"Vedmedik" Bakery

Many residents of Kharkiv know that there is a candy store right in the heart of the city that still features its original vintage display cases.

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Photo: Ivan Ponomarenko, 2015

This is the “Vedmedik” (“A little bear”) store, which was originally called “Georg Borman”.

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Photo: Ivan Ponomarenko, 2015

It was here that some of the confectionery products from Georges Borman’s factory on Katsarska Street—which began operations in 1896—were sold. Today, this Kharkiv-based company is known as Biscuit-Chocolade Corp.

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Photo: Ivan Ponomarenko, 2015

The store opened in 1900 and still operates in its “original” line of business.

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Photo: Ivan Ponomarenko, 2015

Although, as researchers of Kharkiv’s history point out, these interiors were actually recreated after World War II, they perfectly capture the spirit of that very first store from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.

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Photo: Ivan Ponomarenko, 2015

Even if you don’t have a sweet tooth, we recommend stopping by just to check out the interior; it’s located on the ground floor of the building at Constitution Square, 11.

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Photo: Ivan Ponomarenko, 2015

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Photo: Ivan Ponomarenko, 2015

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Photo: Ivan Ponomarenko, 2015

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Photo: Ivan Ponomarenko, 2015

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Photo: Ivan Ponomarenko, 2015

The store was damaged during the Russian missile strikes on Kharkiv in the spring of 2022; its shop windows were shattered.