GUM

Gum is the name of the name of the main department store in many Russian cities, the name being an acronym for "main universal store".

The most famous one is the one pictured above facing Red Square. It spans the Eastern side of Red Square and was originally known as the Trading Rows.

After the revolution Gum was nationalised and from 1921 to 1928 it operated as a model retail enterprise for consumers throughout Russia! After this Stalin turned the building into office space for the committee in charge of his first 5 year plan and when his wife committed suicide the building was used briefly to display her body.

The building reopened as a department store in 1953 and was often one of the few in Russia to not have shortages of goods which resulted in long queues of shoppers on Red Square.

Today the building houses mainly luxury brands and is a top tourist attraction and, if you look large at the man on the left on the bench in the photo, a good place to sleep!