home Business blog Fair rows. Russia's empty pocket

Fair rows. Russia's empty pocket

Fairs and city celebrations have long been a part of Russian culture and history. They became widespread in the mid-18th and 19th centuries; up to 3,000 events of this type were held annually in Russia. Fairs could be forest, hop, horse, or steppe fairs. In those days, there was practically no trade in villages and villages, so fairs became a very convenient place for the common people where they could sell their surplus agricultural products, buy new clothes and other necessary goods, finally take a break from exhausting agricultural work, have fun and, as they say, “show yourself and see others.”

The largest fairs in Rus' were:

Mologa fair. Venue: Upper Volga region of the 14th-16th centuries. It was distinguished by a wide multinational composition of traders; merchants from Russia, Poland, Greece, Germany, Armenia, Persia, Asian countries and Turkey traded here;
Makaryevskaya Fair. Venue: Makaryev Monastery on the Volga near Nizhny Novgorod at the end of the 16th century. The convenient location helped attract a large number of traders, both local and foreign. After a fire that destroyed most of the buildings, the auction was moved to Novgorod;
Nizhny Novgorod Fair. Replaced Makaryevskaya, from the beginning of the 18th century it began to take place in Nizhny Novgorod. A special Fair Yard was built here, where you could buy very a wide range of various types products: salt, wine, fish, cotton, furs, metal products me and much more;
Irbit Fair. Held in the Urals in the 17th century, it was distinguished by a variety of goods, both local and from far abroad: China. Central Asia.

People's Fair

A fair is a market in the center of a city or village, where merchants, traders and artisans came from both surrounding villages and villages, as well as from remote areas, to sell their goods and see others. It was at the fairs that the most profitable and large trade agreements were concluded, because businessmen came here not only from local cities and villages, but also overseas guests from distant countries. During the fair, various sweets, fruits and drinks were sold everywhere, both in tents and trays and by special peddlers, to entertain and treat guests and customers.

(Modern fair in Moscow, Red Square)

At such fairs, everyone sold what they wanted; the goods could be bagels and sugar pretzels, as well as livestock, poultry, objects of pottery and weaving art, and much more. It was a real paradise for artisans (coopers, blacksmiths, potters, weavers), who spent a whole year preparing to show buyers real masterpieces of their craft. Also here, masters of various trades offered their services: shoemakers repaired shoes, barbers shaved beards and cut hair, tailors repaired clothes. In order to attract buyers, jesters and buffoons walked around the market and made people laugh with various advertising jokes.

Fair Theater

In addition to various types of auctions, various theatrical and musical entertainment events were usually held at fairs, booths, nativity scenes, performances and skits with the participation of live bears were organized, competitions and various amusements were organized.

(Kustodiev "Balagany")

One of the main obligatory heroes of fair performances was the finger puppet Parsley. She had the appearance of a cheerful and broken joker and a merry fellow, with a not very pretty appearance (he had a hump, a large nose, sharp facial features, a squeaky, sharp voice), but with a very perky and mischievous character, an excellent sense of humor, which sometimes crossed all boundaries , so very often this character found himself in various awkward situations and was beaten more than once for his very long tongue. But Petrushka never loses heart, the oar lifts up its long and humped nose and continues to joke around and make people laugh, either with his matchmaking, or getting a job, and other funny adventures.

Folk festivities

Any fair was a real holiday for ordinary people, which helped them escape from the hard work of everyday life and allowed them to relax both soul and body. There was always an atmosphere of celebration and fun, music played, actors performed, folk songs and children's laughter sounded. The whole family went there, dressed up in beautiful festive clothes, watched colorful interesting performances, had fun from the heart, took part in various competitions and games, rode on carousels and swings, bought various goods, sweets and gifts.

One of the most ancient entertainment activities at the fair has long been driving round dances. A large number of people took part in them, the fun was accompanied by cheerful music, singing, and the participation of buffoons and actors. The leisurely movement of round dances could be interrupted by the daring Russian dance, in which dancers competed with each other in making various intricate figures and knees.

Often, various strength competitions were held at fairs, such as fist fights, which were especially popular on Maslenitsa; usually physically developed men of any age, regardless of their position in society, took part in them. The fight could be carried out one-on-one, wall-to-wall, or in the form of a “hook-and-shovel” (reminiscent of the type of original Russian martial arts in which the fight took place with the help of throws and grabs). For men, this pastime was one of their favorites, because it allowed them to show their strength, dexterity and courage, “let off extra steam” or even “knock the crap out of their heads” that had accumulated there during the daily routine.

- an event that unites all districts of our region, as well as other regions, in one territory Russian Federation and abroad. The fair rows were located, as usual, on the Embankment, near the Intercession Church. This location for the fair was not chosen by chance, because the name of the event goes back to the first Tambov church: the day of its consecration took place precisely on the Feast of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Many people now forget history, but they are no less happy about the fair. A variety of dishes for every taste, spectacular performances, concerts, competitions: how can you miss all this? After the grand opening, creative ensembles perform non-stop on Music Square, and to the right of the stage, endless labyrinths of exhibitions and trade stalls begin. The complexity of preparing such an event is impossible to even imagine: many districts have erected real architectural palaces on their sites.

At the fair you can see all the traditional folk entertainment that there is. Sack fighting, tag, tug of war: the list can go on for a long time, but it’s better to see everything with your own eyes and take part.

In addition to the exhibition rows, the fair, of course, has shopping areas. Many people purposefully go there for specific purchases, but even if you don’t intend to purchase anything, it’s worth walking through retail outlets Same.

Every year, guests of the Pokrovskaya Fair are pleasantly surprised by new products in the food, textile and souvenir range. Purchasing is always fruitful, and adult visitors to the fair were satisfied.

Children also enjoy the festivities. Of course, there is music and fun everywhere, people walk around in smart costumes, and parents every now and then treat them to something tasty. To cap it all off is a ride on the carousel. What else is needed for happiness?

Victoria CHURIKOVA

Address: Russia, Kostroma, Susaninskaya square
Start of construction: 1775
Completion of construction: beginning of the 20th century
Coordinates: 57°45′58.1″N 40°55′35.46″E
Main attractions: Fire tower, Guardhouse, Borschov's mansion, Public places, Monument to Ivan Susanin

Content:

Trading rows were erected in many Russian cities, but only in Kostroma the old shopping complex has survived to this day in this volume. Its construction took more than a century. And today, guests of the ancient city can see about 20 restored buildings, in which, like two centuries ago, daily trade takes place. Traveling through the huge square and along the arcade of ancient buildings, you can easily imagine the distant past, when merchants ruled here, and shops were called shops.

View of the Red Rows (Gostiny Dvor) and the Church of the Savior in Rows

How the Trading Rows were created

In 1773 there was a big fire in the city. Of course, this was not the first fire in Kostroma, but the damage from it was enormous, and the wooden shopping center burned out almost completely. After the fire, city officials began to develop a plan for rebuilding the city. At that time, according to the decree of Empress Catherine II on urban planning reform in most Russian cities, master plans reconstruction. And Kostroma was no exception. It was decided to build the shopping complex soundly and in a new way - from stone. The main work on the redevelopment of streets in the very center of the city began two years after the fire.

Large-scale construction took a long time and was completed only in the first third of the 19th century. Moreover, some individual buildings were completed and reconstructed at a later time. To design the shopping complex and supervise the builders, the city attracted the best provincial architects - Pyotr Ivanovich Fursov, Stepan Andreevich Vorotilov, Vasily Petrovich Stasov and Nikolai Ivanovich Metlin.

Petty rows

And the authorship of the exemplary project belonged to the famous architect from the Vladimir province, German by origin, Karl von Kler. Construction began on several city blocks at once - on the site of the settlement and partly along the filled-in ditch, which in the old days surrounded the Kostroma Kremlin.

Today the old merchant complex is considered the best preserved in Russia. It is located on the main city square and on part of the Kostroma streets going down to the Volga. Most buildings are surrounded by graceful open galleries or arcades. Inside, behind each of the arches, at one time there was a separate merchant shop with a showcase and its own entrance. It had dimensions of 4.5 by 7 m. The basement and second floor were intended for storing goods, and the manager’s office was usually located at the top of the shop.

Architecture of Gostiny Dvor

In the central part of the trading ensemble there are symmetrically located buildings that belonged to the Gostiny Dvor and the building where flour, grain, flax and fodder were sold - the Great Flour Rows. They were the very first to be erected and determined the nature of all subsequent development. At first (1791) the building of the Great Flour Rows was built. Then they began construction of Gostiny Dvor (Red Rows). They were called so because trade in “red” goods was carried out inside – fabrics, books, leather goods, shoes and fur. Interestingly, it was here that the first self-service store appeared before the 1917 revolution. In total, 86 separate rooms were equipped for retail shops in the Red Rows.

View of the bell tower of the Church of the Savior in Rows and Melochny Rows

Externally, the first two buildings of the Trading Rows are very similar. These are closed squares rounded at the corners, inside of which there are spacious courtyards. The tradition of rounding corners was an architectural feature widespread in the 18th century. And in provincial cities they continued to build houses like this until the middle of the next, 19th century. Rounded corners allowed horse-drawn carriages and wagons to more easily negotiate turns without hitting structures.

The dimensions of the Red Rows are 110 by 160 m, the Flour Building is even larger - 122 by 163 m. Both buildings are considered one of the best architectural structures made in Kostroma in the traditions of mature classicism.

Inside the Red Rows, in the 20-30s of the 19th century, four one-story buildings with merchant shops for selling haberdashery goods were erected - Petty Rows. These low buildings fit very harmoniously into the more massive outer building, and neat “streets” were formed inside.

From the outside, the shopping arcades give a deceptive impression and seem small at first. However, when you get inside through the spacious arch of Gostiny Dvor, the scale of the old trading city immediately becomes visible. Behind some buildings others appear, and in the depths of the Trade Rows the sensations of merchant scale and antiquity become brighter and brighter. Moreover, modern advertising signs placed on the walls and cars parked near the buildings do not interfere with this at all.

Chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker Babaevskaya in Gingerbread Rows

The old Church of the Savior in Rows is rightfully considered a real decoration of Gostiny Dvor. He has more ancient history and survived the fire of 1773. When designing the Trading Rows, it was decided to preserve this, one of the oldest churches in Kostroma, and the temple was skillfully built into the Red Rows. Today it and the slender bell tower, erected in the 19th century, give the entire shopping complex an unusual flavor and solemnity.

Traveling through the shopping complex

Following the first large buildings, other buildings began to be erected. At the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries, typical buildings of Gingerbread, Bread, Kvass, Saddlery, Meat, Green and Fish rows appeared. Behind them they placed an extended one-story building of the Butter Rows, which continued the line begun by the building of the Red Rows.

Then the Vegetable (Tobacco) Rows appeared - a laconic building, decorated with a slender colonnade with capitals of the Doric order. Their construction was supervised by the famous architect V.P. Stasov. Thanks to him, it was possible to fit into the wall of the new building the remains of the chapel, which once belonged to the ancient Assumption Cathedral, and thereby preserve this architectural monument.

Later than others, the buildings of the Small Flour and Tar Rows appeared, which were erected along Molochnaya Gora - a street laid to the Volga bank. In 1833, when 12 thousand people lived in the city, there were 288 working shops in the merchant complex.

View of the Melochny Rows

The long shopping arcades have become a real decoration of the Volga city. In addition to their main function, they served as a place where the townspeople and guests of Kostroma loved to be. Here they made business and personal meetings, and came just for a walk. In the 20th century, the old merchant place was repeatedly used for filming. For example, scenes from the famous film “Cruel Romance” were filmed there.

The shopping complex plays a major role in the lives of citizens and tourists today. Here you can have a good time strolling along the arches, exploring architectural sights and relaxing in a cafe, restaurant or pancake house. The Trading Arcades sell a wide variety of food and souvenirs, and in the central part of the complex there is a market popular among Kostroma residents.

While walking along the Trading Rows, it is interesting to look into the beautifully decorated Cheese Exchange, where they sell delicious Kostroma cheese and dairy products. At the exchange you can see old photographs hanging on the walls, as well as a map of the area, where local cheese-making enterprises are marked. It is no coincidence that this place has become one of the tourist brands of Kostroma. Time seems to have stood still in the Trade Rows, and walking here you can vividly feel the rhythm of life in the old merchant city. You can get here on weekdays from 9.00 to 19.00, and on weekends from 9.00 to 18.00.

In Gingerbread Rows

How to get there

The shopping arcades are located in the historical center of the city, on the left bank of the Volga.

By car. The road from the capital to Kostroma takes 4.5-5 hours (346 km) and passes along the Yaroslavl highway and the M8 highway (Kholmogory). In Kostroma, you need to cross the road bridge to the left bank of the Volga and turn left - onto the street. Sovetskaya, along which you can get to the Trading Rows.

By train or bus. From Yaroslavsky Station in Moscow to Kostroma, trains take 6.04-6.35 hours. In addition, from the capital's Central Bus Station, located near the Shchelkovskaya metro station, Kostroma can be reached by regular buses (7 trips per day). This journey takes 6.50 hours. The Kostroma bus station is 1 km away from the railway station. Around the city you can get to the Trade Rows by buses No. 1, 2, 9, 10, 14, 20, 21, 25, 26, 99, minibuses No. 1, 2, 4, 10, 14, 21, 26, 38, 47 , 48, 49, 50, 51, 56, 57, 66, 76, 81, 101 and trolleybuses No. 2, 3, 4, 7, 9 (stop “Susaninskaya Square”).

"Photos of old Moscow"
Among the trading establishments of Russia at the end of the 19th century, the Upper Trading Rows occupied a special place. This largest shopping passage played an important role in the economic life of the country. The location of the shopping arcades in the very heart of Moscow, in the ancient center of Russian trade, predetermined their rich history.

The pre-revolutionary guidebook about this fragment of Red Square says the following: “The shops in the rows were the property of guests. There were large and small, sometimes reaching the size of one arshin in width. Overcrowding, frequent fires and a crowd of buyers forced the Moscow government to take more than once measures to streamline this trade. So, after a big fire, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich issued a long decree on streamlining all row trading with a detailed schedule of the location of the corresponding rows."

Plans of Moscow, official materials (deeds of sale, lawsuits, etc.), archaeological sites - everything indicates that already in the 17th century almost all retail and wholesale Moscow. The place that is now occupied by GUM, Vetoshny Proezd and the opposite row of houses along it has long been lively shopping center cities.

The ancient buildings of the 17th century existed until Catherine II, when they were demolished and replaced with new ones. According to the project of the famous Quarenghi (1744-1817), the restructuring was conceived on a grandiose scale, but was not completed; Moscow city architects Selekhov and Karin hastily completed the building, which still exists today under the name of the Old Gostiny Dvor. This slender white building, with an elegant colonnade, unfortunately, completely inflated with signs, is located between Ilyinka and Varvarka, next to the Exchange.

Only from the side of Red Square, and even then from afar, did the former Upper Trading Rows, crowded with people and carts, look more or less decent. There, from Nikolskaya to Ilyinka, opposite the monument to Minin and Pozharsky, which at that time stood in the center of Red Square, an entire block was occupied by a two-story building, slightly reminiscent in architecture of the current Gostiny Dvor: two central turrets, eight columns, large rectangular windows on the first floor, semicircular windows of the second.

The stone building blocked the view of a swarm of small wooden shops that were always burning. Fires happened several times a year, especially often in winter - due to the stoves that were used to heat clerks who were not resistant to frost. But the biggest fire in 1812, during the days of the French invasion, bypassed the shopping arcades.

Upper city rows (top view from the back)

In 1815, according to the design of the architect O. I. Bove, a new building of the Upper Trading Rows was erected. The building, which occupied an entire block, was divided between private owners, and they could not be persuaded to at least major renovation. The building was collapsing before our eyes, one day a layer of plaster fell on customers, and another time a lady, trying on a velvet dress, fell through the rotten floor, broke her leg and was taken to the hospital straight in an unpaid replacement - the owner was afraid to remind her of this, glad that she did not apply for recovery of her loss. However, in the second half of the 19th century, when the rapid growth of industry and trade began in Russia, shopping arcades no longer met the requirements of the time, scale and modern forms of trade.

Upper city rows (view of the right side from Red Square)

“The old city rows were dark ruins. The passages in them were not clean, there were many steps and various steps; one could only walk along such rows with great caution.” From the memoirs of the merchant I.A. Slonova.

Upper city rows (view of the middle part from Red Square)

Once there was such a case. I walked with the children's boots behind the respectable gentleman and, going down the stairs, as usual, described the extraordinary qualities of the children's boots he had chosen and little by little lowered the price for them. The buyer walked in silence. In the middle of the stairs we met a senior clerk and asked me: “What’s the matter?” I answered him: “I assigned two rubles seventy-five kopecks, they give me a ruble fifty kopecks.” The clerk said: “Pin it up,” and went to the top. The buyer quickly turned around and, advancing on me, asked menacingly: “Whom to pin?” I chickened out and told him that there was no one. The buyer became angry, loudly expressed his displeasure, wanted to call the police and draw up a report. The owners and clerks tried to calm the formidable buyer and explained to him that the word “pin” in our jargon means “sell.” The buyer called us all fools and left the store without buying the boots.

Instead of the words “give” and “sell,” we said, on the orders of the owner, “favor” and “pin.” He came up with several more intricate words, with the help of which the employees explained themselves to each other in front of the customers, and the latter, unfortunately, did not understand these words.

Upper city rows (view of the left side from Red Square)

Between the “verbs”, along the entire length of Red Square, was the most lively original part of Gostiny Dvor - the Knife Line. On one side there were shops with fashionable goods, on the other, between the outer doors facing Red Square, numerous cabinets were placed in stone walls. Each cabinet occupied a space three arshins long and two arshins wide. The merchants who traded in them were always on the outside of the counter, that is, they stood with the customers. The lockers for trading were extremely inconvenient and certainly harmful to the health of traders; there was always a through wind around them; In winter, during a blizzard, they were covered with snow. In the summer it rained slantingly. Therefore, most of the merchants who traded in lockers often caught colds and were sick. In the cabinets they sold cheap lace, fringe, buttons, needles, various trimmings, etc.

Old Red Square

The passage between the benches and lockers was four arshins wide. The exhibitions in the shops were small and bad; they were replaced by merchants and their clerks, who stood near their shops and loudly invited the passing public to come to them. Pointing their fingers at their shops, they shouted: “Please, we have satin, rosin and other silk goods for you.” Dealers in boots and shoes were not content with simply inviting customers to their shops; For a more visual understanding of their product, they gave their boys a pair of boots under their arms and sent them to Red Square to invite buyers. All day long the boys walked along the sidewalks in rows and offered to buy boots for everyone they met. Having found someone who wanted it, the boy brought him to the shop and handed him over to the clerks, and he himself again went to the square to catch buyers, who were called “square.” It was very difficult to sell to them, since these buyers always offered half the price, and sometimes even less.

Upper city rows (view along Nikolskaya Street from the northeast corner)

There were still wandering shoemakers, the so-called booters, walking along the rows and along Red Square; they had with them small pieces of leather, a knife, nails, a hammer and a thick wooden stick with an iron claw. With the help of these tools they are in the most prominent and active places behind cheap price repaired old boots. To do this, the owner of thin boots, no matter what the weather, took off his shoes on the street and stood barefoot while the shoemaker repaired his boots. Such scenes and types are no longer found on Moscow streets.

Upper city rows (view along Nikolskaya from the Historical Museum)

In the Knife Line, among the merchants and their employees there were many Ostrovsky types. For example, not far from Zaborov’s shop, a short, shaven old man, Chervyakov, was selling haberdashery in a cabinet. He dressed in a lionfish coat in the summer, and in a raccoon coat with a stand-up collar in the winter. He always had a tall top hat on his head, which he did not part with in the winter, even in severe frosts. In general, the figure of Chervyakov was in highest degree comical. He was such a suspicious person that he did not trust not only strangers, but also himself. Every evening he locked and sealed his locker for over an hour. Having finished typing, he took off the top hat from his head and began to pray in all four directions, first to the ordinary icon, then to his locker, to the neighboring bench and to the fruit “verb”. After that he left. Having walked 200-300 steps away from his locker, he returned and began again to inspect and feel all the locks and seals in the locker. Then he again prayed in all four directions and left, but after a few minutes he appeared again for the same thing... Thus, the old man inspected the locks and seals several times daily. He stopped this activity when the guards took the chained dogs out of the dungeon and let them go. them to the Knife Line all night.

Upper city rows - Nozhevaya line (2nd row from Nikolskaya street)

Another original, a certain Batrakov, who sold ready-made clothes, went to the “Bubnovskaya Hole” every morning, from where he always returned in the evening, red as boiled crayfish. Entering the shop, he loudly asked the clerks: “What, were they selling?” The senior clerk answered: “They sold it, sir.” The merchant walked behind the counter to the “revenue”, opened an empty box... “Where is the money?” - “But they sold it, but they didn’t sell it,” the merchant silently approached the clerk and whispered something for a long time and impressively in his ear.

Upper city rows (view along Ilyinka from Red Square)

Another interesting neighbor was Eremkin, who sold tea, although he was not involved in trade at all. His profession was “to intercede everywhere and everywhere, for everyone and everything.” For this purpose, he had acquaintances in various courts, offices, boards, etc. He never refused any business, he took on everything, the possible and the impossible. His main specialty was to get merchants medals, orders, the title of honorary citizen, etc. He charged inexpensively for Svan services and therefore always had a large clientele among merchants.

Middle city rows (view from Moskvoretskaya street)

There was still a rather elderly merchant named Korolev, who sold shoes. This guy was a big fan of fires. He always went to every fire, no matter where it was, day or night, it didn’t matter, and he was always the last to leave when the fire was extinguished.

Middle city rows (view along Khrustalny Lane from Ilyinka)

But the most striking and typical figure in the Knife Line was our owner, old man Zaborov. He always sat on a high stool at the entrance to the shop; on the other side of the door stood a group of his clerks and in chorus called everyone passing into the shop, offering them to buy shoes and boots. Zaborov traded wholesale and retail; its annual turnover was slightly more than 100 thousand rubles.

No matter how many customers there were in the shop, all the clerks could not leave. There was a constant duty here; the duties of the duty officer were to “call in” customers. Many people passing by did not like this bartering; they responded to the barker by saying: “What a watchdog...” In the remaining rows, barking was practiced on a smaller scale.

Middle city rows (view along Khrustalny Lane from Varvarka)

The icon row was very typical. One half of it was occupied by icon shops, and the other by women selling handmade lace in small cabinets. In icon shops, icons were not sold, but “exchanged.” It was done this way. The buyer, entering the store, said:

I would like to exchange the icon.

The seller, in response to this, quickly removed the cap from his head and put it right there on the counter. The buyer followed the example of the seller and also stood with his head uncovered. The icon is selected. Buyer asks:

How much does it cost to exchange an icon?

The merchant set a fabulous price for it. The bargaining began. To be more convincing, the seller said that he set a divine price, because it is a sin to bargain for icons. The buyer agreed with him and bought the icon for a “divine price.” The icons were traded for the most part Rogozh and Zamasvorets merchants. More intelligent buyers did not agree with the “divine prices” set by the merchant. They asked him to cover his head with a cap and take half the “divine price” for the icons. The seller quickly made concessions and sold the icon for the offered price.

Middle city rows (view along Varvarka from Moskvoretskaya street)

The merchants and clerks who sold icons were all ardent alcoholics. They were considered the most honored guests at the “Hole of Diamonds” and enjoyed special respect. Some of them, who had been drinking incredible amounts of wine there every day for decades, were given a significant discount. The merchants were very proud of this well-deserved privilege.

Middle city rows - view along Ilyinka from the north-eastern corner

As you know, all stores and shops have their own special marks that mark the goods. To do this, the merchant chooses some word that has ten different letters, for example “M e l n i k o v”; With these (1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0) letters he writes units, tens, hundreds and thousands.

Middle city rows - view along Ilyinka from Red Square

One day I witnessed the following interesting scene. Two merchants, an old and a young one, came to the icon shop, and with them three women to bathe three icons for the wedding. They chose them for quite a long time, then asked how much it would cost to exchange these icons. The seller charged 150 rubles for them. The merchants found this price too expensive and began to explain their mark to each other in the following way: a young man, obviously the groom, turning to his father, said: “You can give the Artsy, like him, rest.” The old man replied: “No, it’s expensive, it will be quite hard, he,” and, turning to the seller, said: “If you want to take 90 rubles, we won’t give you more than a penny, otherwise we’ll buy it somewhere else.” The seller quickly made concessions, and the ICONS were sold to merchants for “firmly.”

Average city rows. View from Lobnoye Mesto

In the center of Gostiny Dvor there was a number of so-called “money changers”, most of them were Japanese. They exchanged money, sold and bought series and coupons. The money changers were placed in benches one and a half arshins wide; In front of each of them on the counter were stacks of small silver coins. One of the money changers, a certain Savinov, was distinguished by great eccentricity. A very rich man, always sober and stingy, he often went on rather strange and ridiculous sprees. So, for example, during the winter he hired a luxury troika 8-10 times and rode it alone from morning to evening back and forth across Red Square.

Harmful city rows (view of Varvarka from the Church of Varvara the Martyr)

In the summer, Savinov walked differently: he dressed up in a white suit, covered his head with a white cap in the form of a skufia, and put a gold ring with a huge diamond on the index finger of his right hand. In such a buffoonish form he sat on the bench all day long. Tverskoy Boulevard, and the index finger with the diamond was on display all the time. Savinov was a fat 55-year-old, rather cheerful old man. The passing public looked at this monster with great surprise and chuckled good-naturedly.

Upper city rows - Isterian Passage (the beginning of the Bolshoi Vetoshny Row from Nikolskaya Street)

In the old days, beggars exchanged small coins on Red Square; they took three kopecks for change from each ruble. This is where the so-called money changers and money changers originate; the latter are now called bankers' offices, and the money changers - bankers.

Upper city rows - Middle Transverse Passage (from the monument to Minin and Pozharsky)

Many poor merchants had neither a clerk nor a boy, but they went to the tavern carefully every day twice and sat there for quite a long time. When leaving for the tavern, the merchant did not lock the shop or even close it, but simply placed a broom across the door and left calmly. If a buyer came in his absence, then, seeing a broom at the merchant’s door, he resignedly went back, leaving the purchase until another time.

Upper city rows - Silver row (1st spinning mill from Ilyinka)

In winter, during severe frosts, the owners sat in the tavern all day, and generously left the clerks and boys to freeze in the shops. The latter especially suffered from the cold, as they were dressed very poorly. Frosts sometimes reached 30 degrees or more; the birds froze and died in flight. In such severe frosts, it used to be that you would become completely numb, everything would freeze, both outside and inside. When you drank hot tea in the cold, it produced the effect of molten lead in your stomach, and the next day a large tumor appeared under your chin and it was painful to swallow. This disease was called “chushka”. In severe frosts, thick ropes were stretched along all rows to keep traders warm; They were pulled by a lot of people screaming, and this warmed them up. Then, in severe frosts, we also played “Ice Ice” - we kicked a large piece of ice along the rows. At night, in severe frosts, large bonfires were burned on Theater Square and at the intersections of central streets to warm the poor people. Returning home from daily “hikes,” often with frostbitten feet and hands, since we were not given warm boots and mittens, I often warmed up by the fire on Teatralnaya Square in the company of coachmen and cab drivers who were waiting for the theatrical departure...

Upper city ranks. Silver Row (2nd spinner from Ilyinka)

In Gostiny Dvor it was strictly forbidden to smoke tobacco or light a fire, so on dark autumn days the shops were locked at three o'clock in the afternoon.

Life in the ranks was family-patriarchal. As soon as the shops were opened, the neighbors gathered in groups in a row and reported various news, or simply told each other how they spent their time yesterday. Such neighborly conversations were called “cheska” - the group went to a tavern to continue it, where they sat over tea for two to three hours. Then they went to their shops. After staying in them for a short time, they gathered in groups in a row and again went to the tavern. In this way, the merchants spent their time quietly and cheerfully.

Upper city rows - Panskoy row (1st spinning mill from Ilyinka)

From early morning until late evening, a lot of people, buyers, suppliers, artisans, artel workers, cab drivers, beggars and others wandered through the rows. The shops everywhere showed a flurry of activity: various goods were being sold, bought, and shipped. In general, there was a lot of life and movement throughout the diverse and noisy crowd. Among the public, numerous peddlers walked along the rows, carrying on their heads in long trays covered with warm blankets, fried veal, ham, sausages, pies, sausages, etc., while all the peddlers loudly shouted the names of their goods in different voices.

Upper city rows - Small Cloth Row (view from Ilyinka)

Each peddler had his own nickname. Some of them were called “Goat”, “Rooster”, “Master”, “Snail”, etc. Then there were also interesting types of ordinary cooks. They carried in one hand a large clay pot of cabbage soup, wrapped in a warm blanket, and in the other hand a basket with bowls, wooden spoons and black bread. A bowl of hot, delicious cabbage soup with meat cost ten kopecks. After eating, the merchants placed bowls with the remains of cabbage soup and bread on the floor in the rows near their shops, where they were eaten by stray dogs running through the rows. Then the cook came, collected the bowls, immediately wiped them with a dirty and greasy towel and again poured hot cabbage soup into them for those who wanted them.

Upper city rows - Great Cloth Row (view from the middle of the rows)

Many beggars and holy fools walked along all the rows, among them there were many burned-out merchants, drunken and expelled clerks, officials and others. Their degrees Tit Titychi often forced former people sing and dance around their shops. Such a scene was beautifully depicted by Pryanishnikov in his painting, located in Tretyakov Gallery.

Traveling musicians also walked along the rows and entertained the merchants with unwise music. IN New Year Many military musicians came, who after the music congratulated the merchants on the New Year. Clerks and boys amused themselves by pinning humorous figures cut out of paper on the backs of beggars and holy fools, and various inscriptions on them, with which those already offended by fate walked through the rows, arousing laughter everywhere with their appearance.

Upper city rows - Lapotny row

Then they threw boxes with live mice, carefully wrapped in paper, at busy places; passers-by willingly picked up such finds and quickly disappeared with them.

There was also the following amusement in big use: a small silver coin was placed on the floor in the middle of the row, a thin black thread was glued to it, which was pulled along the floor into the shop; the end of the thread was in the hands of the employee. A passerby, seeing a silver coin lying on the floor, quickly bent down to pick it up; At that moment, a thread was pulled from the shop and the coin flew away from under the nose of the surprised passerby. This trick was always accompanied by Homeric laughter from the merchants.

In winter, in severe frosts, this fun was done a little differently. The coin was not tied, but frozen to the floor. The finder first tore off the coin with his fingernail, but was unable to do so; then he began to vigorously chip away at her with his heel. The merchants laughed and said to the finder: “Try it with your hoof...” The finder scolded the merchants and left. The coin remained in place.

Upper city rows - Narrow row

The game of checkers was common in Gostiny Dvor. To do this, merchants sat in a row near their shops on stools or boxes and played all day long. Among the players there were real virtuosos, whose game many curious people gathered to watch, sometimes placing large bets on the players. During Foma’s week, a “cheap shop” was held in Gostiny Dvor, for which various defects and worthless things were specially prepared. To do this, temporary counters were placed on the outside, near the shops, with large piles of various goods lying on them, and customers were digging through them like chickens.

Upper city ranks. Bolshoi Vetoshnoy row (1st spinning mill from Ilyinka)

Selling “on the cheap” was subject to special rules. So, for example, a product purchased “on the cheap” was not replaced, they were not responsible for its quality, and they did not give money back under any pretext. In shoe shops there was an additional rule - it was not allowed to try on cheap shoes. The shoes, tightly tied in pairs, were mostly different, that is, one was larger, the other was smaller, or they were very identical - two shoes, both on the same foot. Customers brought such shoes back and asked to change them, but they were categorically refused, citing the fact that “on the cheap” they were not responsible for anything.

On this occasion, quite unpleasant incidents often occurred between buyers and sellers. At night, all the numerous entrances to the Gostiny Dvor were closed with shabby, thin doors knocked together from thin boards and splints. Inside Gostiny Dvor was guarded by row guards and many angry dogs. Moreover, each row was covered with torn tarpaulins and matting across its entire width.

Upper city ranks. Large Icon Row (view from the middle of the rows)

Night thefts in the ranks were quite rare and exceptional. Despite the fact that it was certainly forbidden to smoke tobacco and light a fire in Gostiny Dvor, fires sometimes occurred there, as usual “from an unknown cause.” Since horse-drawn firefighters could not get into the rows, to extinguish fires in the rows there was a special foot fire brigade in the City part, which always came to the fire very late, and each barrel of water was carried by three firefighters. This turtle team was of very little use when putting out fires; Usually she was sent on duty during performances at the Bolshoi and Maly theaters.

Upper city ranks. Small Vetoshnoy Row

Every year on Saturday in the sixth week of Lent there is a palm market and festivities on Red Square. To do this, along the Kremlin wall, opposite the Gostiny Dvor, linen tents and chests are arranged in several rows, in which they sell children's toys, artificial flowers, defective dishes, popular prints, old books, mostly with torn out sheets (used bookstores sell them at a choice of 10 -20 kopecks) and many other things of the same kind.

Average city rows. Transverse passage from the frontal place

Average city rows. Mirror row (1st spinning wheel from Ilyinka)

Average city rows. Bottom vegetable row

This ends the first part. There will be a big sequel coming soon. By clicking on the photos you can view them in good quality and see the place from which it was made. You can also leave your comments and take part in the discussion of each photo. When preparing the material we used:

I.A. Slonov: “From the life of trading Moscow”
- Naydenov: Moscow Cathedrals, Monasteries, Churches
- Alexey Dedushkin
- GUM website
- Website "Photos of old Moscow"
Also, special thanks to all users who uploaded photos.