A Meeting Point and Space of Exchange: The Role of Post-Soviet Marketplaces in Urban Community Life (A Case Study of Elista)

Abstract

Introduction. The article discusses the place, functions and significance of marketplaces in urban space. Goals. So, the paper particularly aims to consider the place, functions and significance of the marketplace in the public space of Elista. Materials. The study employs the structural-functional method and that of participant observation. Results. The Central Cossack Bazaar is an important resource for the shaping of Elista’s market economy — small and medium-sized businesses. The marketplace has changed essentially through the stages of its existence within boundaries of the urban landscape, and would prove a most suitable place for trade and supply of the population in certain historical periods. Its place in public life formed the function of a common territory and shaped the structure of traffic flows.

Keywords

• marketplaces
• city
• elista
• space
• history
• venders
• fairs