DK Travel - Top 10 Moscow

A small exhibition inside the main entrance chronicles St Basils history and includes a display of 16th-century weaponry used during Ivan the Terribles campaign against Kazan.

St Basils Cathedral has twice escaped destruction. During his conquest of Moscow in 1812 Napoleon ordered its demolition, but the task was abandoned when rain dampened the gunpowder. Stalin contemplated knocking it down to facilitate the exit of troops parading across Red Square, but was stopped by the architect Baranovsky, who threatened to cut his own throat. The gesture earned Baranovsky five years of hard labour.

Tip: Linger in the Central Chapel where you might hear the cathedrals male choir sing promotional excerpts from their CD of Orthodox chants.

Tip: The nearby shopping mall has plenty of cafs and ice-cream parlours.

Red Square (Krasnaya Ploshchad) has been at the heart of Moscow for over 500 turbulent years, and its grand buildings recall the citys eventful history. Here, Ivan the Terrible mutilated prisoners before repenting of his sins at Lobnoe Mesto; it was he who funded the construction of St Basils Cathedral. In 1812 a victorious Napoleon addressed his troops on the square, while stabling their horses in the cathedral. Lenin Mausoleum was added by the Communists, who later demolished both the Resurrection Gate and Kazan Cathedral to make way for enormous military parades. The square has been restored to its pre-Soviet appearance. Krasnaya Ploshchad Metro: Ploshchad Revolyutsii, Teatralnaya, Okhotnyy Ryad

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