Along the east wall of the Kremlin lies Red Square (Krasnaya Ploshchad), the ceremonial centre of Russia's capital and scene of holiday parades.

Like many famous architectural ensembles, Red Square witnessed a lot of changes. Some of its original buildings were destroyed by the fire and were rebuilt (altered) to meet the new tastes; the others were demolished because of political reasons and restored in accordance to the original design.

The origin of the square dates back to the late 15th century, when, to the order of the Tsar Ivan III, any building was prohibited within shooting range to the Kremlin wall. As a result, a large area to the east of the Kremlin was cleared of the wooden houses and turned into a market place.

Firstly, the square was called either 'Torg' (Russian for market) or 'Pozhar' (Russian for fire), because of frequent fires that took place there. In 1658, to the special tsar's edict, the square received its present name, which, most likely, originates from the word 'Krasny' (Russian for 'beautiful'). At about the same time, the wooden shops and warehouses were replaced by the stone trading stalls, which made Red Square Moscow's commercial centre.

By the 18th century, Red Square became Moscow's cultural centre too, where Russia's first public library and book shops were located. After the 1812 war, as a result of a big reconstruction of the square, the stone trading stalls were demolished and a new building of the trading centre was built on the site. Designed by Osip Bove in classical style, it was replaced by the Upper Trading Rows (1889-93), the famous State Department Store, usually called (in Soviet times) by its Russian acronym GUM-with its long aisles, iron bridges linking the upper floors, and great skylights. The slightly earlier State Historical Museum (1875-83) closes off the northern end of the square. Next to the museum are two noteworthy buildings: Our Lady of Kazan Cathedral (1636) and the Resurrection Gate (1680). Both constructions were demolished in the 30s of the last century and were recently restored.

The square got its final look when Lenin Mausoleum (1930) was built in close proximity to the Kremlin wall. Faced with granite and marble, it is the centerpiece of the Kremlin necropolis, which contains the graves of most of the U.S.S.R.'s past leadership, including Joseph Stalin.

At the southern end of Red Square is one of the world's most beautiful cathedrals: the Church of the Intercession (Pokrovsky Sobor), better known as the Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed.

In 1990, the Kremlin and Red Square areas were added to UNESCO's World Heritage List.