http://www.history.com/photos/red-square For more than 500 years, Moscow's Red Square has been a focal point of Russian political and cultural life. en Copyright 2013, History.com Sat, 25 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT History.com 2013-05-25T04:00:00Z en Copyright 2013, History.com http://www.history.com/photos/red-square/photo1 In the late 1440s, Ivan III began a massive building project in what is now Red Square, clearing the existing Moscow slums and reconstructing the Kremlin and its walls. http://www.history.com/photos/red-square/photo1 http://www.history.com/photos/red-square/photo2 Ivan IV's long reign saw the transformation of Russia into a multiethnic state spanning nearly 2 million square miles. The first of Russia's czars was also instrumental to the expansion of Red Square. http://www.history.com/photos/red-square/photo2 http://www.history.com/photos/red-square/photo3 Built in 1554 by Ivan the Terrible to celebrate his victory over the Mongol stronghold of Kazan, the Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed has become one of the most recognizable buildings in Russia. http://www.history.com/photos/red-square/photo3 http://www.history.com/photos/red-square/photo4 The Iberian, or Resurrection, Gate connects Red Square with the Kitay-gorod, Moscow's 16th-century business district. Today, the gate is flanked by Moscow's City Hall and the State Historical Museum. http://www.history.com/photos/red-square/photo4 http://www.history.com/photos/red-square/photo5 Construction of Moscow's original Kremlin began in 1156, and over the centuries it has become a focal point of Russian political, religious and social life. http://www.history.com/photos/red-square/photo5 http://www.history.com/photos/red-square/photo6 The original Russian Orthodox cathedral was built in the 1630s, during a period of political turmoil known as the Time of Troubles. It was destroyed by Joseph Stalin in 1936 but reconstructed in the 1990s following the collapse of the Soviet Union. http://www.history.com/photos/red-square/photo6 http://www.history.com/photos/red-square/photo7 One of the focal points of Red Square is the tomb of Vladimir Illyich Ulanov, better known as Lenin. The Russian revolutionary and Soviet leader's remains were put on public display shortly after his death in 1924. http://www.history.com/photos/red-square/photo7 http://www.history.com/photos/red-square/photo8 For more than 75 years, Red Square has been the site of massive parades, designed to show the strength of the Soviet—and now Russian—military forces. http://www.history.com/photos/red-square/photo8 http://www.history.com/photos/red-square/photo9 Though many associate its name with the colors of the buildings located within it, Red Square is actually a translation of the Old Russian term "Krasnaya Ploschad," meaning "beautiful square." http://www.history.com/photos/red-square/photo9 http://www.history.com/photos/red-square/photo10 The State Universal Store, or GUM, was built between 1890 and 1893. It was the epitome of pre-revolutionary luxury, boasting more than 1,200 stores. After the 1917 revolutions, it was nationalized and used as a state-run department store, but has once again become a high-end shopping destination. http://www.history.com/photos/red-square/photo10