Gostiny Dvor in Arkhangelsk is an architectural monument of
federal significance. It was built in 1668-1684 at Cape Pur-Navolok
as a trade and defensive structure. Now only the northern tower and
part of the western wall have survived from the complex. After the
destruction of all the pre-Petrine churches of the city in Soviet
times, Gostiny Dvor became the oldest building in Arkhangelsk.
In the 17th century, more than half of Russia's foreign trade
turnover passed through the city of Arkhangelsk. Then trade was
organized in the wooden Gostiny Dvor.
In May 1667, a fire
broke out in the city, which destroyed the wooden Gostiny Dvors. It
was immediately decided to build a new Gostiny Dvor from stone. In
June of the same year, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich ordered the town
planner Peter Gavrilovich Marselis, the German master Wilim Scharf,
and 5 bricklayers to go to Arkhangelsk. They needed to find a place
where the stone Gostiny Dvors would stand. During the trip, Marselis
decided to build them on the site of the previous ones - at Cape
Pur-Navolok.
In February 1668, the construction of two
ensembles began: the Russian and German Gostiny Dvor. The
construction work was supervised by engineer Matis Antsin, and since
1671 - by architect Dmitry Mikhailovich Startsev.
In 1670,
another large fire broke out that destroyed the wooden defensive
fortress of Arkhangelsk. It was decided to add military elements to
the complex, creating a space in the center between the Russian and
German Gostiny Dvor, the Stone Fortress City. Walls were built, 4
towers in the corners and 2 towers in the center of the long walls
along the Northern Dvina River. In 1684, to the 100th anniversary of
Arkhangelsk, the construction was completed.
In 1694, Peter I visited Arkhangelsk, visited Gostiny Dvor and
watched the trade of English, Dutch, Norwegian and Danish merchants
here. In the 18th century, the main foreign economic activity was
transferred to St. Petersburg. Trade through Arkhangelsk was
limited, and Gostiny Dvors became unclaimed and began to collapse.
In the 1770s, the building fell into disrepair, and a decision was
made to restore it. The German Gostiny Dvor and the Stone Town were
dismantled, and the limestone slabs and bricks were sent to repair
the rest of the Russian Gostiny Dvor.
In 1788 the Stock
Exchange building with a tower was erected. During navigation, a
flag was raised over the tower and a lantern was erected. In 1809,
the salt warehouses were completed. At the beginning of the 20th
century, the northern, southern and eastern parts of the Russian
Gostiny Dvor were irretrievably lost, only the western wall along
the Northern Dvina River remained.
In 1981, the ensemble was
transferred to the local museum of local lore; the building houses
museum exhibition halls. In 1992, restoration work was organized,
but due to lack of funds after 3 years, they were suspended, resumed
in 1998, but soon stopped again. In 2006, funds were allocated for
the reconstruction of Gostiny Dvor. In 2008, the Exchange with the
central tower was restored.