Apraksin Dvor is a market known to every Petersburger. It has value for the cultural capital, as it has its own history and is a kind of attraction.
general information
In the very heart of St. Petersburg is the famous Apraksin Dvor market, and in a simple “Aprashka”, as it is commonly called. A variety of shopping centers, tents, cafes - all this is concentrated on 14 hectares of land.
On the market, you can purchase both wholesale and conventional. The variety of goods offered on the retail space, as well as their very affordable prices, attract tens of thousands of visitors daily. All the necessary information about the Apraksin Dvor shopping center (market), opening hours can be found in any guide to St. Petersburg. The data on the sights of the cultural capital are presented in our article.
Apraksin Yard is a huge flea market. An interesting fact is that nearby is the exact opposite - the refined and expensive Gostiny Dvor. This is a coincidence or a pattern - no one knows.
Over the long history of the market, many events have occurred: two fires, the blockade of Leningrad, making proposals for the reconstruction of the shopping complex. Apraksin Dvor (market) on the city map is now, but they tried to erase it. However, due to its historical significance, this did not happen. The entire territory of the Apraksin Yard at the moment has the status of the cultural heritage of the Russian Federation.
Market History
The modern location of Apraksin Yard was not always such. Initially, the market territory was divided into two parts: one belonged to the merchant Ivan Schukin and agricultural products were sold on it, and the other was owned by Count Fedor Apraksin (the market was named after him).
In 1754, a large number of shops were erected on the Apraksin site. So a rather impressive shopping arcade appeared. In the second half of the nineteenth century, the largest assortment of books in the city was located in Shchukin and Apraksin Yards.
In 1833, Nicholas I ordered the yards to be united into one large market, which began to bear the name of Count Apraksin.
In 1862, there was a great misfortune in the history of Aprashka - a fire broke out destroyed most of the buildings. Extensive reconstruction and construction of new buildings was required. This process took several decades. But half a century after the first fire, on July 1, 1914, a second similar misfortune happened, which, however, was not as destructive as the first.
Before the outbreak of World War I, the market became the largest in Europe in terms of the number of goods sold. And during the period of the existence of the USSR, commission trade was carried out in this territory .
During the blockade
The sad events that occurred during the blockade, which took place from September 8, 1941 to January 27, 1944, did not pass by Apraksin Dvor.
The market suffered during numerous bombing raids. In one of them, several shells and aerial bombs fell into Apraksin Dvor, resulting in further destruction of the shopping complex. Building No. 1, which overlooked Sadovaya Street, suffered the most damage. His walls, arches, ceilings were destroyed, glass was almost everywhere broken. After the destruction, restoration of buildings immediately followed.
Ordinary citizens came to Apraksin Yard for trade. They sold or changed their goods, brought everything that could be sold, exchanged for products that were very lacking in those days.
Apraksin Dvor is a market where food was handed out during the blockade. From the side of Lomonosov Street there was a grocery delivery point where thousands of people came daily and stood in lines waiting for a small piece of bread.
Modern market
Currently, the entire territory of the market has the status of "Object of cultural heritage of the Russian Federation." The market covers a land area of 14 hectares, on which 57 buildings are located, most of which belong to the city. The main buildings were built between 1870 and 1880 and have survived to this day.
Apraksin Dvor is a market that has preserved old buildings, but the atmosphere in it today is slightly different. Trade is carried out both outside, in the tent rows, and inside the buildings. Most sellers are of foreign origin. They invite customers, offer to buy goods of supposedly well-known brands at a low price. And not always of high quality.
Apraksin Yard (market). Address and contact information
Every Petersburger knows the location of the Apraksin Yard, but not every guest of the cultural capital will be able to immediately navigate in a big city.
In the very center of St. Petersburg is Apraksin Dvor (market). Shopping center address: st. Garden 28/30. It is within walking distance from the metro stations Gostiny Dvor, Sadovaya, Spasskaya, Sennaya Ploshchad.
The territory of the market is limited by Sadovaya, Lomonosov streets, the Fontanka river embankment and Apraksin lane. The market can be reached both by bus (routes 24, 181, 191) and by trolley (numbers 1, 5, 22). If you go here by your own car, you may have problems with a parking space, since the market does not have its own parking lot.
To visit the Apraksin Dvor market, whose working hours are daily from 10:00 to 18:00, it is recommended to set aside a separate free day, since it is impossible to go around all the shopping arcade in a couple of hours.
Reconstruction
The reconstruction of the Apraksin Yard, perhaps, can be considered one of the most painful topics for the city government. Apraksin Dvor is a market that was planned to be updated two decades ago, but so far this grandiose plan of transformation has not yet been implemented.
In 2007, city officials announced a competition for the reconstruction of the market. The winner was announced in 2008. His plan of action included the transformation of the general appearance of the shopping complex and the introduction of some new ideas. It was planned to rebuild the updated trading premises, offices, apartments, hotels, social and cultural
objects (art workshops). However, the construction company was not able to implement all these innovations, and in 2013 it was decided not to renew the contract with this company. Currently, the issue of reconstruction of the Apraksin Yard remains open.