DLT building history. History of the DLT department store building

In the second half of the 19th century, salaries in the Russian Guard were small. The officers of the St. Petersburg garrison, who had no other income, were especially in need, because life in the capital required many expenses. The creation of your own cooperative could reduce them. The draft charter of the Economic Society of Officers of the Guards Corps - a corporate joint-stock company established in St. Petersburg with the goal of “delivering to its consumers the items they need<…>mainly uniforms, equipment, shoes and linen of very good quality, at the cheapest prices possible,” was approved by the highest on December 14, 1891. All officers of the St. Petersburg guards units had the right to join the society. Military personnel and officials from other army and navy units of the capital could become “annual subscribers” by paying a membership fee. More than four thousand shareholders joined the Economic Society of Officers of the Guards Corps. The largest shareholders were the grand dukes (all of them served in the guards regiments). The donation of Emperor Alexander III - 25,000 rubles - constituted the company's inviolable working capital.

In 1892, the society opened workshops and a store in the clothing warehouse of the engineering department on Glinka Street (now one of the buildings of the School of Railway Troops and Military Communications). A year later, the Guards Society was given a wooden house on the corner of Liteiny Prospekt and Kirochnaya Street.

Although there were enough funds to start commercial activities, the board realized that the real success of the enterprise was impossible without spacious and well-equipped premises. The commander of the Guards Corps, Lieutenant General Manzei, chairman of the board of the company, found a way out. He approached the emperor with a proposal to create a united assembly of army and navy officers in the capital and construct a building for it at the expense of the treasury. Part of the future officer's house was to be rented by the Guards Housekeeper store.

The building of the Guards Economic Society at the beginning of the 20th century. Photo courtesy of B.M. Kirikov

Alexander the Third approved the idea and allocated almost one and a half million rubles for construction. The opening ceremony of the luxurious building of the St. Petersburg Officers' Assembly (now the House of Officers) took place on March 22, 1898. An entire wing of the building along Kirochnaya Street was occupied by one of the first department stores in St. Petersburg, where “everything was available, and in order to pay cheaper, you had to give the share number, but you could buy everything without a share.”

The opening of access to the military department store to civilian customers alarmed the capital's trading class. While the Guards store was something of a closed distributor, its low fixed prices were a private matter of the company. Now complaints about unfair competition have poured into the City Council. But the officials replied that the Guards Society pays taxes on an equal basis with all commercial and industrial establishments in the capital, which means it has the right to sell its goods to everyone.

Not all officers accepted the innovation with enthusiasm. Military periodicals opened a discussion about whether commerce is compatible with officer’s honor, and whether it is proper for “demimonde girls” and other civilians of dubious reputation to visit an officer’s establishment. The size of dividends received by shareholders at the end of the year dispelled doubts. Soon, branches of the Guards department store opened in Gatchina, Peterhof, Krasnoe and Tsarskoye Selo, where camps and barracks of units of the St. Petersburg garrison were located. The experience was adopted in other cities of the Russian Empire.

With the beginning of the Russo-Japanese War, the Guards Society organized a military field department. The marketing service of “Gvardeyka” has earned many thanks. The profitability of outbound trade turned out to be unexpectedly high. The government provided wagons for transporting goods free of charge, which made it possible to keep prices at pre-war levels. In 1907, the Guards Society, using its own funds, without the help of the treasury, began construction of a new building.

The history of the construction of the central department store of the Guards Economic Society on Bolshaya Konyushennaya - later the House of Leningrad Trade - is well known. The European-style, elegant department store, equipped with the latest technology, opened on December 7, 1909. There was no end to buyers. “Every day at four or five o’clock, approaching it, you can see long lines of luxury cars, smart carriages, taxis and just cabs waiting for their owners and riders,” the capital’s newspapers reported. Civilian customers were limited only to the right to order clothing and shoes from workshops created exclusively for the production of military uniforms. The assortment, prices and service in the store were beyond praise. In typical military fashion, every action was carried out strictly according to instructions. In 1911, they were compiled into an extensive “Collection of Rules of the Guards Economic Society” - a kind of charter issued for official use. “Ekonomka” came out on top in Russia in terms of trade turnover. Stable profits allowed the Guards Society to add a new trading floor to the main building in 1912–1913. Nine branches of the company operated in St. Petersburg and its environs.

DLT department store building in scaffolding, February 2006. Photo by Yuri Molodkovets

At the beginning of the First World War, the Guards Economic Society organized trade in the front-line areas. "This<…>literally a boon for the army. When the carriages with goods arrive, everyone rushes to stock up on the necessary things: sugar, wine, canned food, sweets, crackers, shoes, clothes, tea, snacks, etc. Prices are the most reasonable; It’s just a pity that once the goods are sold out, you have to wait a long time…” wrote one of the front-line soldiers. In St. Petersburg, due to wartime difficulties, the department store gradually turned into a distribution center for high-ranking officers. In October 1918, the history of the Guards Economic Society ended with nationalization and plunder. A few months later, the Soviet government doubted the correctness of the dispersal of consumer societies, but awkward attempts to organize a military cooperative instead of the ruined one were not successful. In 1927, the Guards Store again became a trading establishment, but it was no longer related to military cooperators.

The abbreviation DLT was and remains familiar to many far beyond the borders of Leningrad. And not only the abbreviation, but also the huge gray glass building itself on Zhelyabova Street was known to all Leningraders and most guests of our city. In Soviet times, visitors, going “to the center” for shopping, rushed between three large retail outlets — Passage, Gostiny Dvor and DLT.

In “Gostinka” you could buy everything, but the surrounding area was cramped, rude and stuffy. Passage specialized in goods for women, and DLT specialized in children’s goods. Tired but satisfied citizens poured out onto the narrow sidewalk of Zhelyabova Street in the evening, holding one in each hand. five packages loaded with plastic Pinocchio, Olympic Bears and railways, carnival costumes and winter boots to grow. There is not a single one among the Leningrad children who has not been bought something at DLT.

House of the Guards Economic Society, 1913.

What was the name of the beloved store when it opened more than a hundred years ago? What does the Officers' Assembly and Voentorg have to do with it? What's unusual about its design? Why is it called DLT and not LDT? Let's figure out what's what and why.

When the trading house we are considering was built more than a hundred years ago, it was least of all intended for children — exclusively “men’s goods” were planned for sale for the capital’s guards garrison. Despite significant payments - rations, travel allowances, housing, for the maintenance of orderlies - the guards never had enough money. Only the lower ranks were on government support, and the officers were paid a salary, on which they had to not only eat and dress, but also lead a rather wasteful lifestyle. The regulations required renting decent apartments, visiting good restaurants - “Kuba”, “Donon”, “Kontan”, “Bear” (all, by the way, a stone’s throw from Konyushennaya), ordering expensive champagne, drinking in moderation (but visiting porterhouses, pubs and station buffets were strictly prohibited).

Officers donated monthly to the Officers' Meeting and together made expensive gifts to retiring fellow soldiers. In general, the honor of the uniform implied not only “guards” behavior, but also corresponding expenses. The position was a position, but it was necessary to live somehow, and, after lengthy discussions on the question “is commerce compatible with officer’s honor?”, the Officers’ Assembly decided to supply itself independently.

In 1891, a cooperative joint-stock company was established, the purpose of which was “to deliver to its consumers the items they need, mainly uniforms, equipment, shoes and linen of very good quality at the cheapest prices possible.” All officers of the guards units had the right to join the society, but non-guardsmen could become “annual subscribers” by paying a membership fee. Emperor Alexander III, general of the cavalry and general of the infantry, donated 25 thousand rubles, which became the untouchable capital of the company.

The first military trade, something like a military distribution center, was opened on the corner of Kirochnaya and Liteiny, in the newly built building of the Officers' Assembly (1898). By indicating the share number, buyers could purchase both industrial and food products at favorable “domestic” prices. Soon the useful address became known to the townspeople, and every morning cunning civilians flocked to Liteiny for “meat, livestock and game.” The merchants were indignant: they say, bad competition! But officials decided that the Guards Economic Society pays taxes on the same basis as other commercial and industrial establishments and is free to set prices at their own discretion.

Badge of the Economic Society of Officers of the Guards Corps

The wing of the building on Kirochnaya quickly ceased to accommodate everyone, profits grew like a snowball, and in 1907 the military decided to transfer the business to a new direction - to build a huge fashionable department store in the city center no worse than the Parisian “Big Stores”.

It was decided to build on the site where the unfortunate cabinet minister Artemy Volynsky, executed by Anna Ioannovna, lived in the 18th century. The chancellor was not exactly a special patriot, but politically active and proactive, for which he suffered. In 1907, the site from Konyushennaya to Moika was purchased by the Guards Economic Society. On the site of house No. 21 there was a cab driver's yard - a stone two-story building called the “Volynsky” or “Volynkin” yard. Built in 1836, house No. 23 housed the so-called Volkovsky rooms — a small cheap hotel. M. I. Glinka and M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin stayed here.

Corner of Bolshaya Konyushennaya and Volynsky Lane: Volynkin courtyard and apartment building, N.A. Meltser’s house before the start of construction, photograph of 1907. Yearbook of the OAH, Issue 3, 1908, P.67

Volynkin yard, 1905.

Initially, the complex of the Guards Economic Society was conceived as a multifunctional structure, including a retail establishment on the corner of Bolshaya Konyushennaya Street and Volynsky Lane (the future DLT itself), an apartment building on the embankment of the Moika River and a residential building for employees between them. And the competition, which I’ll tell you about a little later, implied the development of the entire site. But later the scope of the first stage of construction was limited to a corner retail building. In fact, of all the plans, only this building was built.

Left facade on Zhelyabova Street (Bolshaya Konyushennaya), modern view.

House of the Guards Economic Society. Facade along Bolshaya Konyushennaya Street, 1907.

In 1907, they began to build a trading house on Bolshaya Konyushennaya according to Virrikh’s design. Ernest Virrich is known in our city, by and large, for two buildings - this building and the Polytechnic Institute complex. However, he was an experienced and even advanced builder.

Concrete work on the construction of the GEO House, 1907.

He came up with the idea of ​​making the entire structure from reinforced concrete, which was just beginning to be widely used: under the building at a depth of 3.4 m there is a concrete slab 80 cm thick, and then the entire frame is entirely cast from reinforced concrete. For the 1900s, a completely progressive solution, but then a problem arose for the architects: how to dress this skeleton. In this case, we didn’t suffer too much, our style is classicism. Because it's fashionable. And modernity is also fashionable. Let's mix the best of this and that and get something eclectic, beautiful, and practical.

Right facade on Volynsky Lane.

So the building was endowed with a number of classical details: pilasters, various ornaments, cast-iron wreaths, a pediment above the cornice, stylized herms of a rotunda supporting a classic spire. By the way, there was originally a star on the spire. An eight-pointed star.

Eight-pointed star, photograph from 1910.

Well, in Soviet times it was, of course, changed to a five-pointed one, corresponding to the era. And already during the extreme reconstruction, the historical star was returned.

The five-pointed star that crowned the spire before the 2005 reconstruction.

There is an opinion that the facade ultimately turned out to be flat and smooth, and the floor divisions were gigantic, especially since the second and third floors were united by huge arches. The result came out somewhat bare, but the street is narrow, the building is tall, so it doesn’t catch the eye. In my opinion, everything is here in moderation, and it looks very harmonious. Functionally, it is also quite convincing: the atriums are airy, the inside is spacious and light.

There is no small hall on Bolshaya Konyushennaya yet. The first stage of construction was completed, photograph from 1910.

Initially, the usable area of ​​the building should have been much larger, so in 1912 they demolished the neighboring house on Konyushennaya and added a second, small hall, uniting them with a common facade. The building looks like a single whole; you don’t notice the component parts at all. And the modesty of the overall façade looks quite decent. In Europe, however, at that time there was a lot of experimentation in the spirit of modernity, and although these trends creep into the elements here, such a direct “modern-modern” did not happen.

The second stage is under construction - the “small hall”. Photo from 1912.

But let's get back to the project competition. 25 projects were submitted to the architectural competition (according to other sources, 26, but the difference of one project is not so significant), but not a single one was accepted in its original form. The jury, headed by the influential German architect Otto Wagner, advised to develop a collective project, which was carried out by Ernest Wierrich, who himself took only fourth place in the competition.

House of the Guards Economic Society. Plan of the 1st floor, 1908.

Many sources, including the official website of DLT, mention that architects Leonty Benois and Pavel Syuzor took part in the design. However, a recognized expert in the field of architecture of the beginning of the century, Boris Mikhailovich Kirikov, in his work “The Architecture of the Leningrad Avant-Garde” does not confirm this in any way. Moreover, this object is not and could not be in the biographies of both architects. Thus, Ernest Virrich was appointed chief builder, Stepan Krichinsky was his deputy, and the creative team also included N.V. Vasiliev, I.V. Padlevsky and B. Ya. Botkin. Consultants on technical issues were N. A. Belelyubsky, N. A. Zhitkevich, V. P. Statsenko, V. A. Shevalev.

At all times, the military's word rarely differed from deeds, and the store, gigantic at that time, was erected in just eight months. The European-style, elegant department store, equipped with the latest technology, opened on December 7, 1909. There was no end to buyers. Military discipline also extended to the style of trade: goods were sold here “in full weight and measure”, at set prices, without bazaar and scams - in a word, everything was according to the regulations.

Central trading hall, 1910s.

In typical military fashion, each action was determined strictly according to instructions. In 1911, they were compiled into an extensive “Collection of Rules of the Guards Economic Society” - a kind of charter issued for official use.

More than six hundred articles of the “Collection of Rules of the Guards Society” regulated every bodily movement of employees: “Guides on elevators are prohibited from raising servants separately from gentlemen,” “Checks should be written only with a chemical pencil, and not with an ordinary pencil,” “Do not count revenue in the presence of a buyer,” “All sorts of a statement of unkindness or inattention of the clerk to the buyer entails a mandatory reduction in interest.”

It is clear that it was no longer possible to drive away the civilians with a stick, and soon there were more bowlers and top hats, as well as ladies’ hats, in the store than officer caps. On Konyushennaya daily there were “rows of luxury cars, smart carriages, taxis and just cabs waiting for their owners and riders.” We went to the “guards” and for the sake of curiosity — to gaze at the gilded electric elevators, at the impeccably dressed and polite employees, to drink coffee, sitting in velvet armchairs and looking through the huge windows at Konyushennaya Street.

Store interior in the 1910s.

Stable profits from the store allowed the Guards Society to “expand” in 1912–1913—and the building itself was enlarged, and branches were opened: 9 branches were opened in Gatchina, Peterhof, Krasnoe and Tsarskoye Selo.

Compared to the cramped shops of the Gostiny Dvor or the crowd of the Passage, the mansions of the Guards Society made a strong impression. And everything was fine until 1917 happened. The prosperity ended a little later, in 1918: a distribution point was located in a nationalized, looted department store. Everything that remained in warehouses at that time, and in the huge “guards” workshops uniforms, shoes and even saddles were sewn from the very opening, was transferred to the Red Army.

A few months later, the Soviet government doubted the correctness of the dispersal of consumer societies, but awkward attempts to organize a new military cooperative to replace the ruined one were not successful. Only in 1927, the now former Guards Store again became a trading establishment, but it was no longer related to military cooperators. The store came under the jurisdiction of the Leningrad Union of Consumer Societies, and after ten years of anarchy, “on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the October Revolution,” on November 3, 1927 it opened for customers as LDK LSPO. And yes, the water was finally pumped out of the basements after the 1924 flood.

On November 3, 1927, the department store was opened as the “House of Leningrad Cooperation LSPO” (LSPO – Leningrad Council of Consumer Societies).

A page of history: there is a colossal shortage of everything in the country; due to huge queues, goods are distributed according to coupons and orders. The right of first refusal is given to shock workers, while “non-shock workers” wait for years for their turn to come to the counter. In two years, a card system will be introduced, dividing citizens into four categories.

“Specialists” (as party workers were called) will, of course, receive the fattest pieces; workers of factories, factories and offices - a modest ration of herring and cereals; “dependents” (non-working people, the sick, the elderly and children) - the minimum so as not to die; and the “dispossessed” (clergy, former nobles) will truly be deprived of everything. According to the newly created system, they were not entitled to anything: neither butter, nor bread, they could only buy something in the stores of “Torgsin” (“Trade with Foreigners”). In Torgsin, the predecessor of Beryozka, they traded for gold. This was an effective, from the point of view of the authorities, way to extract from the “former” jewelry that still survived after all the purges and nationalizations. A huge Torgsin department was also located in the House of Leningrad Cooperation (DLK), which is how the store was now called. End of page of history.

Photos of that time show both laughter and sin. Here is the shoe department: an assortment of felt boots and galoshes, customers unwind foot wraps. The women, all wearing headscarves and dark coats, hover over the counter. There is almost no money on hand — the goods are sold for cooperative bonds or according to fence books — “only to members of the cooperative” (remember our Ostap Bender).

In the shoe department of the House of Leningrad Cooperation. 1928 /TsGAKFFD/

“Consumer cooperation” was a fashionable word in the 1920s. The Lensovet Palace of Culture on Petrogradka (it will come to that, I hope) was built specifically for workers of consumer cooperatives, which is why you can still hear the word “industrial” in conversations of the older generation. So this very “consumer cooperation” sought to somehow saturate the absolutely empty market. On a commission basis, the DLK accepted handicrafts - baskets, paintings, cardboards. Numerous artels that occupied the guards' workshops sewed outerwear and children's dresses.

The slogan of that time was “By building cooperation, we are building socialism.” Neither one nor the other was built: in 1935, cooperation in the cities was liquidated, and all property was transferred to the system of the People's Commissariat of Internal Trade — the DLK became a state enterprise. At the same time, organizations producing bread, toys, and soft drinks were located here.

There are urban legends about how it became DLT: they say, in the project it was called LDT, Leningrad House of Trade. But almost the day before the opening, it was renamed the House of Leningrad Trade, because someone thought the initials of Lev Davidovich Trotsky were in the abbreviation “LDT”. I think everyone knows about Stalin, Trotsky, the ice ax and so on. Although DLT is quite normally obtained from DLK: we change the prohibited “cooperation” to the usual “trade”. So the stories are all about DLT — LDT.

Life went on. DLT did not stop working even during the war, distributing the remaining goods from the closed Passage and the Frunzensky department store built before the war on the corner of the Obvodny Canal and Stalin Avenue. DLT workers lived here in the building. Air defense soldiers were on duty at the corner tower.

Trying on a school uniform. 1951 .

In Soviet times, everything here was like everywhere else: socialist competition, fulfillment and overfulfillment of the plan, passing red banners, shortages, queues, trading with cards, products of “Skorokhod” and “Bolshevichka”, fairs, smiling children, school and New Year’s markets, Christmas trees in huge halls, records of the group “KINO”, construction sets, railways, “Mom, buy this, please!”, twenty-two branches of “Children’s World” around the city. In the 80s, I remember him too - so big, beautiful and somehow fabulous.

The years of Soviet power, although they did not bring this store the fame it once planned, did make it a local legend. DLT in the life of Leningrad is not place of abundance, it's a process, a journey. And all Leningrad children made this trip at least once. Repurposing the department store into a store with the largest children's goods department sealed its fate. Amazingly, all the memories of Leningraders about DLT converge on one thing - mothers took their children here for shopping, children went here to chase their dreams.

Magazine “Soviet Union”, No. 4, 1953, page 40.

Children of the 50s remember the hours spent in front of display cases with German dolls, children of the 60s and 70s remember the huge department of the GDR toy railways, girls of the early 90s recall the unimaginable abundance of Barbies in those days when one doll cost a parent’s entire salary. And everyone remembers some very luxurious New Year’s decorations at DLT, where a Christmas tree bazaar was held in the center of the Great Hall.

Of course, people came here not only with children. Particularly advanced ladies of the 70s will remember, in particular, that in DLT there was a particularly valuable section of women's underwear — there, for example, they often “threw away” lace bras, which, unlike armor sewn from quilted satin, did not stand up like a stake, but resembled female breast. Neither employees of nearby research institutes and academic institutes, nor schoolgirls could resist such a temptation - shouting “Girls, give me nets!” broad masses of women left their familiar workplaces.

And everything was fine until 1991 happened.

New Year's market. Photo by I. Kurtov. LenTASS. 1982

In 1991, a joint stock company was created, but the department store was not privatized. Trade continued. The interiors remain authentic, albeit shabby. At some point, there were plenty of department stores in Leningrad-Petersburg: each city district had its own. And in the center, Leningraders and guests of our city were still divided between Gostiny Dvor, Passage and DLT. However, only DLT had a special aura.

“The Village” magazine, 2012.

“What remains from the old DLT - the House of Leningrad Trade - are luxurious staircases, wrought-iron lamps and railings and a domed glass ceiling. But not the spirit: now it is a deserted expensive store, flooded with mercilessly bright light.”

Address: Bolshaya Konyushennaya st., 21-23
Metro station: Gostiny Dvor

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Guards Economic Society was formed in St. Petersburg. In essence, it was an ordinary joint-stock company, but only guards and naval officers could join it.

In 1908-1909, at the corner of Bolshaya Konyushennaya Street and Moshkov Lane, a building was built for the store of the Guards Economic Society. The author of the project was the architect E. Virrich, who won an international competition of twenty-five participants. Architects N. Vasiliev and S. Krichinsky also took part in the construction of the building.

During the construction of the trading house of the Guards Economic Society, a reinforced concrete frame was used for the first time. The external and internal appearance of the store reflects a passion for the architecture of Russian classicism. Stylized order columns and pilasters were used in the design of the building. The corner turret of the building was crowned with a thin and graceful, typically St. Petersburg spire.

The grand opening of the trading house of the Guards Economic Society took place on December 7, 1909.

In 1912-1913, a second trading hall was added to the building - Maly. The store, opened after reconstruction, amazed St. Petersburg residents not so much with the area of ​​​​the shopping galleries, but with the fact that the store could buy almost everything - from food to musical instruments. In addition, buyers could order goods, many of which were shipped directly from abroad, from catalogs.

Such department stores were a novelty and a sensation at the beginning of the century. Customers were pleasantly surprised by the politeness of the clerks, who treated customers of different incomes equally. Prices in the new department store were no higher, and often lower, than average city prices, which also attracted visitors. In the trading house of the Guards Economic Society, the policy of fixed prices was strictly observed: in other stores, clerks did not consider it shameful to take too much from a naive provincial, but in this store such deception was prohibited under pain of immediate dismissal.

After the October Revolution, in the mid-1920s, LSPO - the Leningrad Union of Consumer Societies - became the undivided owner of the former military property. On November 3, 1927, the House of Leningrad Cooperation (LDK) was inaugurated, and in the 1930s, the Torgsin Central Store was located on the first and second floors of the building, where citizens, in exchange for gold, could purchase goods that were not available for free sale.

During the Great Patriotic War, the building of the former trading house of the Guards Economic Society was heavily damaged by artillery shelling. It was restored in 1944-1947. In 1945-1946, the Central Commercial Department Store was located here. During the years of distribution of goods by orders and cards, everything was sold here freely, but at very high prices.

The store received its current name - DLT (House of Leningrad Trade) back in November 1935, when, by order of the People's Commissariat of Internal Trade of the USSR, the DLC department store was included in the Glavuniverga chain. In 1965, the trading company DLT was created. Nowadays, this company includes not only the oldest department store in the city, but also several dozen branches that cover all areas of the city.

How to get there

Exit the Gostiny Dvor metro station (exit to the Griboyedov Canal) onto Nevsky Prospekt and walk along it in the direction of decreasing the numbering of houses to Bolshaya Konyushennaya Street, on which the DLT is located.

Historical reference

1908-1909- the building of the trading house of the Guards Economic Society was built.
December 7, 1909- grand opening of the trading house.
1912-1913- construction of the Small Hall.
April 1913- grand opening of the Small Hall.
November 3, 1927- the House of Leningrad Cooperation (LDK) was solemnly opened in the building.
November 1935- the department store is named DLT (House of Leningrad Trade).
1944-1947- restoration of a building damaged by shelling.
1945-1946- the building houses the Central commercial department store.
1965- DLT trading company was created.

Legends and myths

When the decision was made to rename the DLK department store, they wanted to call it LDT (Leningrad House of Trade). But the most vigilant Bolsheviks realized that LDT are the initials of the enemy of the people, Lev Davidovich Trotsky. It is clear that the Bolsheviks could not allow a wonderful department store in Leningrad to bear the name of Trotsky. Eventually, the order of the letters in the abbreviation was changed, and the store became known as DLT. This name, more successful from a “political” point of view, has stuck with the store to this day.

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The appointment process can take anywhere from 15 minutes to two hours. A CT, MRI or PET scan is performed and visualizes the tumor and the structures around it. Markers can be placed on the skin to record the exact position of the tumor.

The radiation oncologist modifies the body size and shape of the planned treatment area. Sometimes additional steps are needed to get a clearer picture of body structures:

1. A dye injection is given to visualize the kidneys.
2. Special wires are used that are placed around the tumor.
3. A liquid dye is given to visualize the bladder.
4. When planning external beam radiation therapy to the chest, barium fluid is given to provide clearer images of the esophagus and stomach.

During the preparation process, doctors can use tiny tattoos to record the exact area of ​​treatment - 2 or 3 permanent marks. Signs can also be applied using indelible ink in the form of small crosses. Over time they begin to wear off.

If treatment is planned in the head or neck area, a special mask may be needed to ensure immobility during the treatment process. The forms are used in the process of arm or leg therapy. Masks and uniforms are made individually.

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Conformal radiotherapy

This type of radiation is also called 3D conformal radiation therapy or 3DCRT. It is used very often.

With conformal radiation therapy, a specialized computed tomograph is used in the planning process, and less often other types are used - MRI, for example. This provides visualization of the treatment area in three dimensions - width, height and depth.

1. CT scans are performed in the radiation therapy department. An MRI or PET scan may also be performed instead of a CT scan.
2. A computer program then creates beams of radiation that closely match the shape of the tumor. Doctors make sure that the malignancy gets into the treatment area, trying to avoid affecting healthy tissue as much as possible. This reduces the risk of side effects.

Marks may be placed on the skin to indicate the desired area. During treatment, plastic molds can be used (for limbs, for breast cancer) and masks for head or neck cancer. They provide immobility during radiotherapy.

With conformal radiation therapy, a small amount of healthy tissue is exposed to radiation. Therefore, the risk of negative consequences of treatment is lower. As with any external irradiation, side effects occur only in the treatment area.

IMRT – intensity modulated radiation therapy

This is a type of conformal radiation therapy that produces beams of radiation that closely match the shape of the tumor.

IMRT can be performed using a standard linear accelerator. It has a device called a multi-leaf collimator. The collimator consists of thin lead plates that can move independently. They create a shape that exactly matches the treatment area. The drive plates are able to move as the accelerator moves around the patient, creating a beam of radiation directed at the tumor as the accelerator rotates. This means that IMRT radiation therapy delivers high doses of radiation to the tumor and reduced doses to healthy tissue.

Each beam of radiation is divided into many small ones that can change intensity. This makes it possible to deliver different doses of radiation.

In addition, IMRT can create a B-shaped (concave) area at the edge of the radiation treatment field. This avoids high radiation doses to structures that may be damaged during therapy. Which reduces the risk of long-term side effects. This is very useful in areas such as the head and neck area - preventing damage to the spinal cord or salivary glands.

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Preparation

The planning process includes several stages:

1. The patient undergoes a CT scan. An MRI or PET scan may also be performed.
2. Using the images obtained, the team of doctors plans treatment. Advanced computerized calculations are used to determine the dose that will best match the shape of the tumor. The planning process itself may take longer than with other types of radiation therapy.
3. The processing area can be marked using special signs. Masks and molds are also used to ensure immobility during treatment.

IMRT can be performed using a linear accelerator or tomotherapy.

Tomotherapy is a specific brand of radiation therapy equipment that has a built-in scanner. It combines intensity-modulated IMRT with an image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) unit. The treatment procedure takes 15 minutes or more.

Volume modulated arc radiation therapy (VMAT)

VMAT is a new type of IMRT technique. Radiotherapy equipment rotates around the patient during treatment. The intensity of the radiation beam is constantly changing. Advantages of the technique:

• high accuracy;
• short treatment periods;
• use of a lower total dose of radiation.

Indications for the use of IMRT radiotherapy

Clinical trials are currently underway on the use of IMRT in the treatment of other types of malignant tumors, including breast cancer and head and neck cancer. IMRT is a standard form of treatment for some types of cancer.

During intensity modulated radiation therapy, a very small amount of healthy tissue is exposed to the treatment area. Thus, the risk of negative consequences is quite low. But, unfortunately, they still exist. As with any other external radiotherapy, side effects affect only the treated area.

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Image Guided Radiation Therapy IGRT

IGRT is a type of conformal radiation therapy that has the ability to form beams of radiation around the tumor area.

IGRT uses X-rays and scans similar to CT scans before and during radiation therapy. X-rays and scans are used to visualize the size, shape and location of the tumor, as well as surrounding tissue and bones.

The planning process is aimed at providing a high dose of radiation to the tumor. It is important that the treatment area includes the area surrounding the malignant tumor. This increases the effectiveness of treatment. A low dose of radiation to surrounding healthy tissue is planned to reduce the likelihood of negative effects.

Types of image-guided radiation therapy

In some areas of the body, tumors may change location with each treatment. An example would be the prostate gland, which moves depending on whether the bladder is full or empty. Therefore, there is a risk that the tumor will not reach the treatment area. Some types of IGRT allow you to scan before each radiation treatment session.

Such an example is 4D-RT - 4-dimensional radiation therapy makes it possible to scan during treatment and make sure that the tumor is in the treatment area. This equipment can be adjusted to any changes in the position of the tumor during radiotherapy.

Some types of 4D CT may turn off automatically if the tumor moves beyond the radiation treatment area. This type of radiotherapy is very useful in treating cancer in areas of movement, such as radiation to the lungs. Radiation is sent once the tumor returns to a certain position, which can be seen during the scan.

Advantages and possible disadvantages of IGRT

With image-guided radiation therapy, doctors are able to deliver radiation with high precision. The effectiveness of therapy increases, both for the purpose of cure and for the purpose of controlling the disease. The risk of undesirable consequences is also reduced. The disadvantage is that the planning process takes longer. In addition, the duration of each session also increases.

IGRT planning

This process includes several stages:

1. A patient undergoes a CT scan in the radiation therapy department. It could also be an MRI or PET scan.
2. A computer program designs the radiation process so that the beams precisely match the shape of the tumor. Doctors make sure that the affected area is completely included in the treatment zone and that healthy tissue receives as little impact as possible. This reduces the risk of side effects.
3. Radiation oncologists may mark the treatment area. Plastic molds or masks are also used to keep the patient immobile.

Small metal tags may be placed inside or around the tumor. During an X-ray or CT scan, the doctor uses a needle to insert a gold bead or rod. These markers can be seen using x-rays or scanning; this technique guarantees high accuracy of treatment.

IGRT is usually given using a standard linear accelerator, specially adapted and with specific computer programs.

Some types of IGRT are carried out using specially designed equipment - Cyber ​​Knife. It has a robotic arm that moves around the patient, delivering radiation from different points.

IGRT can also be performed through tomotherapy. It combines a CT scanner and external radiotherapy equipment. Part of the machine has the ability to rotate around the patient while scanning with a CT scan and deliver radiation to a specific localized area.

The treatment procedure takes from 15 to 45 minutes.

IGRT provides less exposure to healthy tissue than other types of radiation therapy. Therefore, the risk of side effects is reduced. However, they still occur and develop in the field of processing.

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Stereotactic radiotherapy (SBRT)

This is a technique in which radiation is delivered to the tumor from many different directions, ensuring high precision. Thus, the malignant tumor receives the maximum dose of radiation, and the surrounding tissues receive a low dose, which reduces the likelihood of undesirable consequences of treatment. Typically three to eight procedures are performed.

Stereotactic radiation therapy is used to treat brain tumors, as well as small malignant tumors in organs such as:

• lungs;
• liver (for primary and secondary cancer);
• The lymph nodes;
• spinal cord.

In clinical trials, stereotactic radiotherapy is also being used for other types of oncology.

Planning

1. A patient in the radiation therapy department undergoes a CT scan. An MRI or PET scan may also be performed.
2. A computer program generates beams of radiation that will exactly match the shape of the tumor.
3. Doctors can mark the skin to pinpoint the area to be treated. Special forms and masks are also used to ensure immobility during the session. Metal markers can be used to ensure very precise treatment.

Various equipment can be used to perform stereotactic radiotherapy. The most commonly used is a linear accelerator. The procedure lasts 15-45 minutes.

Treatment with a cyber knife

CyberKnife has a robotic arm that moves during treatment, delivering doses of radiation from different directions. At the same time, regular scanning is carried out, and the scan results are sent to the computer. This allows doctors to precisely target the tumor if it moves, for example during exhalation.

The treatment procedure can take from thirty minutes to four hours, the duration is determined by the type of cancer and its position in the body. Treatment can be carried out at one time, or it can be divided into parts with short breaks.

Radiosurgery

Radiosurgery is a type of stereotactic radiation therapy. It provides highly precise treatment with extremely high doses of radiation over 1-5 sessions. Used for certain types of brain tumors. Clinical trials of radiosurgery for the treatment of prostate cancer are currently underway.

High precision reduces the risk of damage to healthy tissue. Therefore, there are fewer side effects compared to other types of radiation therapy.

Questions to ask your doctor about external beam radiation therapy:

1. How often will I need to visit the clinic for treatment?
2. How long will the course last?
3. How long does each procedure take?
4. Will there be image-guided radiation therapy?
5. Will conformal radiotherapy be recommended?
6. Will intensity modulated radiation therapy be prescribed?
7. How can I find out the exact treatment area?
8. Will the treatment area be marked on the body?
9. Will the markings on the skin be permanent?
10. How long after planning will the first radiation procedure be performed?

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The appearance of a malignant neoplasm is considered one of the most serious human ailments. At the same time, timely contact with a specialist can significantly increase the chances of further recovery. Unfortunately, when a cancer occurs, drug therapy alone is not enough. We have to turn to more radical and aggressive methods of treatment, which include radiation therapy.

Radiation therapy is classified according to the type of treatment into external beam radiation therapy, contact radiation therapy, and radionuclide radiation therapy.

Let's take a closer look at this treatment method, external beam radiation therapy, in more detail.

External beam radiation therapy, or external radiation therapy, is considered one of the leading methods of treating cancer. During a session of such radiotherapy, the radiation source is located at a certain distance from the irradiation site.

External beam radiation therapy differs from other types of radiation therapy in that during the procedure a destructive effect occurs not only on pathologically changed cells, but also on neighboring healthy cells of the body.

For an EBRT session, specialized equipment is used that allows you to change the wavelength, while reducing the negative effect of the rays on undamaged tissue.

External radiotherapy of cancer uses special linear accelerators that direct a stream of ionizing rays to the cancerous tumor.

The devices differ in the principle of influence, and are used for specific purposes, for completely different forms of cancer tumors. For example, one equipment is effective for the treatment of superficial types of cancer, while another is recommended for therapy in the development of tumors in the internal organs of a person.

DLT is used in long courses that last from 1 to 2 months. In this case, a single therapy session is carried out in just a few minutes.

External beam radiotherapy is usually used when the lesion occurs in deeper layers. Radiation therapy is also used for cancer of the prostate, breast, lung, bladder, cervix, larynx and other malignant diseases.

External beam radiation therapy is carried out using 2 methods of irradiation:

• static (motionless);
• mobile (mobile).

Method 1 is that the patient, to whom a statically located radiation source is directed, is in a specific, stationary position.

Method 2 differs in the movement of the radiation source. It is directed to a malignant neoplasm, and the device, moving around the patient, affects the affected area from all sides.

Types of radiation therapy

At the same time, external beam radiation therapy is also divided into several specific types:

Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy

The 3D conformal radiation therapy technique is based on three-dimensional volumetric planning. That is, the irradiation zone is extremely close to the parameters of a malignant neoplasm. Before this type of radiation therapy, treatment is planned based on computed tomography data.

Conformal external beam radiation therapy is carried out using linear accelerators equipped with a multi-leaf collimator.

Thanks to the collimator petals moving independently and aligning with the shape of the tumor, damage to the tissues surrounding the tumor is limited.

During the procedure, the patient is on the table in a static and comfortable position. The automated table moves in different planes, moves up and down, and also rotates around its axis. In this case, the motionless patient is given the position necessary for more accurate irradiation only by table movements. This session lasts approximately 10 minutes.

Image-guided radiation therapy

Image-guided radiotherapy involves delivering radiation and taking pictures at short intervals during the session to increase the accuracy of the effect.

The device is equipped with visualization tools, which allows specialists to monitor the condition and location of the tumor. Images taken using computer equipment are compared with images obtained at the modeling stage. This helps during the procedure to carry out the necessary formation and adjustment of the beam of rays, and also allows you to quickly change the patient’s position on a special table in order to increase the accuracy of the radiation and a high degree of protection of surrounding tissues.

Image-guided radiation therapy with intensity modulation

Often, image-guided radiotherapy is combined with intensity-modulated radiotherapy. This technique allows you to quickly and simultaneously change the power and shape of the beam of rays, as well as the angular velocity of rotation of the linear accelerator. The procedure helps to even more effectively reduce the negative impact on healthy, undamaged tissues located next to the tumor, and also reduce the total duration of one session to a couple of minutes.

Intensity modulated radiation therapy

Intensity modulated radiotherapy is an innovative technique for delivering high-precision external radiation therapy using special computerized linear accelerators that are able to deliver the required dose of radiation directly to the cancerous tumor or to the area within it.

RTMI guarantees precise matching of the beam shape with the three-dimensional contours of the tumor thanks to modulation and control over radiation doses. In addition, this method allows you to focus the radiation power on certain areas of the tumor, allowing you to reduce the radiation dose to adjacent healthy tissue.

Stereotactic radiotherapy

Stereotactic radiation therapy was specifically designed to treat brain cancer because ionizing radiation is extremely harmful to healthy brain cells surrounding the cancer.

It is used for the most accurate irradiation of a neoplasm that has a complex shape and is located next to healthy organs and tissues. In this case, the high dose of radiation is limited to the area of ​​the cancerous tumor, and the harmful effects on healthy tissue remain minimal.

After external beam radiation therapy

Despite the fact that modern remote methods are able to somewhat reduce the discomfort after a session, it is worth remembering that they still remain radiation exposure. And there are still consequences after radiation therapy:

• There are problems with the gastrointestinal tract. A course of DLT may cause intestinal disorders, nausea, constipation or diarrhea.
• Troubles associated with the genitourinary system of the body may arise.
• In men, there is a decrease in potency and the formation of erectile dysfunction.
• General weakness and constant fatigue.
• The functioning of the lymphatic system is disrupted, which manifests itself in constant swelling.
• Decreased immune strength of the body.
• Anemia and platelet formation.
• Unstable emotional state and sleep disturbance.

During the course of treatment

The effectiveness of external beam radiation therapy depends on the implementation of certain rules:

• During the course of radiation therapy, food should not only be high-calorie, but also nutritious, fresh and varied. Dietary nutrition should include all the necessary vitamins and minerals, as well as foods containing sufficient amounts of proteins and carbohydrates. It is necessary to maintain a drinking regime (up to 2 liters of water per day).
• Stop smoking and drinking alcohol.
• Clothing should not be tight, stiff, or made of artificial or synthetic fabrics. It is advisable to keep the irradiated area uncovered, while the areas of radiation damage should be protected from direct sunlight.
• When performing hygiene procedures, do not use soap or aggressive shower gels. While taking a bath, do not forget about the marks on your body.
• If itching, hyperhidrosis, redness and burning occur, you should consult a dermatologist.
• Follow a clear daily routine. During the course of DLT, regular walks in the fresh air, physical activity and sufficient sound sleep are required.

Rehabilitation after radiation therapy

The recovery period begins almost immediately after the course of DLT. The rehabilitation program includes:

• complete rest;
• healthy sleep of at least 8 hours;
• gentle labor regime;
• moral and psychological support;
• correct and nutritious diet;
• taking vitamin-mineral complexes and immunomodulators;
• quitting smoking and alcohol.

At this time, not only a correct lifestyle, medical care or adherence to a regimen is incredibly important; during this period, the support of relatives and friends is of great importance.

Since the treatment has not yet been completed and there is a need to attend procedures and numerous examinations, the patient is in a stressed and depressed state.

Under the current circumstances, psychologists do not recommend withdrawing into oneself, but advise communicating more with friends and loved ones. Try to maintain the same rhythm of life, do not give up light housework. If you feel a surge of weakness or fatigue, lie down and rest a little. At the same time, if you continue to go to work, ask management, for a certain time, to transfer you to an easier professional activity. But still, it is advisable to take sick days or vacation days during the rehabilitation period.

Effectiveness of radiation therapy

The effectiveness of the method directly depends on the period of development of the disease when treatment was started:

Radiation at stage 1 of cancer can replace surgery.

At later stages of development of a malignant neoplasm, as a rule, an integrated approach to treatment is already necessary.

Remember that the health of your body requires constant attention. After treatment, do not forget to regularly visit specialists for examination. Being under constant supervision of an oncologist, if a relapse occurs, it will be possible to begin treatment in a timely manner and prevent further deterioration of health.