came from the Russian word krasnaya which means "beautiful" in the older, classical version of the language. The name was originally used to describe St. Basil's Cathedral on this square.

During World War II, while German forces waited 60 miles outside the Kremlin, Stalin ordered an official parade in celebration of the Communist revolution of 1917. Russian troops were brought in from the battlefields to march in the Red Square, and every year since then, the Red Square hosts the official "victory parade." In 2005 it celebrated the 60th anniversary of victory over the Nazis with official guests from countries that participated in World War II, making it the largest gathering of world leaders in history.