Podil, the jewel of Kyiv. Kontraktova Square has become the market place since 1798. Merchants from all parts of the country visited the trade fairs there. For the needs of customers the Merchants’ Yard was put up. There were fifty stores in it with various goods and products. People loved their native Podil very much and rebuilt the district after the fire. The Merchants’ Yard didn’t survive the fire either, so a new building of the same look was built. The jewel of Kyiv is Podil. The word literally means “the place in the valley”. Craftsmen and fishermen used to live there. The craftsmen pro­ duced different goods for sale. Fishing was one of the most important occupations of the inhabitants at the dawn of Kyiv’s history. Next to the Merchants’ Yard there is the Fountain Samson. It was designed in 1749 by the Ukrainian architect Ivan Hryhorovych-Barskiy. One of the legends says that the person who tastes “Samson’s water” will stay in Kyiv forever. In 1811 there was a great fire in Podil and the old district was destroyed. As all the houses were wooden, they burnt down very quickly.