Church-museum opens in historic St. Petersburg shopping center

The newly-opened cultural complex, associated with the name of a merchant who became a saint—St. Seraphim of Vyritsa—will be located inside the Gostiny Dvor ("The Merchant Court"—a historic Russian term for indoor markets) shopping center in St. Petersburg.

The museum of merchants and the house church occupy the first floor of the building, where those in charge of Gostiny Dvor used to meet.

The museum's exposition will include photographs of merchants, news stories on their activities, and the history of development of Gostiny Dvor. Thus, visitors will be able to see objects discovered during a repair of the building's basements, and in the course of excavations. The merchant class museum will become the first museum in St. Petersburg dedicated to this historical Russia class. The merchant class in old Russia was known for its piety, and the tendency to build churches, reports

The house church will be situated in the right wing of the first floor. There was once a prayer room here for seventeen years. The territory of Gostiny Dvor was not chosen for the church by chance—St. Seraphim of Vyritsa began his work as a merchant in Gostiny Dvor, before leaving secular life for monasticism.

The exhibition and church will be temporarily open only on Wednesdays. From April, when additional halls are given to the exposition, the museum complex will be open for visitors throughout the week, excluding weekends.