Ksenia Kandalintseva
In the 1790s, old wooden houses were removed from the vast square overlooking the house of Moscow governor-generals. Now it became a paradeplatz venue for military marches and changing the guard ceremonies. On June 24, 1912, a monument to the hero of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878, General Mikhail Skobelev (sculptor Samsonov), was unveiled and the square received his name. However, it didn't last long – in 1918, Bolsheviks replaced it was a monument to the first Soviet Constitution of 1918 – a triangular obelisk with an abstract from the document. On late April 21, 1941, it was exploded and the square stood monumentless till 1947 – the 800th anniversary of Moscow was celebrated with the first stone in the monument to its founder Prince Yuri Dolgorukiy. It was unveiled in 1954 and is still there making for the square’s emptiness and tranquility.
