During my numerous walks around Saint Petersburg, I often passed by the Levashovsky Bread Factory building. The last time I was here was four and a half years ago. At that time, the area around the complex looked quite dismal: some buildings had been demolished, and the main structure was gradually falling into disrepair. In 2018, a new owner took over the building, and large-scale restoration work began. Today, I would like to show you modern photos of this place.
Levashovsky Bread Factory: History and Modernity
The Levashovsky Bread Factory operated from 1933. One of the distinctive features of the complex was the unusual round shape of the building. This design was linked to an innovative bread-making method: the technology involved moving the bread in a spiral from the upper floors to the lower ones. In the central part of the building was a rotating oven, and on the ground floor, the bread was sorted and loaded into trucks.
The bread factory building was designed by engineer Georgy Petrovich Marsakov, who also invented the baking technology. Our factory was not the only one of its kind; following Marsakov's project, six similar complexes were built, one of them located on Polytechnicheskaya Street in Saint Petersburg. For his innovations, Marsakov was awarded the Order of Lenin.
The factory operated until 2012, and bread production continued even during the blockade. In 2018, restoration work began on the site of the former bread factory. In an interview with the media, a representative of the RBI company, which managed the restoration, said that at the time work began, the building had deteriorated so much that in winter, snow would fall inside through numerous holes in the walls and ceiling.
The factory was given new life in its 90th year when a modern cultural and business center was opened here. Today, the former production halls host lectures, exhibitions, concerts, and film screenings.
The creators of the public space did not forget the history of the place, with a particular mention given to the blockade memorial, which is dedicated to the darkest years of the bread factory's operation.
How to Get There by Metro
The address of the cultural center is Barochnaya Street, 4a, Building 1. It can be reached from the "Chkalovskaya" station in about ten minutes. Outside of event hours, the public space is open to everyone free of charge. Detailed information about the opening hours and the event schedule can be found on the cultural center’s website.
There are many interesting buildings near the complex, and you can explore them during your visit to the public space. I would recommend, for example, taking a look at the income house of N. N. Lechtenberg and the house of A. M. Erlich.
Have a nice trip!
