The Gate-tower of the Gostiny Dvor
Located on the St Nicholas cathedral's western side is a
complex of buildings put up at different times. Opposite the
cathedral entrance is a tent-roofed bell-tower, erected on a
hexahedral foundation in the 17th century. Next to it, on the
north, is a 19th-century structure which, in turn, is adjoined by
a massive tent-roofed tower with two passage-ways below. This
tower, constructed not later than the 15th century, was long
believed to house the Veche Bell. Recent investigations, however,
have shown that it was the gate-tower of the Gostiny Dvor
(bazaar) designed by Semion Yefimov and Jury Vakhrameyev at the
end of the 17th century. Together with the arcade stretching
along the Volkhov's right bank, it is the only reminder of the
former Gostiny Dvor.