[club1543502|Suzdal Courtyard].8 photos

To this day, the small shops located along Engels Street, near the Central Market, are still referred to by the residents of Kharkov as “Suzdal Row.” This tradition dates back to the 19th century. At that time, Ukrainian fairs featured stalls with such names: almost all the Great Russian Red Guards who sold paper products were commonly called “Suzdals,” and their goods were referred to as Suzdal products. In particular, this designation was applied to factories and products from the Vladimir Governorate, and even those from Kostroma. The first mentions of such rows in the history of Kharkov can be found in 1855, when the merchant Ekaterina Kuzina, wife of a commerce councilor, proposed building the first stone shops near where the Blagoveщensky Cathedral is located today. These shops brought significant profits to the city and were therefore named “Kuzino-Suzdal Row.” In the 19th century, Kharkov’s commercial areas were continuously expanded and reconstructed; wooden structures were replaced by stone buildings, but their exterior design remained largely unchanged—the stalls were arranged in the traditional way, with an enclosed inner gallery. Most of the commercial spaces in Kharkov belonged to the Kuzina family, as well as approximately twenty other merchants. By the end of the 19th century, Suzdal Row began to undergo changes in its architectural design. In 1872, architect Podiyakov presented a plan for a “Suzdal Hospitality Courtyard” to the Kharkov City Council, but it was never implemented. The beginning of the 20th century was marked by efforts to improve the overall layout of the Blagoveщensky Market area. Shop owners began to commission architectural designs of their own choosing. As a result, on June 3, 1904, the city council, concerned about this trend, deemed it essential that “the buildings in Suzdal Row maintain a uniform appearance.” Architect B.N. Korneenko proposed a new design for the Suzdal Hospitality Courtyard, but its implementation was accelerated by a major fire that broke out in March 1905. According to this plan, the area of Suzdal Row, bounded by Rozhdestvennskaya Street, Blagoveщenska Square, and the market, was intended to accommodate a three-story building. In layout, it resembled a rectangle with truncated corners; along its perimeter were arranged 86 commercial spaces, and an additional fourteen were located in the center. The complex featured three access roads and one main entrance. Below is a reflection of the century-long history of Suzdal Row, as depicted in photographs and based on the research material in the book “To the History of the City of Kharkov: Construction, Industry, Science.” #Kharkov #History_of_Kharkov