GUM

About this place

GUM is a historic shopping centre facing Red Square, with a front extending 242 metres along its eastern side. It is Russia's best-known department store, and visitors come more for the building than for the shopping. It has long glass-roofed arcades, a central fountain, shops and cafes, and it makes a comfortable stop on a cold or rainy day. The site was known as the Upper Trading Rows, and the present building went up from 1890 to 1893, with Alexander Pomerantsev responsible for the architecture and Vladimir Shukhov for the engineering. It combines elements of medieval Russian building with a steel frame and glass roof, in a style like the great 19th-century railway stations of London. In Soviet times it became a state store. You enter a long three-storey arcade with small bridges linking its sides, under an arched roof of glass and iron that lets in the light. Where the arcades cross is a wide glass dome, with the fountain beneath it among seasonal flowers. Outside is a pale stone front with small towers, lit by thousands of bulbs at night. It stands right on Red Square, with Saint Basil's close by. Prices are high in most shops, but entry is free, and an upper floor has a traditional canteen-style restaurant. Toilets inside charge a small fee. Seasonal decoration changes the look a lot, above all in winter. The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to Russia, and non-Russian bank cards may not work, so read the current advice before you plan.