Why is the main square of the country called red. Why is the red square called red

Red Square is called Red Square, we must refer to its history, as well as the peculiarities of the use of the adjective "red". It did not always mean "beautiful", but could indicate the significance of the place.

The territory of Red Square occupies more than 7 hectares. Its borders are St. Basil's Cathedral, the Historical Museum built in the 19th century with the Resurrection Gates, GUM and the Kremlin wall.

In the decades preceding the first mention in the annals of the future capital, peasant arable land could be seen on the site of the modern square. Later, on part of its territory there was residential development of Muscovites.

In the second half of the 14th century, after the construction of the white walls of the Kremlin by Dmitry Donskoy, the territory of the shopping malls near the eastern wall was formed, which approximately corresponded to the modern Red Square.

In the XV - XVII centuries this place is mentioned in the sources as Torg. Here, as the name implies, trade was conducted, and punishments were also carried out. Another name for the place is Fire. This word in Russia was used for trading places in other cities. The fire could mean a place free from buildings.

Since the 17th century, the square has been called the Red Square. Since that time, it has acquired city-wide significance as a trading place. The adjective "red" could mean "chief". The red corner of the hut, where the icons were placed, had a similar meaning. The main thing - the window of the hut was also called red, and the bench under it - the red bench.

The convicts were executed at the moat of Red Square. During the time of Ivan IV, there were 14 small churches made of wood "on the bones" of the executed.

Under Peter I, the New Year was magnificently celebrated on the square, meeting on January 1, 1700. The tsar also tried to build a theater on the square - in 1703 they completed a long wooden building that could accommodate 500 spectators. Muscovites quickly got tired of the new entertainment, and in 1706 the performances stopped. The building was partially dismantled, and in 1737 it burned down.

But the main purpose of the place in the 16th - 18th centuries was hand trade. Foreign travelers marked Red Square as the best market in Moscow. In the 18th century, a library appeared here, where bookstores were set up, and a coffee house. During the time of Boris Godunov, covered shopping arcades were erected on the main square of the capital. They were destroyed by the infamous fire of 1812.

After the restoration of Moscow after the departure of the French, the space of the square was cleared. Three years after the war, the construction of a new facade of the malls was completed, which included 32 stone buildings. Trees were planted near the wall and a place for walking was organized. On the site of the filled-in ditch, a passage was made, which is now called the Kremlin.

Red Square acquired its modern architectural appearance for several centuries. At the beginning of the 16th century, a defensive moat with water was laid around the Kremlin. By the end of the century, it lost its military significance, and a menagerie was set up in it.

Around 1600, a stone place of execution was built on Red Square. From the north, the space of the square was limited by the wall of Kitay-gorod, which had a gate, from the south - the Pokrovsky Cathedral (St. Basil's Cathedral). In the west there was a fortress wall, in the east there were trading rows.

At the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries, the appearance of the northern part of the square changed. The buildings of the Zemsky order and the Mint were built there. Then the former premises of the Zemsky Prikaz were transferred to the Main Moscow Pharmacy, and later, under Elizaveta Petrovna, to the university.

A few years after the war with Napoleon, a monument to the heroes of the 17th century, Minin and Pozharsky, was erected near the shopping arcade. In 1875 - 1883 the former Zemsky order was replaced by the majestic building of the Historical Museum. In the 1890s, the former trading rows were replaced by new stone buildings of the Lower and Upper trading rows.

The Soviet era left its monuments here. Among them is the necropolis of Soviet revolutionaries and party workers. In 1924, the first temporary Mausoleum of Vladimir Lenin appeared near the Kremlin wall, and six years later a permanent one was installed, which still stands today. The monument to the heroes of the Second Militia was considered a hindrance to parades and was moved closer to the Intercession Cathedral, where it is now located.

Events that took place on Red Square

Red Square is located in the very heart of our country - in the capital and next to the residence of the rulers of Russia during the times of the Moscow State, the Russian Empire (under Peter II), the USSR and modern Russia. Therefore, a number of significant (and not always glorious) events took place here:

In 1698, some of the captured rebel archers were executed here. The famous painting by V.I. Surikov depicts the execution of archers on Red Square. But in reality, archers were executed not only there, but also in other parts of the capital.
On November 7, 1941, at the height of the battle for Moscow, a military parade was held on Red Square. They were commanded by General Pavel Artemiev, commander of the Moscow District. The parade was hosted by Marshal Semyon Budyonny.
On June 24, 1945, the Victory Parade took place here. The leadership of his organization was again entrusted to General Pavel Artemiev. Marshals Konstantin Rokossovsky and Georgy Zhukov commanded and received the parade.
In 1987, German amateur pilot Matthias Rust landed in Moscow on the Bolshoi Moskvoretsky Bridge. Rust's plane coasted to the Pokrovsky Cathedral.

To understand why Red Square is called Red Square, you need to remember that this is not the only toponym with this name. There are red squares in other cities as well. The memorable name emphasizes the importance of the square as a public and commercial center of the city. That is how it was for Moscow over the centuries of its history.

Red Square is the main square of Moscow and one of the main symbols of Russia. Thousands of tourists from all over the world visit this famous place every year. So why...

the Red Square- the main square of Moscow and one of the main symbols of Russia. Thousands of tourists from all over the world visit this famous place every year. So why is Red Square called "red"?

There are several opinions on this subject, and in order to cover them all, you will have to make a brief digression into the history of this place.

The appearance of the red square

Red Square appeared in Moscow in the distant XV century. It was then, in 1493, by the personal decree of Grand Duke Ivan III, all the buildings on the territory adjacent to the Kremlin were demolished. This was done for fire safety reasons, because most of the buildings of that time, including the Kremlin itself, were wooden, and fires in the capital happened very often.

The cleared area quickly turned into a busy shopping area and was originally called Trinity Square because of its close proximity to the Church of the Holy Trinity (in its place is now St. Basil's Cathedral).

But numerous shopping arcades were also made of wood, and it was not possible to completely remove the threat of fires from the Kremlin. Subsequently, the area began to be called the Fire.

Due to its central location, Pozhar quickly became the city's main square. Important royal decrees were announced here, public executions and festivities, coronations of kings and receptions of foreign ambassadors were regularly held.

The rebellious ataman Stepan Razin was executed on this square, and here in 1612 Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky headed the people's militia.

First version - Main Square

The modern name "Red Square" was first mentioned in the official chronicle already in the 8th century. At that time, the word "red" had several interpretations. In addition to designating color, the word "red" was often used to mean "central", "main", "leading". For example, the expression “red corner” that came down from those times meant the best corner in the hut, adorned with icons.

Second version - Beautiful Square

Many may recall another meaning of the word "red" - beautiful. The words "red girl" can still often be heard in relation to a beautiful young girl.

However, in this interpretation, the word "red" is hardly related to Red Square. Indeed, in those distant times, Red Square, although it was a significant and popular place, could not boast of any special beauty and was, in fact, a large expanse of trampled land.

Even brickwork, harmonious proportions and a well-groomed appearance were acquired only in the 19th-20th centuries.

The third version is the October Revolution

People who care about revolutionary ideals tried to deduce the origin of the name "Red Square" from the main color of the October Revolution and the color of the flag of the Soviet state. But this version is clearly erroneous, because it is known for certain that the main square of Moscow was called “red” long before the events of 1917.

What did historians decide?

Most researchers and historians are inclined to believe that Red Square got its name because for many centuries it remained the most important, important and significant square in the life of Moscow.

There are several opinions about this. One of them: "Red" means "beautiful". Another opinion is shared by people who are close to revolutionary ideals, and they deduce the name of Red Square from the color: red is a symbol of the republic; red banner - Red Square. Still others argue that Red Square got its name from the shopping malls, which were many in ancient times and were called red. Painting by the artist F. Ya. Alekseev - Red Square in Moscow (1801)

For the first time, the name "Red Square" appears in historical documents from the 18th century, so its name has nothing to do with the revolutionary events of the early 20th century. Yes, and the version of the trading rows does not find many supporters. The fact is that not all trading rows were called red, but only those that traded in fabrics. But there were no such malls on Red Square.

Most historians still agree on one thing: this square is called Red because it has always been the most beautiful, largest and most important in the life of Moscow.

In the Old Russian language, the word "red" was used when talking about something beautiful, better. Until now, everyone is familiar with such expressions as "red girl" - a beautiful girl, "red corner" - the best corner in the hut, adorned with icons.

Red Square appeared at the end of the 15th century, or rather, in 1493, when Grand Duke Ivan III ordered the demolition of wooden buildings around the Kremlin. They often burned and posed a great danger. Since then, this territory on the eastern side of the Kremlin has become a trading area. Over time, large beautiful buildings were built around it, and it began to be called Trinity Square after the name of the Church of the Holy Trinity, which stood on the site where St. Basil's Cathedral is now located.

But the danger of fires has not disappeared. After all, the malls and many buildings surrounding the square were also wooden and continued to burn. Therefore, this area later became known as Pozhar. Gradually, it became the main square of Moscow and the most crowded. Here the rebels gathered people dissatisfied with the authorities, here the great princes of Moscow, and later the tsars, carried out reprisals against the rebels. On Red Square, royal decrees were read out, boyars gathered to resolve state issues. Various events related to the coronation of kings were held on Red Square, soldiers returned here to celebrate the victory. So, in 1612, Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky entered here, on Red Square, at the head of the people's militia. Since those ancient times, Red Square has remained the most important and beautiful square in Moscow.

1927 The square is still without paving stones - it will appear between 1930-1931, when the second wooden mausoleum of Lenin will be replaced with reinforced concrete with granite facing. There is also no central tribune on the Mausoleum; before that, Soviet leaders stood on a small tribune on the side. The column with loudspeakers is a remnant of the tram line, which was built here in 1909.

The Red Square - an old city square located under the walls of the Kremlin on the historical territory and deserved the glory of the main square of Moscow.

Possessing a unique architectural ensemble, Red Square has become one of the key sights of the capital and, together with the Moscow Kremlin, was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Her images are widely replicated on postcards, calendars and souvenirs, and a walk around the square has become a must-have item in the program of any tourist. In addition, it borders or has access to a number of other city attractions: pedestrian, Varvarka, Ilyinka and Birzhevaya Square, being the center of tourist routes.

Modern Red Square is a huge pedestrian space stretching along the northeastern wall of the Kremlin. The square is completely paved with Crimean dolerite paving stones and is used for walks by citizens and tourists, as well as large public events: parades, concerts and festivals.

Architectural ensemble

A huge building stretches along the eastern side of the square - a unique monument of pseudo-Russian architecture, the facades of which amaze with an abundance of decorative elements borrowed from Russian patterns. Next to it, from the side of Vasilevsky Descent, there are the Middle Trading Rows, built in the same style. In the northern and southern parts of the square there are also (St. Basil's Cathedral): located opposite each other, they close the perspective of the square on both sides and look like spectacular completions of a long "corridor" formed by the Upper shopping arcade and the Kremlin wall. Also overlooking the square, and the building of the Provincial Government.

Attention is drawn to the similarity of the architectural appearance of the Upper and Middle Trading Rows with the building of the Historical Museum: these 3 buildings were built according to the projects of different architects, but the main condition for the construction was that their appearance correspond to the historical environment. The building of the Historical Museum was built first (1875-1881, architect Vladimir Shervud), and a little later - in 1889-1893 - the Upper (architect Alexander Pomerantsev) and Middle (architect Roman Klein) shopping arcades. Thus, these 3 buildings make up a single pseudo-Russian ensemble and echo each other with a set of similar decorative elements.

The Kremlin wall with towers runs along the western side of the square: , and . Behind the wall you can see the dome of the Senate Palace of the Kremlin, and right in front of it - the necropolis and the Mausoleum of Vladimir Lenin.

Among other things, in the southern part of Red Square, near St. Basil's Cathedral, are located - the main city tribune, from which in the past the most important royal decrees and decisions were announced - and.

Necropolis near the Kremlin wall

A significant part of Red Square is occupied by a necropolis located near the Kremlin wall - a memorial cemetery where state, party and military leaders of the USSR, participants in the October Revolution of 1917 and some foreign communist revolutionaries are buried. At the same time, the wall itself was adapted for a columbarium for urns with ashes.

In the center of the necropolis is the Mausoleum of V.I. Lenin - a small stepped building, inside which is a sarcophagus with the embalmed body of Vladimir Lenin.

The first burials near the Kremlin wall appeared in November 1917, when two 75-meter mass graves were dug here for the supporters of the Bolsheviks who fell during the October armed uprising, in which 238 bodies were buried. In total, more than 400 people were buried here during the years of operation of the cemetery; 300 of them rest in mass graves, 114 were cremated, and the urns with their ashes were immured in the Kremlin wall, 12 people were awarded separate graves. The last burial on Red Square took place in 1985: Konstantin Chernenko was buried here. Among others, Joseph Stalin, Felix Dzerzhinsky, Semyon Budyonny, Leonid Brezhnev, Yuri Andropov and other high-ranking Soviet figures are buried here.

Since 1974, the Necropolis near the Kremlin wall has been protected by the state as a cultural monument.

Why is Red Square so called?

Many tourists and even citizens are intrigued by the question of how Red Square got its name; some try to associate it with the color of the Kremlin wall or the facades of the Historical Museum, others weave in communist symbols, although the square got its name long before the invention of communism.

In fact, to call the Red Steel Square since 1661 without any special prerequisites for the appearance of such a name, that is, its origin is artificial. Most likely, the idea to call the Red Square belongs to Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich; what motives he was guided by is unknown, but it is generally accepted that the word "Red" was used in the meaning of "beautiful" and did not refer to the color of any buildings.

Prior to that, the square was called the Fire, since its space burned out during the city fire of 1493, and the Market - because there were trading rows behind the square, and to some extent it was considered part of their territory. During the time of Ivan the Terrible, it was also called the Great Square.

History of Red Square

Red Square actually owes its appearance to the city fire of 1493. During the reign of Ivan III, when the Kremlin began to be rebuilt, Veliky Posad and Torg were located to the northeast of it. The building was quite dense and almost fit under the new Kremlin wall, but during the fire of 1493, the space between the Market and the wall burned out. After that, it was decided to leave a 110 sazhen (~ 234 meter) wide open area along the wall, and a huge area was formed on the site of the burned-out building, which they began to call Pozhar.

Nevertheless, the square remained a trade area and in the 16th century actually consisted of 3 parts, separated by paving streets: Nikolskaya, Varvarka and Ilyinka, which started from the Kremlin towers. To prevent the Torg from growing over the entire territory of the square, at the end of the 16th century, a number of stone shops were built along its border, which outlined the eastern border of the square and, separated by streets, formed 3 shopping districts: Upper, Middle and Lower trading rows. The shops were made in the form of the same type of one- and two-story buildings, united by arcades - later this became a characteristic technique in the construction of commercial buildings in Russia.

In 1535-1538, the Kitaigorod wall was built, a section of which with the Resurrection Gates limited the area from the north, and in the southern part of the square, called Vzlobye, in 1555-1561, the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos was built on the Moat (St. Basil's Cathedral).

Thus, in the 17th century, Red Square actually had a modern layout: from the north it was limited by the Kitay-Gorod wall, from the south - by St. Basil's Cathedral, from the west - along the Kremlin wall, and the eastern border was delineated by shopping malls.

Kremlin award: 17th century plan of Moscow showing the territory of Red Square

Although the area remained free from capital development, small trading shops nevertheless appeared on it, and it retained its market character for a long time.

In the 19th and 20th centuries, Red Square got even closer to its usual appearance. In 1814, the Alevizov ditch was dug up, and in 1818 a monument to national heroes was erected in front of the Upper Trading Rows - citizen Minin and Prince Pozharsky; later, already in the second half of the 19th century, the modern buildings of the Upper Trading Rows and the Historical Museum appeared. In 1909, trams were launched along Red Square, right along the Kremlin wall.

Photo: Red Square panorama, 1895-1903, pastvu.com

The Soviet years threatened the square with almost destruction: the General Plan for the Development of Moscow in 1935 provided for the demolition of the Upper Trading Rows and the construction of the Narkomtyazhprom skyscraper in their place with a complete reconstruction of the adjacent quarters, ideas were repeatedly expressed about the demolition of the Intercession Cathedral and the Historical Museum, but none of these plans realized.

It can be said that, compared to what was planned, Red Square "got off with a slight fright": in the 1930s, the Kazan Cathedral and the Resurrection Gates of Kitai-Gorod (together with the Kitai-Gorod Wall) were demolished, and the monument to Minin and Pozharsky was moved from its former place in the center of the square to Intercession Cathedral. A necropolis with a Mausoleum was built under the Kremlin wall, which was subsequently reconstructed several times. The tram line also ceased to exist: in 1930 it was completely dismantled. The rest of the architectural ensemble of Red Square was preserved.

After the collapse of the USSR, the Resurrection Gates of Kitay-Gorod and the Kazan Cathedral were restored.

Holidays and parades

Red Square over the long years of its history has become one of the most popular places for city celebrations and parades, and this tradition has been established since the 17th century, when a procession on a donkey passed through the square: an Orthodox rite held on Palm Sunday and symbolizing the entry of the Lord into Jerusalem.

The tradition of holding military parades on Red Square appeared already in Soviet times: parades with the participation of military equipment began to be held on May 1 and November 7 - in honor of the International Workers' Solidarity Day and the anniversary of the October Revolution. Later, the Victory Parade was added to them: for the first time it took place on June 24, 1945, and was subsequently held on May 9 - on Victory Day. Today, 2 military parades are held annually on Red Square: the Victory Parade on May 9 and the parade on November 7, dedicated to the historical military parade on November 7, 1941, held during the Battle of Moscow.

After the parade on November 7, an exhibition of military equipment of the Great Patriotic War usually takes place on Red Square.

In addition to military parades, city holidays and festivals are regularly held on Red Square: for example, the Spasskaya Tower military music festival or the Red Square book festival, and in winter, the GUM Skating Rink and the GUM Fair appear in front of the GUM building.

Red Square is the largest square in Moscow! Its area is as much as 7.5 hectares.

Under Ivan the Terrible, the first Moscow zoo actually appeared on Red Square: the section of the Alevizov moat near the Resurrection Gate was drained, and lions presented to the tsar by the British were kept in it. And under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, they also kept an elephant donated by the Persian Shah. True, they didn’t know how to take care of elephants in Russia at that time (it was the first Russian elephant), so with the onset of cold weather, he suddenly! - died.

The place of execution has never been a place of executions. Sometimes executions took place on Red Square (for example, after the Streltsy rebellion), but special wooden platforms were erected for this; from the Execution Ground, decrees about them could only be announced. However, there was one exception: in 1682, directly at the Execution Ground, on the orders of Princess Sophia, they cut off the head of the priest Nikita Pustosvyat, an opponent of the church reforms of Patriarch Nikon.

The Tsar Cannon, cast in 1586 by master Andrei Chokhov, was originally installed at the Execution Ground to make the royal tribune more impressive and symbolically guard the Intercession Cathedral and the Spassky Gate. In the 18th century, it was moved inside the Kremlin and installed at the Arsenal, then moved to the Armory. The gun took its modern place only in 1960.

The square was first covered with cobblestones in 1804.

The necropolis near the Kremlin wall is constantly becoming a subject of controversy: many citizens do not like the cemetery on the main city square, and they propose to move it to another place - however, to no avail. Surprisingly, for the first time this topic was raised back in 1953: then in Moscow they planned to build the Pantheon - a memorial tomb for prominent Soviet figures, where it was proposed to transfer burial places from Red Square, including Lenin's body. However, the project was not implemented.

Since December 2006, a GUM skating rink has been opened every year in front of the GUM building.

It may seem absurd, but Red Square is closed at night. The opening hours of the square are unknown and are not written anywhere at the entrance to it, this should be accepted as a fact.

Today, Red Square remains one of the most popular sights of Moscow, its heart, and this is quite natural: after all, it is considered the main square not only of the capital, but of all of Russia! Surrounded by bright architectural monuments, it has become one of the recognizable symbols of our country: coming to Moscow and not visiting Red Square is nonsense for any tourist.

The townspeople also like it: after all, who doesn’t want to listen to the chime of the chimes at least occasionally, right? ;)

the Red Square located in the Tverskoy district of Moscow. It can be reached on foot from metro stations. "Okhotny Ryad" Sokolnicheskaya line, "Revolution square" Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya and "Theatrical" Zamoskvoretskaya.

There are several opinions about this. One of them: "Red" means "beautiful". Another opinion is shared by people who are close to revolutionary ideals, and they deduce the name of Red Square from the color: red is a symbol of the republic; red banner - Red Square. Still others argue that Red Square got its name from the trading rows, which were many in ancient times and which were called red.

Painting by the artist F. Ya. Alekseev - Red Square in Moscow (1801)

Colorized lithograph from Panorama de Moscou (1848)

Most historians still agree on one thing: this square is called Red because it has always been the most beautiful, largest and most important in the life of Moscow.

View of Red Square (1884)

Apollinary Mikhailovich Vasnetsov - Red Square in the 2nd half of the 17th century (1925)

View of Red Square from the Historical Museum (1957)

The Red Square. Photo: David C. Cook (1969)

A sports plane of German citizen Matthias Rust landed on Red Square (1987)

Red Square in the rain (1990)

Red Square in winter (2002)

Red Square Victory Parade (2016)

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