GUM (State Department Store), Vladivostok

GUM began with the Kunst and Albers trading house, founded by German merchants Gustav Kunst and Gustav Albers around 1864. Before the stone building was constructed, the firm sold frontier goods from a simpler wooden store. As business expanded, architect Georg Yunghendel designed the new store using materials shipped by sea from Europe.

The building reflected the company’s commercial confidence and modern ambitions. It combined German Baroque elements with Art Nouveau, or Jugendstil, details, while offering electric lighting, telephones, steam heating, and an elevator. On the façade, one sculpted angel holds an anchor, symbolizing maritime trade, while another carries a caduceus, the staff linked with Mercury, the Roman god of commerce.

The site also has a hidden history. During renovation work in 2009, underground passages were reportedly found connecting GUM with the nearby historic cinema, along with two massive wall-mounted safes whose contents remain unknown. After nationalization in 1930, the complex reopened as a Soviet state department store. Today, the Old GUM Courtyard has become a pedestrian-friendly creative space with local shops, cafés, and cultural venues.