Mostorg, one of the oldest Soviet trading organizations, the Trade Directorate of the Moscow Council of National Economy (MSNKh), was established in 1921. In 1922, Mostorg was reorganized into the Moscow Trading Partnership on shares (Moscow State Joint-Stock Company). In addition to retail operations, Mostorg supplied the city’s municipal services, as well as organizations in Moscow and the surrounding region, with construction materials. By 1929, besides its central department store, the Mostorg system included 9 district department stores, several building-materials shops, stores selling metal goods, jewelry, and others. In 1931, Mostorg was split into a regional and a city organization; the latter received the name Gormostorg.
In 1937, Mostorg was renamed the Moscow City Trust of Department Stores and was incorporated into the system of the Moscow Directorate for the Trade in Industrial Goods of the RSFSR People’s Commissariat of Trade; the Krasnopresnensky, Moskvoretsky, and Tagansky department stores were separated from it.
In the early 1950s, Mostorg underwent another restructuring; on its basis, Mosodezhda, Moskulttorg, Mosgalantereia, and a number of other trading organizations were created. In connection with the establishment of district organizations engaged in the trade of industrial goods, in 1969 Mostorg transferred 69 retail enterprises to the industrial-goods trading organizations of the Izmailovsky, Kievsky, Oktyabrsky, and Ostankinsky districts. In 1975–76, Mostorg included 60 enterprises (47 department stores and 13 of their branches).
Turnover for 1978 amounted to 522 million rubles.
In 1975–76, Mostorg included 60 enterprises (47 department stores and 13 of their branches).
Turnover for 1978 amounted to 522 million rubles.