In ancient times, the Neglinnaya River flowed at this place, near the northern wall of the Kremlin. It faithfully served the city; along its banks there were forges, mills, baths, and dams turned its bed in this place into a cascade of ponds. In winter we rode on the icy mountains here. But gradually Neglinka turned out to be a place for dumping sewage, and then at the beginning of the 19th century. she was one of the first to be taken into the pipe, so that Muscovites almost forgot about her. However, in the eighties, the king of Moscow reporters, Vladimir Alekseevich Gilyarovsky, came down there and dedicated the essay “The Secrets of Neglinka” to the underground journey, which caused a lot of noise. After this, the underground channel was cleaned. Today, a piece of this famous pipe can be seen from the Bolshoy Kamenny Bridge. The edge of the pipe, covered with a grid, precisely marks the mouth of the Neglinnaya, the place where it flows into the deep Moscow River.

Today we say Alexander's Garden, but once upon a time we said gardens, in the plural. However, even now, moving along the main axis of the Alexander Garden, you clearly feel that it consists of three parts: the Upper Garden (350 m long) from the Corner Arsenal Tower to the Trinity Bridge, the Middle Garden - from the Trinity to the Borovitskaya Tower (its length is 382 m) and the Lower Garden , the shortest (132m). The Upper Garden was the first to open to walkers, then the Middle Garden, and the last, in 1823. - Lower. Today the Lower Garden is closed to visitors, since there are no walking alleys, but gardeners look after it no less carefully, because it is one of the few green oases in the very center of Moscow, saturated with gasoline smoke. Along the walls of the Kremlin and Manezhnaya Square there are three alleys, between them there are well-groomed lawns, plantings of trees and shrubs, and flower beds.

But the Alexander Garden is not just a place for festivities. This is one of the most famous memorial parks in Moscow, designed to remind of a number of important events in Russian history.

The Alexander Garden was built by the will of the Russian Emperor Alexander I “the Blessed”, whose name after 1814. was largely associated with the deliverance of Europe from Napoleon. The Emperor made an order regarding the construction of gardens along the northern wall of the Kremlin while he was in Moscow in 1820, when everyone in the city still lived with one desire - to revive the mother throne after the Napoleonic fire and destruction. The architect Osip Ivanovich Bove, who began designing the garden, became forever famous among grateful Muscovites as one of the main designers of the new, post-fire Moscow. He headed the so-called “facade part” of the Commission for the Construction of Moscow, which was specially created for the revival of the city and over twenty years gave the city a new look for Red Square, Theater Square, the Boulevard Ring and much more. Therefore, it is deeply symbolic that the garden created in the very heart of Moscow, near the walls of the Kremlin, received memorial significance - in memory of the victory over Napoleon and as a sign of the revival of Moscow. And it received the name of the emperor who rode into Paris on a white horse at the head of an 80,000-strong allied army in the victorious March of 1814 - Alexander Garden. It is noteworthy that even the Soviet government, which tried in 1920? erasing everything connected with the names of the tsars from Russian toponymy did not encroach on the name of the Alexander Garden - it always remained as such.

For three years of work, from 1820 to 1823. An area of ​​almost 10 hectares was developed. In addition to the name itself, the memorial significance of the garden is reminiscent of the huge cast-iron gates on small wheels, made according to the drawings of the architect E. Pascal, which open the main entrance to the garden - from the Kremlinsky Proezd and the Historical Museum. The gate, filled with symbols of military triumph, now looks at the monument to the beloved national hero Marshal G.K. Zhukov (the work of sculptor V. Klykov), erected for the 50th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War. In itself, this looks symbolic, especially since this is not the first place in Moscow in which monuments to two Patriotic Wars, the First and the Great, have come together.

Towards Manezhnaya Square, the garden fence continues with a forged lattice, made according to the design of the outstanding architect of Empire Moscow F.M. Shestakova. An even more famous monument to the victory over Napoleon and at the same time a monument to the revival of Moscow after the great devastation and fire of 1812 was the “Ruins” grotto located on the main square of the Alexander Garden. However, today guides who bring groups of tourists here have to remind that the grotto is not only a decoration of the park - it is a reminder... The tradition of constructing decorative cave-grottoes (from the Italian word “grotto”) has indeed manifested itself in landscape architecture before, here special case. Take a closer look at the wings of the grotto; they are lined with the rubble of Moscow buildings destroyed by Napoleonic army. Despite the work of time, which has given these stones a rather “archaeological” appearance, pieces of trunks and capitals of columns and even the floral ornaments that decorate them are easily legible. So, before us appears a monument to the work of Muscovites, who revived their capital capital more beautiful than before, and to the personal creative zeal of the wonderful architect Osip Ivanovich Bove.

This central part of the Upper Garden has always attracted many walkers, and in the “Ruins” grotto itself, an orchestra once played - an integral element of the city gardens of former Russia. The Empire style, which permeates the appearance of the Alexander Garden, as well as post-fire Moscow itself, is characterized not only by a fascination with military emblems, which we find on the façade of the grotto and on the cast-iron gates. Empire style takes us to the era of antiquity, and this is precisely what explains the shape of a strange structure, usually painted green, near the middle alley of the Upper Garden, not far from the Trinity Bridge. Before us is a ventilation outlet of the Neglinnaya River flowing underground, stylized in the shape of an ancient altar! This is how the utilitarian and decorative were combined in the era of classical architecture. The architects consistently made sure that everything in the park was pleasing to the eye.

But it is not only the monument to Marshal Zhukov at the entrance to the Alexander Garden that reminds us of the last great war. In December 1966, when the country celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of the defeat of Nazi troops near Moscow, one of the main war memorials of the city, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, was built here. It is intended as a monument to all fallen soldiers, primarily those whose names remain unknown. The remains of one of these fighters, lying in a mass grave at the 41st kilometer of the Leningrad Highway, where the heaviest battles once took place, were solemnly transferred to the Kremlin wall and buried. The burial site is marked by a granite tombstone with a sculptural image of a laurel branch, a helmet and a banner, in the center of a red star located on top of the tombstone the Eternal Flame burns. Interestingly, it was lit from a torch brought from Leningrad, from the famous military memorial complex “Field of Mars”. This happened on May 8, 1967, when the memorial was inaugurated. The bronze inscription on the tombstone conveys the very idea of ​​the composition: “Your name is unknown, your feat is immortal.” A little further, along a specially paved alley, ten granite blocks were lined up, under which they placed soil brought from the hero cities. Their names are inscribed on the surface of the blocks: Leningrad, Kyiv, Volgograd, Odessa, Sevastopol, Minsk, Kerch, Novorossiysk, Tula, the hero-fortress of Brest.

It can be especially crowded on Victory Day, but at other times students, graduates of military schools, veterans, and official delegations come here as well. They lay flowers. Outside the gates of the Alexander Garden on weekends you can see processions of wedding cars. After all, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is one of the places that newlyweds from Moscow like to visit on their wedding day. A trait characteristic of a country that had to fight so much and lose so much. In 1997 By special presidential decree, the so-called Post No. 1, the main soldier’s post in the Russian Army, was transferred here from the mausoleum of V.I. Lenin.

The memorial significance of the Alexander Garden is not limited to the military theme. This place also turned out to be attractive for those wishing to perpetuate other events of Russian history. In the very center of the Upper Garden, on a site not far from the grotto, there is a unique monument that seems to have absorbed all the metamorphoses of Russian political history of the 20th century. It would be more accurate to say - two monuments, which, by the will of historical events, merged into one monument. We mean a tall gray tetrahedron obelisk with a pointed top that appeared in the Alexander Garden in 1914. His story is like this.

The 300th anniversary of the reign of the House of Romanov was approaching, and the Russians were preparing to celebrate it with special solemnity. A special role in the celebrations was given to Kostroma and Moscow, cities directly associated with the accession of Mikhail Romanov in 1613. On January 17, 1911, at a meeting of the Commission on the benefits and needs of the public in the Moscow City Council, the question of building a memorial obelisk in connection with the anniversary, modeled on the one in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, was raised. The following year a design competition was held. As a result of long debates, the commission finally chose the project of the architect S.A. Vlasyev, which received the second competitive prize. (The winning project of the competition turned out to be too expensive). The cost of the obelisk was almost 50 thousand rubles, a considerable amount at that time. At first they wanted to coincide the opening of the monument with the anniversary of February 21, 1913, the day when Mikhail Romanov was elected at the Council, then with the arrival of the imperial couple in Moscow at the end of May 1913, but, in the end, the tsar only got acquainted with the project in May, being in the City Duma and approved it. The ceremonial laying took place only on April 18 of the following year, 1914, and the monument was unveiled on July 10. Its official name was: Romanov Obelisk in memory of the 300th anniversary of the reign of the House of Romanov.

The obelisk was made of gray Finnish granite and crowned with a double-headed eagle, below which was the Romanov coat of arms - a lion with a shield and sword. Even lower were the names of the Romanovs and the coats of arms of the provinces and regions of the Russian Empire, as well as the coats of arms of the Grand Duchies. Initially it stood at the entrance to the Upper Garden.

But soon the February and then the October revolutions broke out one after another. In Russia, monuments to “the kings and their servants,” as it was called then, began to be demolished. At the suggestion of V.I. Lenin, they decided to leave the Romanov obelisk, but transform its content exactly the opposite. And so in 1918 The monarchical monument became revolutionary: in place of the names of the Romanovs, the names of revolutionary thinkers of all times and peoples were carved out, and the remaining attributes of the former government were eliminated. Traces of erased coats of arms are clearly visible on the surface of the current obelisk. In 1966, the monument was moved to the center of the Upper Garden, to the “Ruins” grotto, where it is now located.

And one more event has to do with the Alexander Garden. In 1872 The famous Polytechnic Exhibition was held here, where all the main achievements of technology, transport, and construction of those times were shown. It is from her that the Polytechnic Museum in our city originates. The opening of the exhibition was timed to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the birth of the patron of sciences, Emperor Peter I.

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The current Red Square arose at the end of the 15th century, or more precisely in 1493, when the auction was carried out outside the crowded Kremlin and when the decree of Ivan III ordered the demolition of wooden buildings around the Kremlin. Then a square for small trade was organized near the eastern Kremlin wall. At this time it was called Trinity after the Church of the Holy Trinity, which stood above the Moscow River on the site of the Intercession Cathedral (St. Basil's Cathedral).
Despite the constantly issued royal decrees prohibiting the development of the square, houses and large trading shops constantly appeared on it, which very often burned out. Therefore, the square also received the name “Fire”. However, at that time there was a different Red Square in Moscow. Moscow scientists based
archival documents proved that initially Red Square was located inside the Kremlin where Cathedral Square is now located. Execution Place was also located there. The Red Porch of the palace, recently restored by Kremlin restorers and architects, overlooked Red Square. In Old Russian and modern South Slavic languages, the word “red” means something good, important, ceremonial. "Red corner" in the hut (corner with icons), "red porch" the main entrance to the building. The following examples can be given as the opposite: “back door”, “back staircase”. Most likely, the interpretation of the name red as beautiful is not entirely correct, since the word “sculpted” existed for this. In ancient times, the color red was called red.
Only after the construction of the Intercession Cathedral (St. Basil's Cathedral) and the demolition of dilapidated fire-hazardous buildings along the Kremlin wall, the name was transferred to the current Red Square. The palace garden on the embankment, adjacent to Red Square, was also called “red”. However, due to the constant presence of large lively trading on the square, it also had another name “Torgovaya”. Only in the 19th century, according to P.V. Sytin, the name Krasnoye was officially assigned to the square as the only one. Since its inception, the square has been the center of public life. In addition to bargaining, Muscovites came here to find out the latest news, royal decrees were announced here, and boyars gathered here. The same square was the site of reprisals against the rioters. It should also be noted that Red Square is not only in Moscow, but also in some other ancient cities of Russia, for example in Suzdal, Pereyaslavl-Zalessky, Yelets.

It is worth mentioning that we have lined up all the sights of Red Square into a specific walking route, which you can easily use by downloading mobile application from Ever.Travel for iPhone or Android. In the application, you can not only use this route, but also create your own walks around Moscow, and even completely plan your entire trip.

In the application, just like on this page, all the attractions of Red Square in Moscow are described and arranged into a walking tour, and are also marked on an offline map. Therefore, even if you have never been to the center of the capital, you can easily figure out where you are from and where you need to go.

We suggest starting your walk from the Alexander Garden and going through Manezhnaya Square to Red Square. So, go ahead!

We will begin our walk at the Alexander Garden - a place known to all Muscovites and guests of the Russian capital. Convenient location close to many attractions, manicured lawns and luxurious flower beds, wide alleys and shady trees make it a wonderful place to relax.

The park's area is ten hectares - quite enough to wander among the trees in the very center of Moscow and escape from the city noise. There are always a lot of people here who want to relax and have fun. In spring and summer it’s nice to soak up the sun, and in winter it’s nice to go sledding down the hills that are built every year specifically for this purpose.

The Alexander Garden, as the name suggests, was laid out by order of Emperor Alexander I at the beginning of the 19th century, when Moscow was recovering from the destruction left by Napoleon's army. The project by architect Osip Bove included three sections - Upper, Lower and Middle gardens. Nowadays, this division is more conditional than official, although the entrance to the Lower Garden is closed to visitors.

In the Upper Garden you can see the “Ruins” grotto, which serves as a reminder of the Patriotic War of 1812. Also at the entrance to the garden is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Eternal Flame - a memorial complex in honor of those killed during the Great Patriotic War.

Our next stop is the Moscow Manege - a historical building, which today is one of the largest museum and exhibition centers. After a major fire in 2004 destroyed the interiors and damaged the exterior of the building, the Manege was extensively rebuilt. Before this, the most extensive restoration work was carried out in it in the 1930s.

During its entire existence, the Manege, which was initially an exclusively militaristic project where soldiers were supposed to undergo drills, served for the benefit of the army for only a few years.

Since 1831, various exhibitions began to be organized here - both cultural and technical: the huge room could fit an entire cavalry regiment, so there was enough space for any exhibits.

After the fall of the tsarist regime, the practice of using the Manege as a demonstration pavilion was picked up by the Soviet government, and subsequently by the Russian Federation. However, in the first half of the 20th century, a garage for government cars was located in the historical building for some time.

The architectural style of the Manege gravitates towards strict classicism, which at one time was a symbolic contrast to the previous medieval buildings, destroyed in the fire of the War of 1812. The project was proposed by the architect Augustin Bettencourt, and the Empire style facades were made by Osip Bove.

Flickr, astikhin

Manezhnaya Square today can be considered as a logical continuation of the park area of ​​the Alexander Garden. It was formed in the 1930s, when a large group of buildings located near the Manege were demolished for the construction of the metro.

In 1967, the square acquired a new name - the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution, and at the same time they planned to erect a monument on it in honor of the anniversary of the Revolution, but this idea did not come true.

The 1990s were marked by the return of the square to its historical name and grandiose reconstructions under the leadership of Zurab Tsereteli. A huge underground complex “Okhotny Ryad” opened underground, and a cascade of fountains with sculptures appeared on top.

Timed to coincide with the celebration of the 850th anniversary of Moscow, the reconstruction actually turned Manezhnaya Square into a symbol of the new, modern Russia. In 1995, a monument to Georgy Zhukov was erected in the eastern part of the square.

A memorial in honor of Soviet soldiers who died in the name of the Great Victory in the war against Nazi Germany appeared near the Kremlin walls in the Alexander Garden in 1966, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the liberation of Moscow. The ashes of an unknown soldier taken from a mass grave were buried here.

A year later, the famous architectural ensemble of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was opened on this site. The eternal flame was lit from the fire on the Leningrad Field of Mars. The lighting was solemnly carried out by L.I. Brezhnev, accepting the torch from the hands of Hero of the Soviet Union Alexei Maresyev.

The main guard post of Russia, known as the Guard of Honor or simply “Post No. 1,” is on duty at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The sentries of the Presidential Regiment change once an hour. Previously, they guarded the Lenin Mausoleum, but in 1997, by Presidential Decree, the post was moved to the memorial.

The architectural composition of the memorial is extremely simple - a lying battle flag, on it is a soldier’s helmet and a laurel sprig. It is this simplicity and laconicism that evokes the strongest emotions, recalling the feat of Soviet soldiers who died in the name of peace and the Fatherland. “Your name is unknown, your feat is immortal” - you can read at the Eternal Flame.

Flickr, thisisbossi

The monument to Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov was originally planned to be erected directly on Red Square. However, this turned out to be impossible: the architectural ensemble of Red Square is a UNESCO world cultural heritage site, and no changes can be made to it.

So, the monument to the great Soviet commander appeared in 1995 on Manezhnaya Square. The authors managed to make it realistic and at the same time deeply symbolic. Experts note a significant portrait resemblance and a clearly expressed strong-willed character of the sculpture.

Thematically, the monumental composition depicts a specific moment of the Victory Parade, which took place on June 22, 1945 on Red Square. Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov is depicted on a horse, raised in stirrups, with his right hand raised. The horse tramples defeated Nazi flags and standards with its hooves.

We also note that some critics believe that the monument is located a little poorly: it is lost in the shadow of the wall of the Historical Museum.

By the way, almost all the most expensive and pretentious hotels in Moscow are located in the area of ​​Manezhnaya and Red Square. Of course, you can stay there during your visit to the capital, but there are many other, more affordable and no less interesting offers. The most convenient way to find a suitable hotel is on the website Booking.com, where there are more than 1,200 accommodation options in Moscow.

Flickr, FinsUp0531

Between Manezhnaya and Red Square, very close to the Resurrection Gate, one of the sights of Moscow is hidden. You may not notice at first that under your feet there is the Zero Kilometer, from which all the roads of endless Russia are counted.

In fact, the “real” zero kilometer is located not far from the Central Telegraph, but for a symbolic marker, documentary accuracy is not so important.

Zero kilometer in the form of a visual object appeared here in 1995. The creation of the famous Moscow sculptor Alexander Rukavishnikov is a round metal sign built into the paving stones, on which is inscribed “Zero kilometer of highways of the Russian Federation.”

Please note that it is roads that are mentioned, because there is also the Zero Kilometer railway - it is located on the platform of the Yaroslavl station.

Around the sign there are four more parts of the composition, forming as a whole a square, pointing with its corners to the four parts of the world. It contains relief images of animals characteristic of different continents. According to the author, the circle is intended to symbolize harmony, and the square – paradise.

Tourists rarely pay attention to the deep meaning of the object, but in the hope of fulfilling their wishes, they gladly throw a coin over their shoulder while standing on the sign’s slab.

Flickr, Bart's Dad

In the first half of the 16th century, a red brick wall with a length of more than two and a half kilometers was erected around Moscow's Kitay-Gorod. The purpose of building such a large-scale fortification was defense against attacks by the Crimean Tatars.

The two-arched Resurrection Gates, which can be seen between the Historical Museum and the State Duma, have survived to this day from the Kitai-Gorod Wall.

The gates installed in 1535 bore different names: at first they were Kuretny, then Neglimensky, and even later - Lion's (due to the menagerie of Ivan the Terrible located nearby). In 1680, a room with two octagonal hipped twin towers was built over the passage.

After the icon of the Resurrection of Christ was placed on the tower in 1689, the following name came into use - Resurrection Gate. In 1781, the gate became Iverskaya - after the Iverskaya Chapel was added to it, first wooden, and then stone.

From 1929 to 1931, both the chapel and the gate were demolished, but were restored to their classic appearance in the mid-1990s.

It is impossible to imagine the architectural ensemble of the center of Moscow without the building of the State Historical Museum. Despite the fact that it was built recently by historical standards - at the end of the 19th century, it has long become one of the calling cards of the Russian capital and a very popular attraction.

The beginning of the museum was laid during the Polytechnic Exhibition of 1872, individual exhibitions of which - namely those related to the Crimean War - became the first museum collection. Construction of the building for the new museum lasted from 1875 to 1881, and the interior decoration of some rooms was completed only in the 1910s.

Currently, the Historical Museum is a magnificent collection of various objects with a total number of about 22 thousand. The entire history of Russia, from ancient times to the 21st century, will appear before your eyes during the excursion. Excellent technical equipment and easy navigation help you get used to the four thousand square meters of exhibition halls.

A fascinating journey begins from the second floor - there you will learn about primitive societies that once inhabited Russian lands, then about Ancient Rus', about wars against external and internal enemies, about ancient cultural traditions. On the floor above you will be transported to the era of Peter I, and then to later periods - right up to the present day.

Flickr, kukkaibkk

The Kazan Cathedral, which adorns Red Square, is one of the most revered Orthodox churches. It was built in the 17th century at the expense of Prince Dmitry Pozharsky and dedicated to the liberation of Russian lands from Polish-Lithuanian invaders in 1612.

The main shrine of the cathedral is the miraculous Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, found in 1579 and transferred first to the Assumption Cathedral, and later to the newly built Kazan Cathedral.

The cathedral building was repeatedly reconstructed at the behest of different rulers. The worst thing happened to the holy place in 1936, when it was simply demolished to the ground.

The Kazan Cathedral was restored as the very first of all the lost religious buildings in Moscow. The temple was rebuilt in 1990-1993 mainly with funds from the city government, as well as through private donations. The interior walls were painted by Palekh and Bryansk masters.

The appearance of the Kazan Cathedral is quite cheerful and bright. It is crowned with one chapter, surrounded by many multi-level kokoshniks. The complex architectural composition is executed stylistically impeccably, so the cathedral looks solid and compact.

Nearby stands a tented bell tower, which is also an excellent example of Russian church architecture.

Flickr, ruimsmcarvalho

The soul and heart of Moscow is Red Square. This place witnessed the most fateful events in the life of the country; heralds read out the Tsar’s decrees from the Execution Ground; troops advanced to war from the Kremlin through the Spassky Gate and rulers came out to the people.

And it all started quite prosaically: with a shopping area moved outside the Kremlin walls in the 15th century. For several centuries, there was a brisk buying and selling here: for those who were richer, stone shopping arcades were built, and ordinary people settled right in the open air. Grand fairs and cheerful folk festivals were also held here.

The appearance and character of the square began to change in 1625, when a Gothic tower was erected over the Spassky Gates, decorating the square. The area between the new Spasskaya Tower, St. Basil's Cathedral and Lobnoye Mesto was so beautiful that people began to call this part of the square “red” - that is, beautiful. Then this name spread to all the space unoccupied by shopping arcades, and in 1661, by decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, the square officially became Red.

Red Square is truly one of the most beautiful squares in the world, the buildings on it are dressed in scarlet and decorated in the style of Russian patterns. The fabulous St. Basil's Cathedral looks like a gingerbread palace, and the Kremlin towers and the Historical Museum, for all their solidity, are charming and look like illustrations from a colorful book about an ideal world.

Flickr, Pola Damonte

The main department store in Moscow is not just a shopping center where you can buy anything. GUM is a real legend.

Everyone born in the USSR knew about this store, even if they lived thousands of kilometers away. In times of shortages, when people arrived in the capital, the first thing they did was go to GUM - if not to buy something, then at least to look at it.

The current GUM building was built in 1893 on the site of the outdated Upper Trading Rows. The Moscow Guild of Merchants announced a competition, in which the architect Pomerantsev won with the design of a building in a pseudo-Russian style, in harmony with other buildings on Red Square. Elements of Russian patterns and GUM turrets combine perfectly with the architecture of the ancient center of Moscow.

The grandiose store, built with the money of the guild, was the pride of the Russian merchants until 1917, when the merchants were expelled from GUM, their goods were nationalized, and Soviet institutions, offices and communal apartments were placed in the shops, which existed here until the 1960s. They even wanted to demolish GUM, but the war prevented this, and after it it was decided to leave the building and revive it.

Today GUM is filled with modern trading departments, but references to the times when it was the main store of the USSR are still preserved: here you can hear Soviet hits, and in Gastronome No. 1 they sell tea with an elephant and juice in a three-liter jar.

Flickr, ChannelReise

The tomb of the leader of the world proletariat has become an integral part of the architectural ensemble of Red Square. The embalmed body of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin is housed in a tomb lined with granite, marble and porphyry, resembling a truncated three-stage pyramid.

Lenin's first mausoleum was made of wood according to Shchusev's design, and it was built urgently for the leader's funeral. The current building of the mausoleum is the third version that appeared after the Great Patriotic War.

During the war, Lenin's body was transported to Tyumen to protect it from assassination attempts and destruction. In 1945, the leader was returned to the capital, and the mausoleum was updated, adding stands from which the country's leaders made many fateful speeches.

The Lenin Mausoleum was repeatedly subjected to attempts at vandalism and sabotage; even the honor guard, who was on duty at the entrance to the tomb until 1993, could not save it from this. Since 1973, Lenin’s body has been kept in a bulletproof sarcophagus, and upon entering the mausoleum itself, visitors must go through a metal detector and leave all their belongings, including photographic equipment, at the entrance.

The main one of all 20 towers of the Moscow Kremlin is the Spasskaya Tower - one of the most recognizable symbols of Moscow and all of Russia. For most people in the vast expanses of the former USSR, the Spasskaya Tower also symbolizes the New Year: for several decades, on the festive night, everyone was waiting for its chimes to strike.

The tower appeared in 1491 and was originally half as tall as it is now. In 1514, in honor of the capture of Smolensk, a gate icon of the Savior was installed, which was reputed to be miraculous.

Since then, the gates of the Spasskaya Tower were revered as sacred; one could only pass through them on foot; men had to bare their heads, and when passing by the icon, they had to bow. Even the great princes, kings of Rus', foreigners and people of other faiths observed this custom, and the violator made 50 prostrations to the icon as punishment.

The tower acquired its current majestic appearance in 1625, when the English architect Galloway came up with a multi-tiered tent in the Gothic style. A clock was installed in the stone tent, which was subsequently replaced several times.

The chimes that count Moscow time today were installed in 1852. By the way, the melodies in the clocks were changed even more often - mainly to please the tastes of the rulers.

Above the chimes, on a thin spire, a scarlet star has been burning for 77 years, which replaced the gilded double-headed eagle that adorned the tower from the 17th century until 1935.

Flickr, Volodymyr Osypov

The grand opening of the monument to Minin and Pozharsky on Red Square took place in 1818 in the presence of Alexander I and a large gathering of people. The monument immortalized the feat of two national heroes of Russia, who in 1612 played a vital role in the victory over the Polish-Lithuanian occupiers.

The sculptural composition created by Ivan Martos depicts Kuzma Minin addressing the wounded Dmitry Pozharsky with a call to become the head of the Russian army in the fight for the defense of the Fatherland. With one hand, Minin seems to point to the Kremlin, which is under threat of invasion by foreigners. The monument looks very colorful and original: the author tried to work within the framework of classicism, but did not abandon national motifs.

During Soviet times, the monument to Minin and Pozharsky survived, although it was under threat of demolition - it interfered with festive demonstrations and processions. In 1931, the monument was moved to St. Basil's Cathedral, where it stands to this day, which is why Minin points not to the Kremlin, but somewhere in the GUM area.

Panaramio, Kirill Vyacheslavovich

Probably the most recognizable architectural object in Moscow, besides the Kremlin's Spasskaya Tower, can easily be called St. Basil's Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the Moat.

This is a symbol not only of Moscow, but of almost all of Russia. The cathedral as part of Red Square has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1990.

The architecture of the cathedral is very expressive: the composition consists of several churches topped with colorful painted domes located at different heights.

The cathedral was built from 1555 to 1561 at the behest of Ivan the Terrible to commemorate the victory over the powerful Kazan Khanate, therefore each altar in the temples was consecrated in honor of the holidays on which the main battles occurred. Kazan fell on the day of the celebration of the Intercession of the Mother of God - this gave the original name to the cathedral.

The chapel of St. Basil's appeared much later, in 1588. It contained the relics of the local holy fool Vasily, who died in the 1550s and is known for the fact that even Ivan the Terrible himself was afraid of him. Since then, the cathedral has received a second dedication - in the name of St. Basil.

With the advent of Soviet power, the cathedral was not demolished; it was too beautiful and unique. For a long time there was a museum here. The cathedral returned to the Russian Orthodox Church in 1991. Now worship services are held here again.

Advice! This concludes our tour of Red Square. We told you about the most popular attractions in Moscow, but there are still many interesting places in the city. Many of them are marked on the Ever.Travel interactive map. Choose where you'd like to go, build your itineraries, and sync your plans with our free mobile app. Enjoy your walks!

Alexander Garden is a famous park in the center of Moscow, located next to the Kremlin. The gardens were laid out by order of Emperor Alexander I in 1820-1823. Initially, the gardens were called “Kremlin”, and already in 1856 they received their current name.

Let's take a walk near the Kremlin and see what the Alexander Garden looks like today. He looks completely different...

The northern part of the garden is adjacent to the complex of underground structures on Manezhnaya Square. The forged lattice enclosing this part of the garden was made according to a drawing by architect F. M. Shestakov.

Gate of the Alexander Garden. Main entrance:

The garden area is about 10 hectares. The garden contains many historical objects - the Kutafya Tower of the Kremlin, the Italian Grotto, the obelisk for the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov.

In summer, the fence at the entrance is lushly decorated with flowers:

“Since childhood, I have associated the Alexander Garden with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Eternal Flame.”

At the Eternal Flame is the main guard post in Russia, to put it simply, the Guard of Honor:

The regiment's military personnel perform guard duty at Post No. 1:

Changing of the Guard:

A moment later the command “at ease” will follow and the soldiers will go to the utility room.

Changing of the guard in bronze bas-relief:

Romanovsky Obelisk in memory of the 300th anniversary of the reign of the House of Romanov. In 1918, the names of the Romanovs were replaced by the names of socialist thinkers and revolutionary figures, and the symbols of tsarist power and the coats of arms of the regions of Russia were removed:

Police soldiers are quietly on duty in the garden:

View from the garden of the Manege Central Exhibition Hall:

And from him:

The lamp posts are decorated with hanging flowers. People hide from the sun under the trees.

Central alley of the Alexander Garden. This is what the famous garden near the Moscow Kremlin looked like last summer. But this fall everything changed - the linden alley, planted in 1947, was mercilessly cut down, despite the fact that the trees were in perfect order. Now the main alley of Alexander Park looks like this. (Interactive photo, click on the photo):

This is how everyone rested in the Alexander Garden in past years:

Now these trees are no more, they were cut down by someone’s evil will, and in their place new trees have been planted, which will take another fifty years to grow. Why was this done? Linden is one of the longest growing trees. Their usual age is about 120 years, and specimens are known to be 800-1000 years old. Why was it necessary to destroy a 65-year-old linden alley? Who did she bother? These were healthy, strong trees that were planted immediately after the end of the Great Patriotic War. This is our memory, our history.

In Moscow, the Alexander Garden was cut down. The same one in which the Eternal Flame burns. The same one in which Bulgakov's Margarita met Azazello.

Even worse than the destroyed linden alley is now happening next to Kutafya Tower. The tower was built in 1516 under the leadership of one of the authors of the Moscow Kremlin, Aleviz Milanets. The Italian architect built a tower near the Trinity Bridge leading to the Kremlin. Here it was possible to defend the Kremlin from the enemy:

This year, some enemies of Russian history and culture began construction on both sides of a masterpiece of Moscow architecture. To the right and left of the Kutafya Tower, two glass pavilions are being built, reminiscent of flower stalls at the Kievsky railway station:

Russians, look what these bastards are doing next to the Kutafya Tower, which is almost 500 years old. Next year, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee will consider the condition of the Moscow Kremlin and Red Square. The main monument of our country may be excluded from the list of World Heritage Sites, because some assholes started building stalls next to the Kremlin:

This is what it looks like now - a cut down linden alley, glass market pavilions next to the Kutafya Tower and an advertisement for a Korean company. Chekhov already wrote about this in The Cherry Orchard.

» where photographs taken from the Ivan the Great Bell Tower in the Kremlin were presented. Among them there is a shot of the Kremlin territory, where the so-called 14th building is located in the foreground.

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This is an administrative building located between the Spassky Gate and the Senate Palace of the Moscow Kremlin. The facade of the building was facing the Tainitsky Garden. The building was one of the buildings that formed the Ivanovo Square of the Kremlin. The building was built in 1932-1934 on the site of the Chudov and Ascension monasteries and the Small Nicholas Palace destroyed in 1929. This was the first building on the Kremlin territory built after 1917. The next one was the Palace of Congresses, built in 1959.

The building successively housed the military school named after the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, then the Secretariat of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and the office of the Kremlin Commandant, then the Kremlin Theater and finally the complex was again rebuilt for the needs of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. In recent years, building 14 has housed some units of the Russian Presidential Administration, including the press service, protocol service, foreign policy department, and reference office.

In 2012, full-scale work began on the reconstruction of the 14th building, but for various reasons it was not completed. As a result, a landmark decision was made to completely demolish this building, which is not an architectural monument of the Moscow Kremlin and is not included in the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List. Demolition work began in October last year and was completed in April this year. On May 10, a park area built on the site of a former building with a total area of ​​1.6 hectares will welcome its first guests - visitors to the Moscow Kremlin. Also, for the first time in a long time, a passage to the Kremlin will be open for tourists through the Spasskaya Tower.

1. The Administration of the President of the Russian Federation carried out work on the dismantling and dismantling of building structures and equipment of the 14th building of the Kremlin in three shifts. The supporting structures were split with specialized circular and cable saws, the wall fragments were formed into squares and removed in stages so as not to cause any damage to either the Kremlin wall or architectural monuments. To comply with approved environmental regulations, large amounts of water were used to prevent construction dust from entering adjacent buildings.

2. The dismantling of the 14th building opened up a unique and unexpected perspective for archaeological research in the eastern part of the Kremlin Hill, where the Chudov and Ascension Monasteries and the Small Nicholas Palace were located, destroyed in 1929.

3. Archaeological research is carried out by the Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, which began work in November 2015. Scientists have laid several pits and excavations between Ivanovskaya Square and the Spasskaya Tower. They were able to identify parts of the buildings of the Small Nicholas Palace, the Catherine Church of the Ascension Monastery, the refectory connected to the Church of the Annunciation and the Alekseevskaya Church of the Chudov Monastery.

4. Currently, archaeological work has been suspended for the duration of the festive events. To avoid damage to the found parts of the historical foundations, the pits and excavations were temporarily mothballed in compliance with the relevant norms and regulations. In a few weeks, archaeological work will resume.

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5. The new park will form a wonderful pedestrian ensemble for Kremlin visitors.

6. The improvement and landscaping of the territory vacated after the demolition of building 14 is based on the historical buildings of the Chudov and Ascension monasteries identified by archaeologists. The foundations of temples and buildings are marked on the site by planting a hedge of Thuja globulus "Danika".

7. The issue of restoring destroyed monasteries is currently being discussed. This work will require titanic efforts of archaeologists, historians and engineers. But the restoration of the monasteries can only be realized after the approval of the Moscow architectural community and UNESCO.

8. A huge number of shrubs and plants have been planted in the new park.

9. In addition, archaeologists have already managed to find artifacts dating from the 12th-14th centuries, which indicate the development of the eastern part of the Kremlin no later than the end of the 12th century. and about intense “city life.” The composition of the finds (glass bracelets, fragments of glass vessels, metal jewelry of women's costumes, mass ceramic material) is common for ancient Russian cities of the second half of the 12th-13th centuries, but in the Moscow Kremlin the deposits of this time have been little studied.

10. Elena Krylova, press secretary of the Office of the President of Russia, told reporters about the progress of work. The world is once again a small place. I have known Elena for a long time - she headed the press services in the Moscow metro and at Vnukovo airport.

11. On May 10, a new park and a passage for tourists through the Spasskaya Tower will open in the Kremlin. Come!

12. Yes, benches will be installed in the park, which will allow you to admire the view of the Cathedrals and the Tainitsky Garden. In my opinion, things only got better without the 14th Corps.

The opening of Zaryadye Park in Moscow took place on City Day - September 9, 2017, entrance was by invitation only. Since September 11, the park has been open daily, anyone can visit it - admission is free.

The park area is located next to the Moscow Kremlin in the historical district of the same name (named after the location: behind the Lower Trading Rows), where the famous Rossiya Hotel was located until 2006.

Construction of Zaryadye Park has been underway since 2014. Creators: architect bureau Diller Scofidio + Renfro and landscape studio Hargreaves Associates (both companies from New York), urbanists Citymakers from Moscow.

The cost of construction of Zaryadye is 14 billion rubles.

New attractions: concert hall and amphitheater, Ice Cave, Media Center, Floating Bridge, Underground Museum, hotel with an area of ​​65 thousand square meters. m, restaurant, cafe. Not all new facilities are available; construction is still underway.

Historical objects have been preserved on the territory: these are the Romanov Chambers, the Old English Court, the Kitai-Gorod Wall, the complex of apartment buildings of Z. M. Persits and nine monument churches of federal significance, including the Church of the Conception of Anna - one of the oldest churches in the capital.

Entrance to Zaryadye Park

You can enter the park from all streets around the park. On regular days (outside of events) there are no entry restrictions.

Main entrances:

• From Vasilyevsky Spusk (to the Dome);
• From Varvarka Street (opposite Gostiny Dvor);
• From Kitaygorodsky Proezd (on both sides - towards the Concert Hall);
• From Moskvoretskaya embankment (two entrances next to the Underground Museum).

Landscape and plants

The park was created according to the principle of “natural urbanism”, laid out on an artificial foundation (above the underground facilities of Zaryadye).

Features of Zaryadye Park in numbers:

• The area of ​​Zaryadye Park is 10.2 hectares, the total area of ​​all objects on the territory is about 78 thousand square meters. m;
• Height difference - 27 meters;
• More than 1 million plants were planted: 760 trees, 7,000 shrubs, 27,700 sq. m of perennial herbs - more than 860,000 individual plants;
• 7 natural zones with typical flora have been created: Northern landscapes, Coniferous forest, Coastal forest, Steppe, Birch grove, Meadow, Mixed forest.

Dome

The information pavilion Dome is located at the entrance to the park. This is a kind of “repository” of QR codes, which hide a detailed guide to the park, interesting historical facts about Zaryadye and other information.

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Floating bridge in Zaryadye

The airy V-shaped structure “Floating Bridge” is the upper level of the park embankment, designed for a load of up to 240 tons - about 3000-4000 people at a time.

The length of the part protruding above the shore and the Moscow River is 70 meters, and there are no supports under it, which served as the basis for the “Floating Bridge” metaphor.

The total length of the bridge is 249.89 meters.

The supporting structure is concrete, the decorative elements are mainly made of metal, and the walking part has wooden flooring and high transparent fences.

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Concert Hall in Zaryadye

The innovative Philharmonic Concert Hall and Amphitheater is the most ambitious new facility in the park.

The indoor Great Hall is designed for 1,500 spectators, the Small Hall - 400 seats.

Great amphitheater

Outdoor amphitheater with 4000 seats. Located on the roof of the concert hall, under the “Glass Bark”. Connected to the concert hall by underground passages. Outside of events, there is a public recreation area with panoramic views of the Kremlin and the Stalinist high-rise building on Kotelnicheskaya Embankment.

"Glass Bark"

The main feature of the complex is a unique glass structure with solar panels covering the hill of the concert hall and the amphitheater. It has no external walls and maintains a special microclimate all year round: freshness in summer, warmth in winter. Under the “bark” there is also a garden with subtropical plants.

The planned opening is spring 2018.

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Underground Museum

The interactive archaeological museum is located in an underground space adjacent to Moskvoretskaya embankment.

Museum exposition: the main pride is the preserved fragment of the white stone Kitai-Gorod wall of the 16th century, archaeological finds (artifacts from the excavations of Old Moscow - household items, coins, etc.), the figure of a local squeaker, touch monitors with tactile exhibits (exhibition for the visually impaired), interactive monitors for children (games on the history of Zaryadye).

Price:

• Full - 200 rubles;
• Full-time students of non-core universities - 100 rubles;
• Discount ticket (pensioners, large families, Muscovite social card holders) - 100 rubles.

Free entry:

• Under 18 years old - free;
• Full-time students of specialized universities;
• Veterans of the Great Patriotic War, disabled people of groups I and II, disabled children;
• On Tuesday and Thursday from 10:00 to 11:00 - all preferential categories.

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Media center

This is the first pavilion in the park from the Red Square side. The media center has a tourist information center, an exhibition hall, interactive kiosks “Moscow Now” and two media complexes - “Flight” and “Time Machine”, about which more below, as well as an ENTRY cafe and shops.

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Multimedia attraction "Time Machine"

360° video panorama on a 5-meter high screen, a film about the history of Moscow.

The film involved: 300 actors, 500 historical costumes, 300 props.

Operating mode:

Mon: 15:00-19:00, Tue-Fri: 11:00-19:00, Sat-Sun: 11:00-19:20.

Session schedule: every hour on weekdays, every 40 minutes on weekends.

Prices:

• Adults - 790 rubles;
• Children 12-14 years old - 150 rubles;
• Preferential cat. — 480 rubles.

Free for WWII veterans, disabled people of grades I and II, and disabled children.

Media complex "Flight"

4D cinema hall with a hemispherical screen 13 meters high. The film-attraction “Flight over Moscow” is an imitation of a flight over the main attractions of Moscow and the Crimean Bridge.

Operating mode:

Mon: 14:30—19:30, W.-Fri: 11:00—19:30, Sat-Sun: 10:40—19:40.

On weekdays, “Flight over Moscow” is scheduled every 30-60 minutes, on weekends - every 15-20 minutes.

Prices:

• Adults - 790 rubles;
• Children 14-18 years old and students - 400 rubles;
• Children 6-14 years old (up to 120 cm tall) - 150 rubles;
• Discount ticket - 640 rubles.

Free for WWII veterans, disabled people of groups I and II, and disabled children.

Ice cave

A new attraction in Zaryadye is a high-tech zone of sub-zero temperatures with an art installation and an interactive program dedicated to the Far North - its flora and fauna, and the life of indigenous peoples.

Air temperature in the cave: -5 °C.

The complex is open daily from 10:30 to 20:30.

Prices for visitors:

• From 18 years old - 200 rubles;
• From 7 to 18 years old - 100 rubles;
• Up to 7 years - free;
• Preferential categories - 20% discount.

Reserve Embassy

A scientific and educational center with a florarium and a greenhouse of tropical plants, a site with real laboratories, where conferences, seminars and lectures, and master classes are also held. Topics: biotechnology and microbiology, genetics, geography, ecology. The BOTANIST cafe also operates in the building of the Reserve Embassy.

Schedule of excursions to the florarium:

• Tue - Fri: 11:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00, 18:00, 19:00;
• Sat - Sun: 11:00, 12:00; from 14:00 to 19:00 every hour;
• Mon - san. day.

The duration of each excursion is half an hour.

Tickets to the florarium:

• Adults - 190/250 rubles;
• Children - 152/200 rubles.

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Restaurant "Voskhod"

Located between the Floodplain Forest zone and the gastrocenter, it opened at the end of November 2017.

Restaurant concept: menu of national cuisines of the former Soviet republics, space theme in the interior (in the style of the 60s), panoramic views of the river.

Metro to Zaryadye Park

The metro station closest to Zaryadye Park is Kitay-Gorod, exits 13 and 14, lines Kaluzhsko-Rizhskaya (orange), Tagansko-Krasnopresnenskaya (purple).

Not far on foot (less than a kilometer) from other central stations: from Revolution Square (Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya line - blue), from Okhotny Ryad and Lubyanka (Sokolnicheskaya line - red), Teatralnaya (Zamoskvoretskaya line - green ).

The metro is the optimal transport to the park from any of the Moscow stations.

Ground transport to Zaryadye

Buses to the park: No. 158, M5 (metro stops “Kitay-Gorod”, “Red Square”), No. 255 (stop “Kitaygorodsky Proezd”).

How to get there by car

You can get to the new park in Moscow by car, but you need to take into account the situation on the roads: during traffic jams, it’s faster and more convenient (even in crowded conditions) to take the metro.

To get to the park comfortably, you can use taxi apps (Uber, Gett, Yandex. Taxi, Maxim) or car sharing (Delimobil, Anytime, Belkacar, Lifcar).

Parking in Zaryadye

Parking in Zaryadye is designed for 430 cars. There are 33 seats available for people with limited mobility.

Parking is paid and open 24 hours a day.

Prices:

• Weekdays - 250 rubles/hour;
• Weekends - 250 rubles/hour.

Free - for WWII veterans, disabled people of grades I and II, parents and legal representatives of disabled children.

Natural landscape park "Zaryadye": video