Editing Red Square (section)

=== Before the 18th century ===

The East side of the Kremlin triangle, lying adjacent to Red Square and situated between the rivers [[Moskva River|Moskva]] and the now underground [[Neglinnaya River]] was deemed the most vulnerable side of the Kremlin to attack, since it was neither protected by the rivers, nor any other natural barriers, as the other sides were. Therefore, the Kremlin wall was built to its greatest height on this side, and the Italian architects involved in the building of these fortifications convinced [[Ivan the Great]] to clear the area outside of the walls to create a field for shooting. The relevant decrees were issued in 1493 and 1495. They called for the demolition of all buildings within 110 [[sazhen]]s ({{convert|234|m|sp=us}}) of the wall.

From 1508 to 1516, the Italian architect [[Aloisio the New]] arranged for the construction of a moat in front of the Eastern wall, which would connect the [[Moskva River|Moskva]] and [[Neglinnaya River|Neglinnaya]] and be filled in with water from Neglinnaya. This moat, known as the [[Alevizov moat]] having a length of {{convert|541|m|sp=us}} and  width of {{convert|36|m|sp=us}}, as well as a depth of 9.5–13&nbsp;m was lined with limestone and, in 1533, fenced on both sides with low, {{convert|4|m|sp=us}}-thick cogged brick walls. Three square gates existed on this side of the wall, which in the 17th century, were known as: Konstantino-Eleninsky, Spassky, Nikolsky (owing their names to the icons of Constantine and Helen, as well as Christ the Savior and St.&nbsp;Nicholas which hung over them). The last two are directly opposite Red Square, while the Konstantino-Elenensky gate was located behind Saint Basil's Cathedral. In the early 19th century, the Arch of Konstantino-Elenensky gate was paved with bricks, but the Spassky Gate was the main front gate of the Kremlin and used for royal entrances. From this gate, wooden and (following the 17th century improvements) stone bridges stretched across the moat. Books were sold on this bridge and stone platforms were built nearby for guns – "raskats". The [[Tsar Cannon]] was located on the platform of the [[Lobnoye mesto]].

The square was called ''Veliky Torg'' ('Great Market') or simply ''Torg'' ('Market'), then ''Troitskaya'' by the name of the small Troitskaya ('Trinity') Church, burnt down in the great fire during the Tatar invasion in 1571. After that, the square held the name ''Pozhar'', which means 'burnt'. It was not until 1661–62 that it was first mentioned by its contemporary ''Krasnaya'' name.

[[File:Башни Московского кремля.jpg|thumb|right|[[Moscow Kremlin]] (finished 1495)]]
Red Square was then the foremost landing stage and trading center for Moscow. Even though Ivan the Great decreed that trade should only be conducted from person to person, in time, these rules were relaxed, and permanent market buildings began appearing on the square. After a fire in 1547, Ivan the Terrible reorganized the wooden shops that lined its eastern side into market lines. The streets [[Ilyinka Street|Ilyinka]] and [[Varvarka Street|Varvarka]] were divided into the Upper lines (now [[GUM (department store)|GUM department store]]), Middle lines and Bottom lines, although Bottom Lines were already in [[Zaryadye]].

After a few years, the Cathedral of Intercession of the Virgin, commonly known as [[Saint Basil's Cathedral]], was built on the moat under the rule of Ivan IV. This was the first building which gave the square its present-day characteristic silhouette (pyramidal roofs had not yet been built on the Kremlin towers). In 1595, the wooden market lines were replaced with stone. By that time, a brick platform for the proclamation of the tsar's edicts, known as [[Lobnoye Mesto]], had also been constructed.

Red Square was considered a sacred place. Various festive processions were held there, and during [[Palm Sunday]], the famous [[parading on donkey|"procession on a donkey"]] was arranged, in which the patriarch, sitting on a donkey, accompanied by the tsar and the people went out of Saint Basil's Cathedral in the Kremlin.

During the [[Polish–Muscovite War (1605–1618)|expulsion of the Polish army from Moscow in 1612]], Prince [[Dmitry Pozharsky]] entered the Kremlin through the square. In memory of this event, he built the [[Kazan Cathedral, Moscow|Kazan Cathedral]] in honor of the "Kazan Icon of the Mother of God", which had followed his army in a campaign.

At the same time (1624–1625), the [[Kremlin towers#Spasskaya|Spasskaya tower]] received contemporary tent roofs. This was done on the proposal and subsequent draft of [[Christopher Galloway]] from Scotland, who was summoned to design the new tower's clock and suggested the arrangement of the tent roof over the clock. In mid-century, a gilded double-headed eagle was set on top of the tower. After this, the square became known as ''Krasivaya'' ({{lit|beautiful}}).

In the late 17th century (1679–1680), the square was cleared of all wooden structures. Then all Kremlin towers received tent roofs, except Nikolskaya. One tent was erected on the wall above Red Square (the so‑called Tsarskaya Tower, so that the tsar could watch from this spot the ceremonies in the square). Tent roofs were also constructed at [[Iberian Gate and Chapel|Voskrerensky (Iberian) gates]], arranged in the wall of [[Kitai-gorod]]. These were the fortified gates at Voskresensky Bridge over the River Neglinnaya.

In 1697 and 1699, gates on both sides of Voskresensky Bridge were rebuilt into large stone buildings: the Mint and Zemsky [[prikaz]] (department in charge of urban and police matters). Zemsky prikaz (on the site of current [[State Historical Museum|Historical Museum]]) was then known as the Main Pharmacy, founded under orders of [[Peter The Great]]. In 1755 the [[Lomonosov Moscow State University|first Russian University]] was originally housed in the building of Zemsky prikaz, before moving to the better known building on Mokhovaya street further across [[Manezhnaya Square, Moscow|Manege Square]]. At the same time the (by then already drained) Alevizov moat was used as a state Pharmacy's garden for growing medicinal plants.

<gallery widths="320" heights="170" style="float:left;margin:0em 0em 0em 0em;">
Wjatscheslaw Grigorjewitsch Schwarz 002.jpg|17th century Palm Sunday procession leaving Saint Basil for Kremlin.
Surikov streltsi.jpg|Execution of [[streltsy]] by Tsar [[Peter the Great|Peter&nbsp;I]] (to the right on a horse) in Red Square, 1698 (painted 1881)
</gallery>
<gallery widths="230" heights="170" style="float:left;margin:0em 0em 0em 0em;">Kniznije lavki.jpg|Book shops at the Spassky bridge at the main gate of the Kremlin
The Kazan Cathedral.jpg|[[Kazan Cathedral, Moscow|Kazan Cathedral]] (1993 reconstruction, it originates back to 1612–25)
Moscow Red Square rathaus, survey by Bove, 1816.jpg|Zemsky prikaz, town hall built 1700
</gallery>
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