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UNESCO World Heritage Site The Kremlin and Red Square, Moscow
Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List
View from St. Basil's Cathedral
View of Red Square looking northwest from St. Basil's Cathedral
Type Cultural
Criteria i, ii, iv, vi
Reference 545
UNESCO region Russia
Inscription history
Inscription 1991 (14th Session)
Red Square (Russian: Красная площадь, tr. Krásnaya Plóshchaď; IPA: [ˈkrasnəjə ˈploɕːətʲ]) is a city square (plaza) in Moscow, Russia. It separates the Kremlin, the former royal citadel and currently the official residence of the President of Russia, from a historic merchant quarter known as Kitai-gorod. Red Square is often considered the central square of Moscow, because Moscow's major streets—which connect to Russia's major highways—originate from the square.
Contents
1 Origin and name
2 History
2.1 Before the 18th century
2.2 18th century
2.3 19th and early 20th centuries
2.4 Modern era
3 Main sights
4 World Heritage Listing
5 See also
6 Sources
7 References
8 External links
Origin and name
The name Red Square does not originate from the pigment of the surrounding bricks (which, in fact, were whitewashed at certain times in history) nor from the link between the color red and communism. Rather, the name came about because the Russian word красная (krasnaya) can mean either "red" or "beautiful" (the latter being rather archaic; cf. прекрасная, prekrasnaya). This word, with the meaning "beautiful", was originally applied to Saint Basil's Cathedral and was subsequently transferred to the nearby square. It is believed that the square acquired its current name (replacing the older Pozhar, or "burnt-out place") in the 17th century. Several ancient Russian towns, such as Suzdal, Yelets, and Pereslavl-Zalessky, have their main square named Krasnaya ploshchad.
History
The rich history of Red Square is reflected in many paintings by Vasily Surikov, Konstantin Yuon and others. The square was meant to be a place to hold balls. It was also the site of various public ceremonies and proclamations, and occasionally a coronation for Russia's Tsars would take place. The square has been gradually built up since that point and has been used for official ceremonies by all Russian governments since it was established.