Within the walls of this house, under the wonderful Italian, the wife of the Decembrist Maria Volkonskaya was escorted to Siberia. The poet Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin spent several months here. Now this island of freethinking and poetry has turned into an island of trade – the Eliseevsky store in Moscow.
Story
At the end of the 18th century, the architect Matvey Kazakov, commissioned by Ekaterina Kozitskaya, built a house. How the building looked originally can only be judged by the paintings of famous artists. For example, watercolor F.Ya. Alekseev. It vividly reflects the Corinthian building style inherent in the architect, high rusticated masonry, twin colonnades and a sandrik characteristic of Kazakov (a small decorative cornice over windows and doors). When Russia was swept by another wave of construction of tenement houses, a large businessman Grigory Eliseev became interested in the former house of Zinaida Volkonskaya. He shared his idea with the architect Gavriil Baranovsky. The result of their financial and creative union was the famous Eliseevsky store.
Assortment and prices of products – then and now
The capital was delighted not only with the intricately bold stucco and gilding topped with the famous crystal lily-of-the-valley chandelier, but also with the variety of food. At the same time, the prices of the grocery store were calculated for any buyer. The assortment included not only delicacies that were “biting” at prices, but also essential products available to any class. The fame of the rich interior and wide assortment of the store immediately spread throughout the capital. Income poured in. The abundance of goods, affordable prices, high culture of service, constant quality control – these terms of trade were strictly observed by Eliseev and were a hallmark of the famous “trade house on Tverskaya”.
A wide selection of wines packed in glass bottles, carefully selected fruits, caviar, fish, biscuits, cakes and coffee – all this was stacked on the shelves in beautiful and easy-to-see slides. Another attractive feature of this place was complex production. It included an oil extraction shop, a smokehouse, a salting room, a bakery and cellars in which wine was bottled. In addition, the merchant Eliseev took the issue of quality control very seriously – he organized the transportation of perishable products on specialized sea vessels. Eliseev's gastronomic empire could only be compared with a reliable and well-oiled clockwork.
The goods of the modern Eliseevsky store are not only an abundance of products of any category, but also a huge assortment of dishes prepared in advance according to old Russian recipes. Here you can always buy the famous Moscow-style borscht, chicken rolls with prunes, boyar-style salad. Fans of fish dishes will definitely want to try baked carp or jellied sturgeon. A number of dishes of European, Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine are presented to the attention of admirers of overseas delicacies: lamb in Mexican style, pike perch in Moldovan style, cutlets in Prague and others.
In the meat products department, even the most biased gourmet will surely find the ingredient for his culinary masterpiece. There is also the most tender veal tenderloin, marbled beef, entrecote worthy of an artist's brush, chilled rabbit meat, as well as a large selection of semi-finished meat products. Not a single customer will be able to calmly walk past the counters with bakery goods.
He will definitely be attracted by fragrant breads of different varieties, the appetizing appearance of ruddy pies, the magnificence of cakes and pastries of his own production. In addition to ready-made cakes, store employees accept orders for making holiday cakes from natural products. The sketch and composition of the sweet masterpiece can be selected from the catalog.
Prices will not only not upset, but will also please, since goods with discounts are laid out daily, many promotions take place. For example, the “Fresh Prices” campaign allows you to choose some sausages and dairy products, vegetables, fruits and many other popular products at a bargain price. The product list is updated every seven days. For buyers of retirement age, a daily 5% is provided for any type of product as part of the “Social” promotion.
Only the time of the discount is limited – from 7:00 to 12:00. Buyers who purchase goods on their birthday or wedding anniversary receive a 10% discount. And the holder of a discount card throughout the year is given a 1% discount on any goods in this and any other store of the Alye Parusa retail chain.
The case of the director of the grocery store “Eliseevsky”
In the old days, the Eliseevsky store was like an oasis in the Moscow desert of the food industry. Through this department store, the entire metropolitan elite was regularly supplied not only with selected and exquisite delicacies, but also with the highest quality wine and vodka products. After some time, the prosecutor's office began to receive information about the receipt of fabulous bribes by the director. And that he transferred part of this money into the hands of high-ranking officials. A wave of revelations went through Moscow, and hundreds of thousands of citizens demanded that the “presumptuous huckster” be given the death penalty. But was his fault so grave?
In his speech before the court, Sokolov spoke about the situation in the country, which forces a conscientious store owner to regularly write off money for shrinkage, shrinkage and underweight. That all this is necessary to ensure a decent assortment. That in the battle for the stability of trade, everyone has to please – from the supreme elite to the driver delivering the goods.
Of course, Sokolov counted on mutual responsibility. After all, he strictly observed the unspoken laws “you to me – I to you”, “live yourself and do not interfere with the lives of others”. He firmly believed in the reliability of the security scheme he built himself. But after the death of Brezhnev, the Sokolov case began to suddenly gain momentum. Yuri Sokolov was well aware of the corridors of power and was well aware of the disappointing prospects. He realized that he was a pawn in the hands of Andropov.
What he didn't know was that he had been targeted by the future secretary-general long before the crash began, and that he intended to turn his case into an anti-corruption bomb. But the front-line soldier, who was in the dark, believed in justice and began to actively cooperate with the investigation. And even at the court session he himself read from his notebook a chronicle of bribes and the names of the persons involved in the crime. For these details, he paid with his life.
The death sentence amazed even the KGB investigators. Of course, Sokolov's fault is obvious. But the judge had enough reason to choose a different measure of punishment for the 60-year-old director, a former front-line soldier. But alas, it was one of those cases where crime was of secondary importance. When people like Sokolov turned out to be pawns in the battle of others for supreme power. And indeed, soon after the execution, the game went by completely different rules, the investigation into the case was gradually curtailed, and the group of investigators formed from different regions was disbanded “to go home.”
How to get there and opening hours
Eliseevsky store is located at the address: Moscow, Tverskaya street, 14.
You can get there by metro, trolleybus and bus using the following routes:
The store is open 24 hours a day without breaks and weekends.