A close-up of the red stars which still adorn the tops of the Kremlin towers.

As is always the case when you visit a famous site, the Kremlin was undergoing repairs while I was there.

On the northern wall lies a memorial to the battles of the Great Patriotic War. The first plaque reads, "Fallen For the Motherland"

The row of simple memorials

The memorial plaque for Stalingrad.

The Tomb of the Unknown Solider and the Eternal Flame (which, unlike the one in Nizhny Novgorod, is actually burning).

Continuing the journey around the wall, you can see Trinity Gate Tower, the tallest of all the outer towers. The bridge leading up to it used to cross over the small Neglin River, which used to form part of the Kremlin's moat, but has since been diverted underground.

And we're back to the east side of the Kremlin, which looks out onto Red Square. The square lies on a gently rising slope, with St. Basil's cathedral situated on the higher end. To the left is the State Historical Museum, the opposite side of which I passed by when first entering the square.

In front of the State Historical Museum is a statue to Georgy Zhukov, the Soviet commander who, with a little help from the Russian winter, defeated Hitler's army.

Back on Red Square once again. In Russian the square is called krasnaya ploshad. The word krasnaya originally meant "beautiful" and was applied as a fitting description of the square. Over time the meaning of krasnaya has changed to "red", giving the square a new name in translation - perhaps more fitting, considering the new government who returned the capital here in 1918.

Inside GUM, the luxurious mall-type shopping arcade. The marble-like facade gives you the feeling of being in an old Roman forum.

A view from the upper levels. Along with a number of cafes, GUM is home to a number of fashion outlets from all the major designers.