GUM and Red Square, Moscow

At Lubyanka Square, I turned onto Nikolskaya Street and headed towards Red Square. On my way, I looked at the bell tower of the Spassky Cathedral of the Zaikonospassky Monastery. Construction of this church began in 1660.

I went to GUM (the State Universal Store), which I hadn't visited for about 20 years. It was the most famous department store in the USSR, where visitors always crowded in, hoping to buy scarce imported goods, and employees of central government agencies shopped in the special department No. 9.

The building was constructed in 1889 along the northeastern border of Red Square and was originally called the Upper Trading Rows. With a facade length of 247 meters, it is still the longest building in Moscow. The architectural style is eclectic, featuring both classical and traditional Russian architectural elements. It is sometimes referred to as pseudo-Russian or neo-Russian.

Then I went to Red Square, which I hadn't visited for a long time. This cobblestone-paved space is known worldwide as the main square of the Russian and Soviet states, where pompous parades were held on holidays, scaring the world with giant-sized fake rockets.

To the right of the museum is the Kazan Cathedral, founded by Dmitry Pozharsky in 1625.