The Cherkizovsky Market, Europe’s largest marketplace, closed down on June 29, 2009 , is going to be revived. Entrepreneurs proposed the authorities to build a wholesale trade complex of about 400 thousand square meters in the industrial area called Kaloshino.

Cherkizovsky, also known as "Cherkizon" was the biggest market in eastern Europe, a sprawling bazaar where crowds of people streamed to buy everything from electronics to clothes and carpets. Founded in the early 1990s it had an area about 300 hectares. More than 5 thousand buses arrived at Cherkizon, filled with shuttle traders who would buy up cheap goods in bulk and take them back to smaller markets in towns and cities across European Russia. In its heyday the market employed an estimated 100,000 workers, mostly Asian immigrants.

Moscow city authorities closed it down on June 29, 2009 on grounds of numerous violations of regulations and illegal activities. In an effort to stop the stream of counterfeit goods, Moscow authorities tried to close the market several times since 1999. According to wikipedia, the sudden shutdown of the market left tens of thousands of workers, many of them illegal immigrants, jobless and in financial trouble because they were unable to sell their goods.

At this moment all the businessmen who found themselves in provincial trading centers after Cherkizovsky’s crush are going to recreate the “Mecca” of consumer goods not far from its original site. Traders proposed the authorities to build a wholesale trade complex of about 400 thousand square meters in the industrial area called Kaloshino. Together all the businessmen are ready to invest $ 1 billion in the project.

A workers union of Cherkizon, established in October, 2009, is going to reanimate the market. According to RBC daily, the dialog on this issue has been initiated with the new leadership of the Moscow city. The workers union offers to build a three-storey wholesale complex that should have 20 thousand retail sites, each one with a storage and administrative utility room and catering.

This project will involve from 5 to 1 million people engaged in a light industry. A half part of the complex will be given to Russian entrepreneurs and the other part will be given to the manufacturers of consumer goods from China, Turkey, Vietnam, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine and Belarus. The annual turnover of one outlet could make an average of 50-100 million rubles. It is known, that the annual turnover of Cherkizovsky market had reached 3,5 trillion rubles.

For the construction of the new market the businessmen are ready to create a cooperative or a partnership involving the State as the founder of the supervisory authority.

The Departament of Trade and Services of Moscow noted that there were accepted no decision on this matter. Moreover, it is said that in Moscow there will be no other Cherkizon market like before. It really looked like a breeding-ground for illegal immigrants, crime, mafia and other negative things that were not accepted by the citizens. All the illegal activities destroyed this little goods world and despite this market had been useful for many people, the majority hopes there will be no second Cherkizon in Moscow.

Sources:

www.torgrus.com
www.independent.co.uk
www.wikipedia.org
Ksenia Dzha