Kremlin, Lenin’s Mausoleum in Moscow | Russia #6

This is the Red Square in Moscow, one of the most iconic places in the world.

Being here you remember the history classes:

Lenin, socialism, Cold War…

Today it’s packed with tourists.

A lot of people think that the name “Red” is because of the predominant color here or that it’s associated with socialism.

Actually, not really. This square has been here for centuries.

In Russian it’s called Krásnaya and it means both red and beautiful.

To see everything here at the Red Square you need more than a day.

I’ll focus on the main attractions like the Kremlin, Lenin’s Mausoleum,St. Basil’s Cathedral and the GUM.

Let’s start with Lenin’s Mausoleum as it’s only open in the morning.

The queue is enormous, there is no escape. But if you’re thinking I’m going to see his tomb,No! His preserved body has been in public display basically since his death in 1924.

It’s like a visitation.

That is so unique, you fell like he has just passed, you know, the atmosphere there… You have to experience it to understand because you can not take pictures. You can only get in, keep walking and go.

Other Soviet leaders and personalities are also buried here like Stalin and Yuri Gagarin, the first ever man in space.

On your way to the entrance of the Kremlin you walk by this place here.

This is a war memorial – the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier – dedicated to the millions of Soviets who died during World War II. 27 million Soviets more precisely.

Today, it’s a tradition here in Moscow for brides and grooms to come and pay their respects on their wedding day.

That was the change of the guard, it happens every hour.

This place is enormous but that doesn’t mean you can just go on your own and explore everything, there are the areas for tourists.

Look at this place, how amazing! Four churches and cathedrals in one single square. Each one with a different purpose.

This is also the one with the biggest queue, so here is my tip: get here and go directly there.

This place is actually a necropolis, several of grand princes and tsars from Russia between the 1300s and the 1700s are buried there including Ivan the Terrible.

He was a very important Tsar and very important political figure historically and he made several changes, important changes actually, politically, administratively, and in the military.

These cathedrals don’t offer services anymore. Today they are more like museums, extremely beautiful. Now, the bad part: you can’t take pictures anywhere inside, they offer here these pamphlets so that at least you can understand what you are seeing then.

They guide you through the various icons, the importance of the icons, their locations and so on.

This basic ticket gives you access to the Kremlin itself and also the cathedrals, but there are museums here too that you can buy additional tickets, like the Armoury and the Diamond Fund, extremely beautiful and worth it, very impressive.

I’ve been to both in my first trip here to Moscow some ten years ago, so I’m skipping them today. The word “Kremlin”means “fortress inside a city”.

This bell is the largest in the world, it broke during metal casting and has never worked.

Such an amazing history of the Russian monarchy, then very representative of the Soviet Union.

On or around the Red Square there are several options for restaurants and cafes. Where you can find the biggest variety and reasonable prices is in this mall here.

We’re staying at an apartment at the Tverskoy District, very close to the Red Square and I love the night life here.

I hope you guys enjoyed this first day. Tomorrow I’ll be back at the Red Square as there is so much more to do there. So, do not to miss anything.