Retailer / private label
UnclaimedDLT is a historic department store on Bolshaya Konyushennaya Street in central Saint Petersburg that operates as a TsUM branch.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
DLT is a historic department store in central Saint Petersburg, Russia, located at 21–23 Bolshaya Konyushennaya Street, just north of Nevsky Prospekt. Its name derives from Dom Leningradskoy Torgovli, or “Leningrad Trade House.” The present retail building originated as a prestigious commercial project for the officers of the garrison guard. Because those officers were relatively well paid and were expected to maintain an expensive lifestyle, their cooperative sought to create a store whose architectural ambition and luxury would compare with fashionable European department stores. The first phase opened in 1908 under the name Dom Gvardeyskava ekonomicheskava obshchestva, translated as the House of the Garrison Guard Economic Society. The store was also popularly known as Gvardeyskaya Ekonomka, or the Guards’ Discount Shop, reflecting its cooperative and discounted-retail function. A second construction phase followed in 1912–1913, completing the principal early development of the building. The project involved an architectural competition presided over by the Austrian architect Otto Wagner, while the German firm Wayss & Freytag was selected to lead construction. The site itself predates the department store. In the eighteenth century, the property was associated with Artemy Volynsky, a prominent statesman of the era of Peter the Great. The site also included a small hotel known as the Volkovskie Nomera. The department-store building therefore replaced and consolidated earlier urban uses in a commercially prominent part of the city. Following the 1917 Revolution, the retail institution was reorganized several times. In 1918 it became associated with offices and the First State Department Store. In 1927 it was transformed into the House of the Leningrad Cooperation of the Leningrad Council of Consumer Societies, although shortened forms of the name were commonly used. During the 1930s it operated as a Torgsin department store, part of the Soviet-era trade network, and in 1935 it adopted the DLT name that it retains today. A major ownership and redevelopment turning point came in 2005, when rights to the building were auctioned by the state and acquired by Mercury, a major Russian luxury-goods retailer. From 2005 to 2012, the property underwent an extensive renovation intended to integrate it into the TsUM retail network. The retail area was expanded from approximately 9,000 square metres to approximately 18,000 square metres through the addition of two floors. DLT reopened in September 2012 as a branch of the TsUM chain. In its current form, DLT is positioned as a premium and luxury-oriented department store rather than as a general discount retailer, despite the historical meaning of its early nickname. Its principal role is that of a destination department store in Saint Petersburg, combining the heritage of a pre-revolutionary commercial building with the contemporary operating model and luxury-retail positioning associated with TsUM. Available reference material does not identify a separate publicly listed corporate entity, detailed current management roster, or operations outside the Saint Petersburg location.
History
The DLT site has a long commercial and architectural history in central Saint Petersburg. Before the present department-store building, the land was associated with Artemy Volynsky, a statesman connected with the era of Peter the Great. The property included the Volynsky house at number 21 and the Volkovskie Nomera hotel at number 23. The current structure was commissioned as a retail establishment for the officers of the garrison guard. The officers’ cooperative regarded a high-quality store as appropriate to the officers’ salaries and social expectations, and it sought an establishment comparable in appearance and ambition to fashionable Parisian department stores. An architectural competition was held under the chairmanship of the Austrian architect Otto Wagner. The German construction firm Wayss & Freytag was selected to carry out the work. The first part of the store opened in 1908 as Dom Gvardeyskava ekonomicheskava obshchestva, meaning the House of the Garrison Guard Economic Society. Its cooperative pricing led to the popular nickname Gvardeyskaya Ekonomka, or Guards’ Discount Shop. The building was expanded in a second phase in 1912–1913. The Revolution brought a series of institutional changes. In 1918 the store was reorganized into offices and the First State Department Store. In 1927 it became the House of the Leningrad Cooperation of the Leningrad Council of Consumer Societies. The institution was also known by abbreviated forms of this name. During the 1930s it operated as a Torgsin department store, and in 1935 it took the DLT name. The modern history of DLT began with a state auction in 2005. Mercury acquired rights to the building and initiated a seven-year renovation and redevelopment program. The work expanded the retail floor area from about 9,000 square metres to about 18,000 square metres by adding two floors. After the renovation, DLT reopened in September 2012 as a branch of the TsUM chain. The reopened store represents a shift from the site’s early cooperative discount identity toward premium and luxury retail. Its location near Nevsky Prospekt and its historic architecture support its role as a destination store in Saint Petersburg. The available reference material does not establish a separate corporate history beyond the Mercury transaction and TsUM affiliation, and it does not provide a reliable list of current or former executives.
- 2012
DLT reopens as a TsUM branch
[1]After renovation, the store reopens in September as part of the TsUM chain. Its retail area has been expanded to approximately 18,000 square metres.
- 2005
Building rights acquired by Mercury
[1]Mercury acquires rights to the building through a state auction and begins a major redevelopment project.
- 1935
DLT name adopted
[1]The department store acquires the DLT name under which it is known today.
- 1927
Conversion into a Leningrad cooperative department store
[1]The institution becomes the House of the Leningrad Cooperation of the Leningrad Council of Consumer Societies.
- 1918
Post-revolution reorganization
[1]After the Revolution, the store is reorganized into offices and the First State Department Store.
- 1912
Second construction phase begins
[1]A second phase of the building is opened during 1912–1913, completing the original development of the store.
- 1908
First phase of the department store opens
[1]The first phase opens as the House of the Garrison Guard Economic Society. Its discounted cooperative pricing contributes to the popular nickname Guards’ Discount Shop.
Products and positioning
A heritage department store with a premium and luxury-retail positioning, combining a historically significant Saint Petersburg location with the contemporary retail model of the TsUM chain.
Apparel · 2012
Luxury fashion
DLT’s contemporary identity is centered on premium and luxury department-store retail. The fashion offer is associated with the TsUM operating model and is distinct from the store’s original cooperative discount function. Available reference material identifies DLT as a TsUM branch but does not provide a verified brand-by-brand assortment.
Fashion accessories · 2012
Shoes and accessories
Shoes and fashion accessories form part of the premium department-store proposition associated with the renovated DLT location. The available sources do not specify individual product labels or detailed category boundaries.
Beauty and lifestyle · 2012
Beauty and lifestyle merchandise
DLT’s role as a contemporary department store implies a broader luxury and lifestyle assortment alongside fashion. Reference material does not provide a complete current catalogue, so individual lines and brands are not enumerated here.
Brand decisions
2012
Integration into the TsUM chainStrategyBackground
The renovated building was prepared for renewed retail operations within Mercury’s premium retail portfolio.
Action taken
DLT reopened as a TsUM branch in September 2012.
Aftermath
The historic Saint Petersburg store became part of the TsUM chain’s department-store network.
2005
Mercury initiates the DLT redevelopmentStrategyBackground
Following a state auction of rights to the building, Mercury acquired the property rights and pursued a major renovation intended to return DLT to use as a modern premium department store.
Action taken
The building was renovated between 2005 and 2012, with the retail area expanded from approximately 9,000 to approximately 18,000 square metres through the addition of two floors.
Aftermath
DLT reopened in September 2012 as a branch of the TsUM chain, shifting the store’s contemporary positioning toward luxury retail.
Sources1 sources
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