City Hall, the former City Hall for Moscow in the 19th century, was constructed by architect M. Kazakov during 1778-1782. Located east of the State Historical Museum, the building formerly served as the V. I. Lenin Museum and as the home of Moscow Governors-Generals. The structure is currently used to house some of the collected works of the State Historical Museum.

City Hall reflects a wide range of world influences when it comes to design. The roof of the three-storied building is very similar architecturally to Terem Palace. The exterior of the building brick-red building is a blend of Russian Revival and Neo-Renaissance styles, while the interior was originally designed to reflect Italian influences.

The ornamentation of the exterior shows influences of the nearby State Historical Museum and the Iberian Gate. Lastly, the symmetry of the ground plan of the building reflects a western theme. Visitors will not only enjoy diverse design elements of the structure, but also the restored ceiling paintings, gala-staircase, and the halls that are decorated with faux marble and other decorations.

Visitors must pay to take photographs or film video. City Hall is open Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm and from 11 am 10 pm on Thursdays.

The Iberian Gate and Chapel, also known as the Resurrection Gate, is the main entrance to Moscow's Red Square. The gate connects to both Moscow City Hall and the State Historical Museum, and is the only gate of the Kitai-Gorod.
Erected in 1535, this red-brick gate connects the north-western end of Red Square with Manege Square. The Iberian Virgin is well-known for its miraculous abilities. Local legend says that blood flowing from the icon’s face caused a war to end. It is also said that even imperial family would visit the icon and pray alongside their subjects when they traveled to Moscow.
The original gate was built in 1535. In 1680, two-story chambers and an icon of the resurrection were added to the gate. A gilt angel and cross were added to the dome of the chapel at a later date. The chapel is home to a replica of the icon of Panaghia Portaitissa, an Eastern Orthodox representation of Virgin Mary. Many miracles have been attributed to people praying in front of this icon. In 1931, the Kremlin demolished the gate and chapel in order to make more room for military parades. In 1994, the gate and chapel were reconstructed.

Russia is known for its great museums and the State Historical Museum in Moscow lives up to this reputation. Located between Red Square and Manege Square, the museum has a diverse collection that ranges from the prehistoric era through the Romanov era.
The museum was opened in 1894 to mark the coronation of Alexander III and contains over four million items. Shervud and Semenov were the architects of this red-brick, Russian revival style structure. The design of each hall reflects the era that it represents with great detail given to authentically recreating periods from long ago.
The beauty of the palace can only be truly appreciated in person. Visitors will enjoy artwork from the many regions of Russia, jewelry, native costumes, furniture, Russian icons, craft smith work, manuscripts, old books, and the stunning beauty of Russian design. The work of famous and unknown Russian artists is featured in the museum.
Leaflets in English are available as you enter the museum and the café sells coffee, sandwiches, tea, and Russian snack food. The museum is open every day, except the first Monday of each month and Tuesdays, from 10 am through 7 pm. The museum is also open on Thursdays from 11 am through 10 pm. Guided tours are available for groups of 15 by appointment.

Built to celebrate victory over the Lithuanians and Polish, the Kazan Cathedral is famous for being the home of the Kazanskaya Icon, a symbol of the Virgin Mary who is the guardian and patroness of the city of Kazan. It is rumored that the Kazanskaya Icon possesses supernatural abilities.

The Kazan Cathedral was and is a very important church. Celebrations were held at the church during the reign of the Tsars each year to celebrate victory of Moscow over the Lithuanians and the Polish. In addition, prayer services were conducted during the Napoleonic wars at the icon to ensure Moscow’s safe delivery.

The design of the house of worship is based on the Basilica of Saint Peter’s. Due to a fire, the original wooden cathedral was replaced with a stone building. From 1929 to 1932, the building was home to the Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism. The stone building could not escape destruction by the Bolsheviks in 1936. The current building, reconstructed in 1993, is a replica of the original. The cathedral is once again a working cathedral with church services being conducted daily. An interesting side note is that the Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism, renamed the Museum of the History of Religion shares premises with the church.

Gum or Glavny Universalny Magazin, is a famous shopping center located on the Red Square. Formerly known as the State Department Store, or the Upper Trading Rows, this shopping center is well known for its exclusive stores that carry brand name labels that are well-known in the western world.

Gum was built in the 1800s by architect Alexander Pomerantsev and engineer Vladimir Shukhov. The top floor of the shopping centre used to contain a secret store, Section 101, which only high ranking members of the Communist party could access.

The mall was converted into office space during the Stalin era. In the 1950s, Gum once again became a popular shopping centre that, unlike other stores, did not suffer from shortages of inventory. In the 1990s, Gum was privatized and became the Mecca for many western vendors.

Shopping isn’t the only thing one can do. Many cultural events and artistic events take place at the center. Russian figure skaters are known to visit the grand skating rink. The food that one can enjoy at spots like Café Festivalnoe, Stolovaya № 57, or Gastronome № 1, makes the trip worth the wait. Gum is particularly brilliant at night when the numerous lights that line the building are in full display. The complex is open daily from 10 am to 10 pm.

The final resting place of the illustrious former Russian Marxist activist Vladimir Lenin is located in the Red Square by the Kremlin Wall. Almost immediately after the Father of the Revolution’s death in 1924, the Russian people decided that a simple burial would not do. In response to the thousands of telegrams received urging the regime to preserve Lenin’s memory for future generations, the government began the task of constructing a proper resting place for the former radical. The first resting place for Lenin was a wooden tomb constructed by architect Aleksei Shchusev in 1929. The wooden tomb was eventually replaced with one made out of stone.

One of the most interesting facts about the mausoleum is the care taken to preserve Lenin’s corpse. Long rumored to be a wax model, it is indeed Lenin that mausoleum visitors will see. A special and complicated embalming process helps to keep the body presentable to the public. An interesting side note about Lenin’s tomb is that Joseph Stalin was briefly interred near Lenin until the government buried Stalin in the Kremlin Wall Necropolis during its de-Stalinization period.

Lenin’s crypt is open for daily tours from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, excluding Mondays, Fridays and holidays. No photography, video or audio recording of any kind is allowed in the mausoleum. All visitors are searched by staff before entry and visitors are expected to show respect during their visit.

One of the most recognizable landmarks in Russia, Saint Basil’s Cathedral features eastern style architecture and nine stunning chapels with onion-style domes. Originally named the Trinity Church, this structure was commissioned by Ivan the Terrible in the 16th century to celebrate victory of the capture of Khanate of Kazan from Mongol forces. This stunning and picturesque former house of worship is now a museum that plays hosts to the yearly Day of Intercession service.

Located next to the Kremlin, symmetry and brilliant colors are the focal points of this holy place with eight of the chapels flawlessly surrounding the ninth and highest chapel. In addition, the mosque-like design reflects the influence of the Kazan region and perfectly blends eastern and western influences. The eight towers represent the eight battles on Kazan. The ninth tower, which was added in 1588, is the resting place for Saint Basil. Each chapel is named after a saint and interconnected with each other via passages. Highlights of the cathedral include a garden, 400 plus icons from the 16th and 19th centuries, 19th century portrait and landscape artwork, and the tomb of Saint Basil. The cathedral is open Wednesdays and Mondays from 11:00 am to 5:30 pm.

Lobnoye Mesto, or the Place of the Skulls is a 13-meter long stone podium located in front of Saint Basil’s Cathedral on the Red Square in Moscow. Constructed in 1530 by Boris Godunov, this site was used during the tsarist era to make public proclamations and to conduct religious ceremonies such as the donkey walk procession. Vladamir Lenin also used this site to unveil a monument to Stepan Razin, a Cossack rebel who led uprisings against the nobility and the tsar in 1919. The monument was later removed. The round dais makes an impressive statement against the backdrop of eye-catching edifices of the Red Square and is striking when viewed at night against the Russian backlights.

Lobnoye Mesto is also the site where Prince Pozhrsky proclaimed victory over Polish aggressors during the Times of Trouble in 1612. A statue of Kuzma Minin and Prince Pozharsky who helped to organize the army that defeated the Polish is nearby. One common misconception about Lobnoye Mesto is that executions were carried out at this location. Most executions were performed at Vasilevsky Spusk, a square between Saint Basil's and Moscow River. The original podium was brick. In 1786, architect Matvei Kazakov reconstructed the podium in white stone.