The Red Square (Krasnaja Ploshad) was a market place in the fifteenth century and acquired its present name in the seventeenth century. Red does not refer to Communism but derives from the old Russian word 'krasniy' meaning beautiful. Well known for its May Day parades during the Soviet regime, it is the site of Lenin's Mausoleum and the colourful Cathedral of St Basil the Blessed, with its domes, towers and spires, each bearing a distinctive pattern and colour. Behind the Mausoleum is the Kremlin wall which contains a mass grave of Bolsheviks who perished during the battle for Moscow in 1917, together with the ashes of a number of well-known Russians, including writer Maxim Gorky and Yuriy Gagarin, the first man in space. The State History Museum stands at the north end of the square and contains a vast array of archaeological finds and relics pertaining to the history of the city.