GUM
All in Russia begins in the Red Square. Even in the XV-th century here was a centre of the Russian trade. Since Ivan Groznogo's times self-made merchant benches were arranged in disorder was in the square. In the beginning of the XIX-th century, after Napoleon's campaign, tsar Alexander I ordered to improve this motley market. By the project of architect Bove the facade in an empire style imitating palaces of the Roman empire was built. So that is how the first building of the Top trading centre appeared. But, at all magnificence, it carried out only screen functions, hiding close labyrinths of the market.
But by the end of the XIX-th century capital trade reached a world level, and colonnades of former trading centre stopped to answer the requirements of time.
By the imperial decree, on incorporated resources of guild of the Moscow merchants works on construction of new top trading centre began. Among 23 works exposed on architectural competition, the most courageous project won. Architect A.N.Pomerantsev and engineer V.G.Shuhov who created the well-known radio tower in the street Shabolovka in Moscow later were its authors. Three spacious passages «in the European style» from glass and metal, put in traditional "Old Russian" walls, became the most progressive phenomenon for Russia of that times.
Grandiose building began in 1890 year and was finished in 3 years. So, in 1893, the future GUM was born.
New trading centre brouht glory to Russian merchant class. Trading centre then rightfully applied for a principle of universality and offered buyers an exemplary infrastructure: services of porters, barbers, bankers and postmen.
After the Great October revolution the subordinated organisations were located in historical interiors of trading centre.
The date of a rebirth of the trading house was 1953. In August of this year the Soviet government decided to reconstruct a building on the Red Square, 3. Industrial and labour forcess were directed from all the USSR. Rapidly, the first and the biggest in the Soviet Russia trade centre (the state department store - GUM) was opened here already in November. «The shop of exemplary trade» became Mecca for domestic buyers, collections of the most rare goods and a symbol of USSR capital on a level with the Kremlin, Lenin's mausoleum and Red Square.
But in the beginning of the 90-ths economic realities changed. Together with them commercial policy of GUM was changed also. The prevailing part of the area was occupied on a hire basis by independent shops. Today on 80 000 square metres of territory the exhaustive list of the goods is offered to buyers: from nominal design clothes and jewelry to the daily household goods. The assortment of the offer is very big: leading sports marks (Adidas, Reebok, Nike, Puma), popular manufacturers of daily clothes and footwear (CK, Levi's, Ecco), luxury-class brands (Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Chaumet, etc.). Clothes, footwear, linen, house textiles, jeweller ornaments, furs, ware … the GUM has lost centralisation, but has kept a universality principle.
But GUM - not simply a shop in which it is possible to buy practically all. It is the whole trading area in which you can find adrugstore, and a bank branch, and a flowers shop … It is an architecture monument. It is a comfortable zone of rest with restaurants and cafe. It is an art gallery and a place of realizing of cultural actions. It is an integral part of the Russian history and "must see" for visitors of capital.
Not stopping on reached, the GUM continues to develop. Today on a place of the sample of Post-Soviet trade the universal trading-entertaining complex, capable to unite the progressive present and nice history is formed. The GUM will not be a shop «for rich», and will not be «for poor». It will be a department store for the people, ready to live in a developing society
The internal space is improved. The legendary Show room which became a history of a domestic cinema was also restored. It is planned to realize cultural actions and secular meetings in its original interiors. - There are art expositions and bright presentations in the poster of GUM. On an external facade the unique project of illumination is realised: architectural elements of a building are underlined by lines of electric bulbs. The project of the updated design assumes a reorganisation of passages in style of a palace: effective system of illumination, an inlaid floor, live green plants. The GUM becomes the centre of leisure applying for the status of art space.
Reconstruction of a legendary fountain in centre of GuM was finished to summer of 2007. It is a very big event, because the fountain - the legendary construction embodied in official chronicles of the XX-th century and private picture albums of Muscovites and visitors of our capital. The fountain is practically the coeval of a monument of architecture the Top Trading centre and represents a unique architectural design. Today a fountain in the centre of GuM - one of favourite places of meetings of Muscovites and visitors of Moscow.