The

Merchant Court Gostinyi dvor ( rus, гостиный двор, p=ɡɐˈsʲtʲinɨj ˈdvor) is a historic Russian term for an indoor market or shopping centre. It is translated from Russian either as "guest court" or "merchant yard", although both translations ...

(Гостиный двор) is a network of fortified depots built on the Pur-Navolok promontory in Arkhangelsk by a team of German and Dutch masons between 1668 and 1684. Only the northern tower of the original structure and parts of the western wall facing the Northern Dvina still stand. In the 17th century Arkhangelsk handled more than half of the country's exports. The local merchant court was rebuilt in stone after the fire in May 1667. The complex consisted of the Russian and German courts (for native and foreign merchants, respectively) and the so-called Stone Town (Каменный город) wedged in between. After

Peter the Great Peter I ( – ), most commonly known as Peter the Great,) or Pyotr Alekséyevich ( rus, Пётр Алексе́евич, p=ˈpʲɵtr ɐlʲɪˈksʲejɪvʲɪtɕ, , group=pron was a Russian monarch who ruled the Tsardom of Russia from t ...

conquered the Baltic coastline and moved the capital to St. Petersburg, most foreign trade was rerouted and the Arkhangelsk trade center was abandoned. In the 19th century the remaining buildings were used as a customs house. The Neoclassical bourse with a squat tower was added to the complex in 1788. By the mid-20th century many buildings had fallen into irreparable decay and were demolished. In 1981 the crumbling structure was adapted to house a local-history museum. Restoration has been underway since 1992. It is still delayed by lack of funds.

References

{{coord, display=title, 64, 32, 21, N, 40, 30, 40, E, type:landmark_region:RU Buildings and structures completed in 1674 Buildings and structures in Arkhangelsk Shopping malls in Russia Forts in Russia Custom houses 17th-century establishments in Russia 17th-century fortifications Cultural heritage monuments of federal significance in Arkhangelsk Oblast