Gostiny Dvor

Why go

Gostiny Dvor rewards attention to scale, orientation, and setting. Gostinyi dvor (Гостиный двор) is a historic Russian term for an indoor market, or shopping centre. Before leaving, compare one close detail of Gostiny Dvor with its broadest public view. At Gostiny Dvor, a slower circuit makes Gostiny Dvor's neighborhood relationship easier to read.

What to look for

• Gostiny Dvor: Look for the feature that controls the first sightline.
• Gostiny Dvor: Inspect the transition from the lower level to the roofline.
• Gostiny Dvor: Circle the site to see how its proportions shift.

The full story

Gostinyi dvor (Гостиный двор) is a historic Russian term for an indoor market, or shopping centre. It is translated from Russian either as ""Guest Court"" or ""Merchant Yard"", although both translations are admittedly inadequate. Such structures, constructed in every large Russian town during the first decades of the 19th century, are fine examples of Neoclassical architecture. Gostiny Dvor in St Petersburg is not only the city's oldest and largest shopping centre, but also one of the first department stores in the world. Sprawling at the intersection of Nevsky Prospekt and Sadovaya Street for over one kilometer and embracing the area of 53,000 m2 (570,000 sq ft), the indoor complex of more than 100 shops took twenty-eight years to construct. Building works commenced in 1757 to an elaborate design by Bartolomeo Rastrelli, but that subsequently was discarded in favour of a less expensive and more functional Neoclassical design submitted by Jean-Baptiste Vallin de la Mothe (1729–1800).

Useful to know

• Check the current admission calendar for Gostiny Dvor before building an interior visit around it.

Your next visit

Estimated · Declared scenario and planning estimates; no live opening, weather, queue or booking service.