The New Gostiny dvor

Its name is derived from the Russian word gost’, which means 'guest' but back then also referred to merchants involved in wholesale and international trade, who enjoyed many benefits. The first Gostiny Dvor appeared in Moscow in early 16th century, on the so-called Ilyinsky Krestets - the intersection of Ilyinka Street and Rybny Lane.

During the reign of Ivan the Terrible, the wooden building of the Gostiny Dvor was replaced by a stone one. It was later damaged by numerous fires that struck the city. In the days of Tsar Alexis I, the Gostiny Dvor was divided in two parts: the Old one and the New one. Some time later, it was divided again to form four dvors: Old, New, Solyanoy ('Salt') and Rybny ('Fish').

Back in the 17th century, Rybny Lane was named Vvedensky ('dedicated to the feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary') Lane after the Church of the Presentation of Virgin Mary located here. In the 18th century it was renamed Magistratsky Lane after the Chief Magistracy which was also on the lane. Finally, the lane received its current name after the Public Rybny Dvor (a fish market) situated here in the 18th and early 19th centuries. After the Old and New Gostiny Dvors were constructed, the lane basically became a road between the facades of these two buildings. The New Gostiny Dvor (Rybny Lane, 3) was founded in 1838-40 on the site previously occupied by the fish market, which had been demolished by then.

At the time, the Moscow Merchant Society, concerned about a lack of space in the Old Gostiny Dvor, commissioned the construction of additional facilities for merchants. A three-storey building with a lengthy facade facing the street, with a fairly high semi-basement, appeared at the site of the old fish market. The edifice in the late neoclassical style had several elements that would better belong in the heyday of the Empire style.

The walls of the building's basement are rusticated. Its main facade is divided by three arrière-corps (receding parts) with Ionic porticoes and bas-reliefs between them. The solemn character of the building is emphasized by the high windows of the ground floor with grandly decorated front surrounds and the dome on its top.

In 1890, additional windows, doors and arches were constructed in the main facade of the New Gostiny Dvor. This significantly disrupted what was once classical symmetry.

Nowadays, the building houses some of the departments of Russian Property Management Agency.