As a manager at St. Petersburg, New York’s only Russian-oriented bookseller, Mikhail Kholodov tasks span managing an inventory that motivates a thick quarterly color catalogue, two storefronts in New York City, and an international continuum of suppliers and orders throughout the United States. The multifaceted shop where he plies his trade, the St. Petersburg Bookstore and Global Trade House, occupies a distinct niche in the literature and culture of New York City. “We allow those who came from the former Soviet Union to get the items they were used to, but now cannot get anywhere else,” Mr. Kholodov explains.
In addition to books, its shelves contain porcelain tableware, matryoshka dolls, ushanka hats, paintings, scarves, and a refrigerator full of caviar. “Due to the falling demand in books, we are shifting our emphasis to housewares, home decor, and clothing,” explains Mr. Kholodov.
