The need to build a covered market at the Blagoveshchensky Bazaar had been under consideration by the Kharkiv City Council for over 10 years, since the beginning of the 20th century.

Progress on this matter was achieved thanks to the work of the city market commission and its chairman, city council member A. Krasnov. In early 1911, three designs were submitted to the city council for consideration, and the proposal by architect Iliodor Zagoskin was selected.

The large covered market, for which 11,835 square metres were allocated on the site of the fish stalls, was distinguished by its eclectic façades with hints of historicism (its towers resemble castle architecture).

Four pavilions extended from the main elongated market building, with the entire perimeter enclosed by a ‘belt’ of covered galleries forming six inner courtyards.

Construction began in 1912 and was fraught with considerable difficulties. One of the main problems was the soft ground and groundwater – drainage and basement flooding resolving works took a great deal of effort and time. Reinforced concrete structures and metal trusses were extensively used in the market’s construction.

Due to the WWI and a shortage of specialists, there were delays in installing electric refrigerators from the Franz Krull factory in Tallinn, which replaced the icehouses common at the time. The press also mentions a conflict between the gasworks and the municipal authorities, as the gasworks’ pipes were obstructing the laying of sewer pipes for the market.

The market’s opening was postponed several times and finally took place in the autumn of 1915. The area around the building was asphalted.

The covered market was designed to accommodate 260 trading stalls; the stalls and shops were intended primarily for the sale of meat, fish, vegetables and dairy products.

The opening of the ultra-modern covered market with refrigeration facilities caused an unprecedented rush. There were not enough stalls for everyone, so as early as 1914, the construction of a second covered market was being discussed.

The covered market building was severely damaged during the WWII and was only restored in 1952 to a design by architect B. Miroshnychenko.

In the early 2010s, a major renovation of the building was carried out, during which the steel structures were replaced and the foundations and cellar vaults were reinforced (the problem of soft ground and flooding has persisted since the building’s construction).

In 2018, a sculpture entitled ‘The Seed Seller’ was installed near the entrance to the Central Market building. The sculptor, Seifaddin Gurbanov, chose a real-life seller from this market as the model for the sculpture; alongside her are also depicted a sleeping cat, a rat and two sparrows.

The building is located at Rizdviana Street, 33.

As a result of Russian shelling on 4 November 2024, the glazing of over 50 pavilions in the market building was damaged.