In pictures: Skating on Red Square

The rink, which is open for three months until the end of February, is also just outside the walls of the seat of the Russian government, the Kremlin.

It is 80m long by 35m wide (280ft x 100ft) and has seating for around 2,000 spectators, as well as refreshment areas at either end.

A one-and-a-half-hour session with skate rental costs 500 roubles (around $19, £10). But despite what some see as the high cost, the organisers say it has been attracting up to 1,500 people a day.