RT heads to a legendary shopping mall that was built by the tsars, hated by Stalin and is now place the capital's fashion lovers just cannot do without. If you still have not bought your Christmas presents, there is one place in Moscow where you can do it in true style. Just opposite the Kremlin and Lenin's Mausoleum, there is Russia's largest department store, dating back to the days of the tsars. Size, glamour and lavish architecture -- what else would you expect from a shopping center that stands in Red Square? Taking up the entire eastern side of Red Square, it is known as GUM, which is short for "Main Department Store." The site where it stands has for centuries been a bustling trading quarter. When the building opened in 1893, its steel framework and glass roof were on the cutting edge of technology. With its mix of steel and glass, GUM resembles the 19th-century train stations of Paris and London, while its traditional Russian-style decorations make it look more like a medieval palace than a shopping mall. The building oozes wealth and luxury: marble, granite and limestone are everywhere. The three-story complex has three levels for a true shop-till-you-drop experience. At the end of the 19th century, it was the largest shopping center in Europe. Before the 1917 Revolution, it contained a staggering 1200 stores. After the Revolution, vibrant trading dwindled, and in 1928 GUM was closed and turned into offices. The opulent building, however, continued to be an ...
Keywords: RT, Svetlana Kurakina, shopping, Москва Гум, luxury, expensive
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