The Trading Rows in Rostov Veliky appeared at the end of the 18th century and were intended mainly for the annual spring fair. The third largest in the country, the Rostov fair was lively, noisy, and very crowded. In its best years, about a thousand stalls opened here, all the surrounding squares became places of brisk trade, and after the trading ended, mass festivities with performances, dancing, and music began.
The oldest part of the Trading Rows is the northern one, with a graceful arcade of white columns. When this row stopped accommodating everyone, the Gostiny Dvor and the Mytny Dvor were added to it. At times, up to seven thousand merchants alone came to Rostov, and buyers from all neighboring towns and settlements numbered in the tens of thousands.
The Trading Rows complex occupies an entire city block, and inside it there is a chapel with azure domes, through which you can reach the Uspensky Cathedral.
For two hundred years now, the Trading Rows have fulfilled their original purpose - trade is still bustling here today. The Rostov city market is located in the Mytny Dvor today. The small and large premises of old shops in the buildings with arcades and columns are occupied by dozens of stores, shops, and boutiques. Some of them house small cozy cafes where you can have a snack or drink coffee.
