At the end of 19th century, Aristide Boucicaut , in the capital of fashion and art - Paris , opened the first department store in the world – ‘Au Bon Marche’ (which means ‘at a good price’). However, in the Soviet Union, the considered format of department stores, where a customer who has bought, for instance, a paper, would have to go to the opposite end of the Central Department Store, State Department Store or the Passage to buy a pen, only appeared at the beginning of 20th century. In Kharkiv, which is considered to be a trade town, department stores appeared on a site of old markets in 17th-19th centuries. So, the fate of Trade House on Suzdalskie Ryady Street was not accidental. On exactly this street, Suzdal citizens sold paper goods during trade fairs. From here ,the tradition was formed to call the shops in the area ‘Suzdalskie Ryady’.
The history of a Trade Centre ‘Tsentralnyj’, which is situated on this old street, in the ancient part of Kharkiv, began in 1967. However, years later, after the collapse of the Soviet Union the department store got its second wind. In 1995 the complex was bought by Katsuba family, which at that time was massively increasing the powerfulness of their own commercial business. The head of the family, Vladimir Katsuba, decided to purchase a building , where goods could be sold . The choice fell on the Trade House at 9, Suzdalskie Ryady Street.
With effective timing to Euro 2012, the shopping centre was restyled and given a modern European perspective. Vast exterior and interior reconstruction allowed a transformation of the building in order to show it to its full advantage. Owing to this, the place began to attract more and more leaseholders. This led to gradual increase in range of products, services and space for rent.
Today Trade House keeps on attracting citizens and tourists as it did when it was a soviet department store. On its premises there are not only shops of different profiles, but also offices and stores for lease. ‘Actually, that is why Trade Centre is a department store,’ comments the property owner Vladimir Katsuba. Here you can find absolutely everything ; you can get train ticket , wrap a present, spend an hour in the cafeteria … You can even get a loan, there and then, should you decide to buy and item for which you do not have the immediate funds at your disposal.
The 12th century Persian poet Omar Khayyam once wrote – ‘Anything can be sold and bought” and the ‘Tsentralnyj’ Department store bears witness to this fact.
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