Five hundred shops. Imagine that. Apraksin Dvor. That’s how many shops filled this very spot in 1913. Apraksin Dvor a bustling marketplace. A true heart of Saint Petersburg.
Apraksin Dvor got its name from Count Apraksin. He owned the land. The first market started in the mid-18th century. It was a wooden structure. Sadly it burned down in 1782.
But Apraksin Dvor rose again. A grand department store designed by Geronimo Corsini opened in 1863. More shops followed quickly. Apraksin Dvor expanded. It became a commercial center. It was filled with the energy of merchants. There were even 270 small wholesale enterprises in the nearby Shchukin Dvor.
After the Russian Revolution Apraksin Dvor changed. It was used as warehouses. It lost its vibrancy. It fell into disrepair. By the 21st century Apraksin Dvor was a shadow of its former self. A large area of small shops and an open-air market. It was a downmarket area in an increasingly upscale city center.
But the story of Apraksin Dvor isn’t finished. A long-term renovation is underway. The market stalls moved to a new location. Famous architectural firms Wilkinson Eyre Architects and Foster and Partners are involved. The plan is ambitious. Apraksin Dvor will become a modern retail and residential space. It will also have offices hotels and cultural spaces.
So stand here. Picture Apraksin Dvor’s past. Imagine its future. A transformation. A rebirth. A story being written before our eyes. A new chapter for Apraksin Dvor. The next part of its fascinating history.