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GmailHighlights Of Russia With Murmansk By Private Van
Guided City Tour of Moscow
During the guided city tour of Moscow visit the Red Squarewhich is a dramatic open cobbled space in the centre of Moscow and now turned into a memorial cemetery and constructed Lenin Mausoleum on one side and Resurrection Gate and chapel on the other.
Moscow, on the Moskva River in western Russia, is the nation’s cosmopolitan capital. In its historic core is the Kremlin, a complex that’s home to the president and tsarist treasures in the Armoury. Outside its walls is Red Square, Russia's symbolic center. It's home to Lenin’s Mausoleum, the State Historical Museum's comprehensive collection and St. Basil’s Cathedral, known for its colorful, onion-shaped domes
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Visit the world famous Red Square
Red Square is one of the oldest and largest squares in Moscow, Russia. It is located in Moscow's historic centre, in the eastern walls of the Kremlin. It is the city's most prominent landmark, with famous buildings such as Saint Basil's Cathedral, Lenin's Mausoleum and the GUM department store.
At the end of the 15th century, a square appeared on the top of the hill near the new brick walls of the Kremlin, built in place of the white stone walls that had begun to crumble. Its formation was facilitated by the decree of Ivan III, prohibiting any construction within cannon shot (approximately 240 meters) from the walls.
The territory, which had previously been a trading quarter, was hastily cleared of houses and other wooden buildings, and only trade was allowed here. Gradually, the entire area began to be called the Marketplace or the Great Marketplace.
The convenience of trade was determined by the location itself. From the south, the square is limited by the confluence of two rivers - the Moscow and Neglinka. On the banks of the Moscow River there were piers from where goods were delivered to the Market. In 1508, the Alevizov ditch was dug along the Kremlin wall, which connected the Moscow and Neglinnaya rivers. The ditch had a defensive function and was quite deep: in some places up to 12.8 meters. Thus, the Kremlin, like most fortresses of that time, was surrounded by water on all sides. Gradually, bridges were built to the gates of the Kremlin, and the ditch itself was surrounded by stone crenellated walls.
The Kremlin walls have changed over the years and changed the overall impression of Red Square. Thus, in 1491, under the direction of the architect Pietro Antonio Solari, there was the (Spasskaya) Tower . The Spassky Gates have acquired a special status over time and in the 21st century, as in the 16th century, high-ranking officials make their ceremonial exit through them during various ceremonies.
The square changed its name several times, and sometimes had two or three names at the same time, depending on the significance of the events associated with the place. For some time, the square was called Troitskaya after the dedication of the cathedral, which probably stood on the site of the Cathedral of the Intercession on the Moat. In 1571, after a large fire, the square was called Pozhar, and wooden shops were banned from being built on the square itself. By 1598, two-story stone shops had been built instead of wooden shops, forming three quarters: Upper, Middle, and Lower Trading Rows.
It was during this period that the square began to be called Krasnaya, that is, beautiful (some historians believe that the name came from the "red", that is, haberdashery, goods that were traded here). This name became official after the decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, and began to appear in all documents starting in 1661.
The oldest surviving structure of the square is Lobnoye Mesto. From the south it was bounded by a low hill - "vzlobye", on which Lobnoye Mesto appeared. Lobnoye Mesto was first mentioned in documents of 1547. Initially, the platform on Lobnoye Mesto was made of brick, had a wooden lattice, as well as a canopy and a tent on pillars. In 1597-1598, the platform was rebuilt in stone.
One of the main dominants of the square is the famous cathedralPokrov on the Moat, which is often mistakenly called St. Basil's Cathedral. This unique architectural monument of the mid-16th century was a votive church, that is, it was erected on the promise of Ivan IV in case of success during another campaign against the Kazan Khanate. The key and victorious battle for the army of the young tsar took place on the day of the celebration of the Intercession of the Holy Mother of God, which is why the temple was called Pokrovsky. Later, a church was added to it in the name of the revered Moscow saint Basil the Blessed, and the people began to call it "St. Basil's Cathedral". The temple was repeatedly completed, the domes were changed, and the boundaries of dilapidated old churches were moved here. In the 20th century, according to legend, it was threatened with demolition, but the monument of Russian architecture was saved, which is why it now borders Red Square from the south, being almost its main symbol.
In 1620-1630, the Kazan Cathedral was built at the Voskresensky Gate on Nikolskaya Street in honor of the liberation of Moscow from the Poles . And the two-span Voskresensky Gate itself began to serve as the ceremonial entrance to Red Square. The buildings of the Mint and the Main Pharmacy with a tower were located near them. The wooden "Comedian Temple" was located at the Nikolsky Gate, dismantled in 1722.
By the day of the celebration of the Poltava victory in 1709, wooden Triumphal Gates were erected near the Kazan Cathedral, and in 1730 a new theater, also wooden, was built according to the design of the Russian architect Varfolomey Varfolomeevich Rastrelli. Thus, gradually the square lost its purely commercial significance.
In the 18th century, the square was the center of Moscow's cultural life. Books were sold here at the Spassky Gate, and the first public library operated. By 1755, the architect Dmitry Vasilyevich Ukhtomsky rebuilt the Main Pharmacy to house Moscow University. In 1786-1810, the stone shops were rebuilt and the New Trading Rows were erected. The two-story arcade covered almost the entire perimeter of the square.
The massive reconstruction of Red Square also affected Lobnoye Mesto. In 1786, it was moved a little further east and rebuilt according to the design of Matvey Kazakov from wild hewn stone.
There is a popular belief that the purpose of the Lobnoye Mesto was public executions. In fact, the "vzlobye" was considered sacred. Most often, the Lobnoye Mesto served as a platform from which the bishop blessed the people with the sign of the cross during the religious procession. Its other name, "Tsar's Place", the royal cathedra, is often found in documents. In pre-Petrine times, the most important royal decrees were announced to the people from here.
Initially, the square was earthen, without paving, which made it extremely dirty, especially in bad weather and off-season. In the 18th-19th centuries, the square already had a stone covering on a regular basis, but it was extremely imperfect: the laying technologies had not yet been worked out, stones of different quality and size were used, so the covering was uneven and in some places inconvenient for movement, and it had to be renewed almost every year. From 1909 to 1930, a tram ran along Red Square, which is hard to imagine today. There was a reserve line there, which ran along the Kremlin wall.
Radical changes occurred in the 1930s, when the Soviet government began a large-scale reconstruction of Red Square. At that time, the square acquired its current appearance and was also completely covered with granite paving stones. In 1974, the square underwent another reconstruction of the surface: paving stones made of super-strong igneous rock gabbro were laid on a concrete base. Granite slabs were carefully fitted to each other to create a flat and stable surface. Granite paving stones proved to be able to withstand heavy loads, including heavy military equipment.
The square's modern appearance is not just cobblestones. It has become a reflection of various events that took place in the country.
In 1818, the sculptor Ivan Martos presented a project for a monument to Minin and Pozharsky , the leaders of the Second People's Militia, formed in 1612 to expel the Polish troops that had occupied Moscow. The monument was erected in the central part of the square, where it remained until 1936. According to the sculptor's project, Minin symbolically pointed to the Kremlin occupied by enemy troops, which the people's militia was called upon to liberate. The construction of the Mausoleum in the 1920s disrupted the architectural composition, and the monument also interfered with demonstrations and military parades that were regularly held on the square. As a result, it was decided to leave the monument on the square, but move it to a new location: now it is located in close proximity to the Pokrovsky Cathedral, completing the new architectural composition of the square.
The State Historical Museum is located in the north of Red Square . It was founded by decree of Emperor Alexander II on February 21, 1872. Now the museum building, designed by architect Vladimir Sherwood and engineer Anatoly Semenov, is considered a particularly valuable cultural heritage site. And the 29 halls of the museum present Russian history from ancient times to the beginning of the 20th century. Today, the State Historical Museum is one of the largest museums in the world. It houses priceless monuments of archeology, numismatics, ancient literature, weapons, works of fine and decorative and applied art.
There is a memorial cemetery – a necropolis – near the Kremlin wall. This is the burial place of state, party and military figures of the Soviet state, famous revolutionaries of the 20th century, as well as outstanding figures of culture and science, such as Maxim Gorky and Yuri Gagarin.
Another important landmark located on Red Square is the Lenin Mausoleum. In 1924, immediately after the death of the leader, a temporary wooden mausoleum was erected; in May, it was dismantled and a permanent wooden structure was erected on the square. By 1930, the granite Mausoleum was erected according to the design of the architect Alexei Viktorovich Shchusev. The special design of the Mausoleum assumes the presence of a government tribune. At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the historical center of Moscow and the most valuable architectural objects were carefully camouflaged. The Mausoleum was covered from above with a canvas model of a row house. On November 7, 1941, a historic military parade was held in front of the Mausoleum, freed from camouflage and transformed into a government tribune.
In 1924, Vasilyevskaya Square was included in Red Square, and since 1995 it has been called Vasilyevsky Spusk.
The history of parades on Red Square goes back several centuries, but military parades and demonstrations became regular during the Soviet era. The most famous parades are associated with the Great Patriotic War: on November 7, 1941, Soviet soldiers left for the front from here. And on June 24, 1945, the Victory Parade was held on Red Square, and over time, parades on May 9 became annual.
In 1990, the Moscow Kremlin complex and Red Square were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Visit to Lenin’s Mausoleum (Photo Stop)
Lenin's Mausoleum, also known as Lenin's Tomb, situated on Red Square in the centre of Moscow, is a mausoleum that serves as the resting place of Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin. His preserved body has been on public display there since shortly after his death in 1924, with rare exceptions in wartime.
St.Basils Cathedral (outside)
Visit to GUM Department store
Kremlin Grounds & Cathedral
Tour of Moscow Metro
The Moscow Metro is a metro serving Moscow, Russia, and the neighbouring Moscow Oblast cities of Krasnogorsk, Reutov, Lyubertsy and Kotelniki. Opened in 1935 with one 11-kilometre (6.8 mi) line and 13 stations, it was the first underground railway system in the Soviet Union. As of 2021, the Moscow Metro, excluding the Moscow Central Circle, the Moscow Central Diameters and the Moscow Monorail, has 241 stations (276 with Moscow Central Circle) and its route length is 412.1 km (256.1 mi), making it the fifth-longest in the world and the longest outside China. The system is mostly underground, with the deepest section 74 metres (243 ft) underground at the Park Pobedy station, one of the world's deepest underground stations. It is the busiest metro system in Europe, and is considered a tourist attraction in itself.
Visit to Poklonnaya Hill with Victory Park
Poklonnaya Gora is, at 171.5 meters, one of the highest natural spots in Moscow. Its two summits used to be separated by the Setun River, until one of the summits was razed in 1987.
Sprawling war memorial park with fountains & forest, plus a museum & soaring obelisk. Established in 1945, this city park includes lovely lakes and walking paths, boats and catamarans for hire, ice-skating and cross-country skiing in the winter and an amusement park.
Sparrow Hills (Vorobyovy Gory)
Sparrow Hills (Russian: ????????? ??´??, Vorobyovy Gory), formerly known as Lenin Hills (??´??????? ??´??, Leninskiye Gory) between 1935 and 1999, is a hill on the right bank of the Moskva River and one of the highest points in Moscow, reaching a height of 80 m (260 ft) above the river level.
The observation platform, which gives a good panoramic view of the city, is on a steep bank 85 m (279 ft) above the river, or 200 m (660 ft) above sea level. The Luzhniki Stadium (formerly the Lenin Stadium), where the opening and closing ceremonies for the 1980 Summer Olympics took place, is right below, across the Moskva River. Next to it is the Novodevichy Convent, with its Naryshkin Baroque towers.
Not far from the observation platform is the Luzhniki Metro Bridge. The two-level Metro-Bridge traverses the river to link Komsomolsky Prospekt with Vernadsky Prospekt. It serves two urban transport systems: motor vehicles and the Moscow Metro subway. The glass-walled subway station Vorobyovy Gory is at the lower level of the bridge.
The hills, immortalized by many Russian poets and writers, have been named after the village Vorobyovo, which was acquired by Grand Duchess Sophia Vitovtovna, Vitovt's only daughter, from the boyars Vorobyovs in 1453.[1][2][3] Alexander I of Russia wished to build the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour there; his successor had construction works suspended and the cathedral eventually was erected near the Kremlin.
Zaryadye Park
Zaryadye Park (Russia) is a landscape urban park located adjacent to Red Square in Moscow, Russia, on the site of the former Rossiya Hotel. It is the first public park built in Moscow for over 50 years, the previous being the Soviet Friendship Park built for the 1957 Festival of Youth and Students. The park was inaugurated on 9 September 2017 by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin.
Time magazine puts Zaryadye Park on 2018 list of World's Greatest Places.
- Murmansk City 1
- Moscow City Tour
- Moscow City Tour 3
- Moscow Metro Tour
- Hemritage Museum 2
- Hemritage Museum 3
- Petersburg City Tour 1
- Petersburg City Tour 2
- Murmansk City
- Murmansk City 1
- Moscow City Tour
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