In each city or settlement, most of social life is concentrated on the city square. This is a place for walking and relaxing, meeting friends. In the cafes adjacent to the squares, you can have a cup of coffee or make a business meeting.
What is the area
A square in a simple sense is a kind of open space, which is surrounded by various architectural buildings. A fountain or a complex of fountains, decorations can be located on the square, the territory can be framed by green spaces. Squares come in several forms. The most common type is the city square, where social and social events are held. There are such varieties as: shopping, station, theater, walking, memorial. As a rule, memorial squares can be distinguished by a characteristic wall with a memorable date.
Historical meaning
In the days of the Roman Empire, city squares were of great importance in the life of the city. It was there that all public meetings were held and city issues were resolved. Housing estates were formed around the squares, living near the main city square was considered the right of privileged people, as well as people with great prosperity. Housing in such areas was expensive and almost inaccessible.
In the Middle Ages, the main city square of the city continued to be the site of urban affairs. In medieval Europe, they were used for executions. The whole city was going to look at such a spectacle, as well as the king and the entire royal house. People learned all the main news on special posts that were installed around the entire perimeter of the square and served to disseminate information.
Square Architecture
City squares are divided into several architectural types, depending on the destination.
For example, in front of the buildings of socially significant objects, various councils or courts, squares are arranged in such a way that large masses of people can move in the right direction, contributing to filling or evacuation in a short space of time. For these purposes, when designing a city, such conditions are created that the main streets adjoin the squares.
Another common type is the so-called unloading area. They are practically not intended for pedestrians, since the streets at the junction intersect at different angles. This contributes to the rapid movement of vehicles, but completely complicates the movement of pedestrians.
Types of squares of the urban district, for walking, are found mainly in new areas of the city. There, parents and their children can fearlessly move throughout the territory without meeting cars and other high-speed vehicles.
The most beloved type of city squares is the territory of grandiose majestic buildings, such as a theater or city council building. Typically, such areas are decorated with obelisks or monuments, there are complexes of fountains and various shapes of benches for a short rest. Such areas are framed by green plantings, trees, flowers and lawns.
The architecture of urban squares is formed according to one unspoken rule: all buildings that surround the space must be made in the same style and have almost the same height.
The main square of Russia
The main city square in Russia is undoubtedly Red Square in Moscow. It adjoins the Kremlin from the east.
The square formed at the end of the fifteenth century, when a new one made of red brick was erected on the site of the old white-stone Kremlin. It was then that a decree was issued prohibiting any other construction at the distance of a cannon shot. The territory was cleared of wooden houses, small churches and a market was established here, which was called the Big Bargain.
Red Square survived the fire in 1571, and for some time was called the Fire. Then it was renamed to Red, that is, beautiful. Historians believe that perhaps this also happened because they were selling haberdashery goods. Then, with a time interval of one hundred years, the Kazan Cathedral and the Triumphal Gate were erected here.
The central city square has always been a busy center. Book trade was carried out here, a book library was functioning. Active development of the square began in the late 19th century. Museums and shopping arcades appeared using the latest material - reinforced concrete. In addition, the area was electrified.
Kuibyshev Square
Of course, this will sound strange, but the largest square in Russia does not belong to Moscow or St. Petersburg. It is located in Samara and impresses with its scale - 174 thousand square meters. Once the square was called Cathedral, since there was a cathedral nearby, but it was blown up in 1935. Five years later, a monument to Kuibyshev was erected in its place. On the square is one of the attractions of Samara - the opera and ballet theater.
Moscow square
In the cultural capital of Russia, St. Petersburg, is one of the largest urban areas in Europe - Moscow Square. Its scale is huge - 131 thousand square meters.
City street and square appeared in the mid-thirties of the twentieth century, but for 30 years it had no name. Even before the Great Patriotic War, they planned to turn this area into the center of the city, but during the war it became one of the defense nodes. After the war, the area continued to be equipped, the area was built up with residential buildings and squares with green islands and playgrounds. One of the first St. Petersburg metro stations appeared - Moskovskaya. Since 2006, the architectural view has been supplemented by a complex of magnificent fountains that add music on holidays and switch to the mode of singing fountains.
University Square
On a huge scale, another metropolitan attraction is striking - University Square. It occupies a space of 130 thousand square meters. The territory got its name in 1956 due to its proximity to the new educational complex. In the center of the square there is a magnificent fountain in the form of a lily, and along it are monuments to outstanding scientists of Russia and the world, in particular, Lomonosov, Mendeleev, Herzen, Newton.
During events in honor of the celebration of victory in the war, heavy military equipment passes through University Square.
Lenin Square in Khabarovsk
City squares amaze with their size not only in the capital. Walking along Khabarovsk, you can find a huge Lenin square measuring 25 thousand square meters.
The main attraction of this square is a magnificent complex of fountains, surrounded by many flower beds. The largest streets of Khabarovsk begin from the square. She has a rich history. It was here that the first manifesto after the overthrow of the tsar took place, meetings with famous people, including the Hero of the Soviet Union Yuri Gagarin, took place many times.
The square was built in 1864 and changed its name several times. At the very beginning, it was called Nikolaevskaya. In the mid-20th century, the territory was called Freedom Square. Since the mid-50s, it was renamed Stalin's Square. But, in the end, a monument to V. Lenin was erected on it and it got its name thanks to him.
The city center is a constant active participant in the social life of citizens. Here parades are held, various city events, on New Years a beautiful Christmas tree is set up and an ice town with children's slides for sledding is being erected.
Palace Square
On the left bank of the Neva, in St. Petersburg, there is an area that is several times larger than Krasnaya in Moscow. This is Palace Square. Its construction was carried out for a long time, from the middle of the 18th to the beginning of the 19th century. The area has historical significance and belongs to the UNESCO site. Since the mid-18th century, it has been called the Admiralty Meadow, as it was located near the Admiralty Shipyard. From the end of the 18th century until 1918, the square had a different name - Palace Square, due to the immediate location of the Winter Palace behind it. From 1918 to 1944, it was called Uritsky Square, the man who organized the assault on the Winter Palace, and then was killed. In the same 1944, an order was issued to restore all the historical names of the city. The name Palace has returned to the square.
In Soviet times, Palace Square was the venue for various parades and city events. In 2001, a large-scale reconstruction began, as a result of which the remains of the outhouse of Anna Ioannovna were found. The find was studied and buried again in the ground.