Leningrad market

The Leningrad Market is a food market in Moscow on Chasovaya Street , located near the Sokol and Airport metro stations. Exists since 1963 ^[2] .

Market
Leningrad market
A country	Russia
Location	Moscow , Chasovaya street , 11/3, p. 1
Nearest metro station	02 Airport 02 Falcon
Established	1963 year
Status	Acting
Site	lenrinok.ru

External Images
Leningrad market
	Invalidnaya street (modern Leningradsky prospect), 1954
	Trading rows in the Leningrad market, 1970s [1]
	Entrance to the Leningrad market, 2017
	Vegetable rows at the Leningrad market, 2017 [2]

In the XIX century, on the site of the modern district of the Airport was the village of Vsekhsvyatskoye . On its territory, at the intersection of modern Chernyakhovsky and Usievich streets, there was a market called Invalid - by the name of the nearby shelter for the disabled , the Alexander refuge , where veterans of the Russian-Turkish war lived. Some of the inhabitants of the shelter created artels , workshops and sold household utensils on the market ^[1] .

After the 1917 revolution, the Alexander Shelter was transformed into a Karl Marx experimental colony , the malls next to it continued to operate until the middle of the 20th century . In the 1930s, part of its territory went under the prosthetic plant, and the Institute for Expertise of Disabled Labor was located nearby. Active trade in the Invalid Market resumed in the post-war years , when sellers on it were former front-line soldiers who were injured during the Great Patriotic War . A local resident Alexander Koptev recalled this in his diary:

Someone without arms, some without legs ... The latter rode on makeshift board trolleys, instead of wheels with bearings , and traded in all kinds of "flea" stuff. Who sold a worn overcoat with hastily sewn up holes from old bullet hits, rubbed with red tan marks from bonfires or cigarette butts, and someone was selling trophies ... ^[1]

In the 1950s, with the beginning of mass residential development in the district, the Invalid Market ceased to exist. In 1963, a new market, called Leningradsky, was built on Chasovaya Street. At first, it was called Disabled in the old way because of the proximity of the old shopping arcades, although he did not repeat their exact location. The main building of the market was a model of Soviet architectural modernism with a pavilion in the shape of the letter “P” and panoramic windows on the external facades ^{[1] [3] [2]} .

In Soviet times, the Leningrad market specialized in food products: fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy products, and confectionery. In the 1990s, it was not privatized , remaining the state unitary enterprise until the early 2000s. In 2003, the Kaluga Management Company became the owner of the market. According to the contract concluded with the Moscow government , the market was required to liquidate and build a modern shopping center in its place. Subsequently, the city authorities insisted on maintaining trade, they decided to abandon the demolition plans ^[4] . In 2006-2007, for the first time in the history of the market, it was reconstructed, a fountain was also broken at the nearby Baku cinema , a pond was cleaned, and a parking lot was built ^[5] .

In 2010, Moscow authorities announced plans to reduce the number of markets in the city, according to which Leningradsky was supposed to close. However, due to the fact that the market still had a capital building, plans for its demolition were again abandoned and another reconstruction was carried out. In the course of work, we replaced internal engineering systems , ventilation , fire extinguishing and smoke exhaust systems , refrigeration units , replaced facades , strengthened the foundation , repaired the roof and shopping arcades. The updated complex included 300 outlets for the sale of agricultural products, administrative premises, an industrial goods store and a hotel with 36 rooms ^{[6] [7]} .

Once again, they talked about the possible closure of Moscow markets in 2013. The Leningrad market continued to function, however, the street shopping malls adjacent to the capital building were closed ^[8] . In January 2017, the market was evacuated after a false anonymous explosion threat. In the same year, the owners of the shopping complex announced the modernization of the market, the overhaul of the interiors and the construction of a second pavilion. The work was completed by June 2017 ^{[3] [9] [10]} .

As of 2018, the Leningrad market remains the property of the Kaluga Management Company. It is a modern shopping complex that sells food products of both its own and industrial production. Along the perimeter of the territory there are cafes, shops, retail outlets with farm products and national cuisine, pastries, craft beer , delicacies and souvenirs. Prices on the market are higher than the average in Moscow, however, campaigns, discounts are periodically held, tastings, culinary master classes, quizzes and creative contests are organized. All products pass control in the laboratory of veterinary sanitary examination ^{[3] [11] [12]} .