The city of Kronstadt is a suburb of St. Petersburg and is located on the island of Kotlin, thirty kilometers from St. Petersburg. Several other small islands are adjacent to it. Until 1983, the island was cut off from the mainland, and it was possible to reach it only by sea transport. Now the island is connected to the coast by a ring road, which is also a protective construction of the banks of St. Petersburg from flooding. The city has about 400 architectural and historical monuments. The main attraction is the Gostiny Dvor in Kronstadt, the history of which stretches for more than two centuries.
Construction of the Gostiny Dvor
The Gostiny Dvor appeared on this place in the early eighteenth century. On the plan of the city of Kronstadt, dated 1785, places for trading shops have already been marked. Construction was completed in 1797, and places were given to merchants and merchants. Almost all the shops were built of wood, only twelve trading places that were facing the main street of the city were made of stone. So one of the first markets was opened in the form in which we know them now.
Reformation
After Kronstadt visited Nicholas I in 1827, the reconstruction of the Gostiny Dvor began, as the emperor did not like the ugly wooden buildings. Then a decree was issued to remake the Gostiny Dvor in Kronstadt and make it completely stone. In March 1832, the plan of the new shopping center was finally approved. The construction of the new building was entrusted to an engineer - Colonel Shestakov, but in fact the engineer V.I. Maslov did the plan.
A rectangular two-story building was built, surrounded by classic columns. The facade is smooth, rounded corners and large gates on the west and east sides of the building. Most striking is the area of the Gostiny Dvor of Kronstadt - the shopping arcade stretched over a whole city block with an area of over 4 thousand square meters. The first was a street where they traded vegetables and flour products, then rows with silks, meat, fish. After the fire in 1874 and its restoration, the appearance of the building underwent a change, however today it is a state architectural monument. The building was restored by the merchants themselves, on their own and by means. Initially, there was a dispute between merchants about what color the building should be, but they did not come to a single decision. After restoration for several years, the walls were gray on one side and yellow on the other. Then the facade was completely painted in light yellow, and the forged lanterns still remind of the architecture of the eighteenth century.
Shopping center
Despite the fact that Kronstadt was a small county town, the construction of such a large trading center made sense. Thousands of people came here, workers, military, and actually the buyer was always there. The western part of Kronstadt was a political and commercial center. Here lived high-ranking officials, owners of factories and factories, scientists and artists. It was one of the largest retail outlets in the city, which housed about a hundred different shops and shops, and guests and residents of Kronstadt had the opportunity to buy goods for every taste. Trade flourished, goods from neighboring countries were brought here. The Gostiny Dvor constructed at that time fully corresponded to the architecture of a similar building in St. Petersburg, only it was smaller in size.
The era of restoration
The Gostiny Dvor in Kronstadt was again restored between 1953 and 1966. Now the room has become more spacious, and even a department store was opened. The next restoration was started in 1972, but due to lack of finances only a part was done; dismantled the roof, made a new layout, laid out granite galleries connecting the trading floors. If earlier it was impossible to go to another part of the structure so as not to go outside, now it can be done through the internal gate in the middle.
In 1999, Polish investors expressed a desire to make a major overhaul, but the demands placed on them were too high, and they refused. All this time the building was in terrible condition, without a roof and windows, until it was updated in 2004-2007.
Location
Where is the guest house in Kronstadt located? His address is 16. Lenin Avenue, 16. Streets adjacent to it:
Opposite the modern shopping arcade there was another Gostiny Dvor, called the Tatar ranks, but it was destroyed during the war, and residential buildings were erected in its place. At the intersection of Karl Marx and Sovetskaya streets are the central library and Catherine Park. The Maritime Library was built in 1927.
Adjoining Attractions
If you want to explore the city, you can start an excursion in Kronstadt from the Gostiny Dvor. For example, a partially restored chapel of the Church of St. Andrew the First-Called and Vladimir Cathedral are located nearby. Nearby are the remains of the old Tikhvin Chapel, which was built in 1898 and destroyed in 1932. Then, on the site of the old cathedral and chapel, they made a square. In 2003, a monument to the Cathedral of 1817 was erected in the park. The nearby Catherine Park is considered the pearl of the city, where you can relax on the benches and walk along beautiful paths.
Monument
Near the Gostiny Dvor in Kronstadt, a monument was erected in honor of the centenary of the city in 2004. It is a granite monument with a memorial sign attached to it. A rectangular fountain, 22 by 10 meters, was erected nearby. The bowl in the middle of the pool resembles Kronslot fort in shape. The fountain jets change their height depending on the musical tempo played by a specially installed speaker system. A spectacular backlight makes this spectacle even more beautiful, especially in the evening.
Modern courtyard
Gostiny Dvor in Kronstadt (St. Petersburg) is a huge modern shopping center. Inside it are large and small shops, boutiques, telephone shops, cafes. Here you can find almost everything you need for a home:
- Toys and clothes for children.
- Furniture.
- Adult clothes and shoes.
- Jewelry.
- Buy a phone and connect to mobile communications.
- Buy train and plane tickets.
- Visit a beauty salon.
In addition to the kiosks, there are also office space on the second floor, offices and companies. Those wishing to rent an office for rent will find here good options for themselves. You can go shopping endlessly, enjoying all kinds of goods and internal architecture. Sloping ceilings, brick columns, skylights and frosted glazing look very stylish.
In the Gostiny Dvor shopping center, you can relax after long walks in the cafe. Hot and cold drinks are served here. There is a good selection of dishes and delicious shawarma. According to visitors, this is the best place to eat and relax.
In Gostiny Dvor there is a large beauty salon of the same name. Here you can buy high-quality cosmetics, undergo cosmetic procedures, visit a hairdresser, make manicures and pedicures. Polite administrators are ready to advise their customers and provide any information of interest. In addition, everyone can visit the solarium, spa. Here are some other services provided: haircut, dyeing, hair extensions, makeup, facial cleansing, eyelash extensions, piercings.
How to get there
This is the only place in the city through which all local buses and minibuses go, so getting to the Gostiny Dvor in Kronstadt during opening hours is very simple. From St. Petersburg you can get here by minibus number 405 and number 407 from the metro stations "Chernaya rechka" and "Prospect of education", respectively.
If you get from St. Petersburg by your own car, you need to go along the A118 ring motorway and turn onto the Kronstad highway on the island of Kotlin. The road takes no more than forty-five minutes.
You can also take buses No. 175 and No. 200 from the Kirovsky Zavod station. The whole journey takes a little more than two hours. This is the final stop of almost all suburban transport.
Schedule
The working hours of the Kronstadt Gostiny Dvor are as follows: from 10:00 a.m. to 21:00 p.m. on weekdays and from 11:00 to 19:00 on weekends.
In early 2012, the building of the Gostiny Dvor was auctioned. According to the statement of the representative of the Property Fund of Russia, the building and the adjacent land area of 9 thousand square meters are leased until 2053. In addition, as a cultural monument, it is under state control, and the winner of the auction is obliged to carry out timely repairs of the building.
Kronstadt still bears the imprint of a rich military history. The architecture of buildings, including the Gostiny Dvor, takes us thousands of years ago, and, despite the hectic modern life, does not lose its attractiveness.