The raised stone platform which stands on Red Square a few metres from St Basil's Cathedral is known as Lobnoe Mesto, which literally translates as Forehead Place and is sometimes also referred to in English as the Place of the Skulls. Due to this translation, it is often believed that this platform was used for executions, but that was never the case (a small number of executions did however take place just outside the platform). In fact the platform was built in the mid-16th century as a pillar from where edicts would be read out to the people. In 1786 the platform was rebuilt in white stone under the project of Matvey Kazakov.

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