The ancient Trade was known not only for the variety of foreign goods and the scale of financial operations but also for the sale of products by local craftsmen. Novgorod crafts were diverse, with highly artistic silver items particularly valued and in demand in various corners of the world.

Tanners produced excellent boots, belts, horse harnesses, and unique crosses made from thin strips of leather. Potters, blacksmiths, carpenters, and icon painters were also known for their products. The trading squares resembled streets leading from the river, each with its own name. The central row, which ran from the Volkhov River through the entire trade area and ended at the German Courtyard, was the most prestigious. It was popularly called the Great Street, while in accounting books it appeared under various names: Korystnaya, Surazhskaya, Bolshaya.

From the 17th century, the ancient Trade began to transform into the Guest Courtyard, which lasted until the mid-20th century. In 1771, a "Travel Palace" was built for Empress Catherine II and her entourage, where they could comfortably rest before further travels across Russia.

After the liberation of Novgorod from fascist troops, the buildings and historical structures of Yaroslav's Court, as well as the adjacent trading rows on May 1st Street, which suffered during the occupation, mostly retained their walls and sometimes even roofs. Most of them were subject to restoration.

The arcade of the Guest Courtyard has been completely preserved. However, in 1945, the Novgorod City Party Committee proposed to completely dismantle the Guest Courtyard. From 1947, the Novgorod City Council and the Special Design and Restoration Workshop began implementing this decision. Only in 1953, thanks to the intervention of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR and I. E. Grabar, the destruction was halted. Nevertheless, in 1956, the Guest Courtyard and the trading rows on May 1st Street were demolished to the ground, with only a small part of the arcade remaining. The bell towers and chapels of the Assumption and George churches at the Trade were also dismantled.

During excavations in the territory of Yaroslav's Court, several layers of wooden pavements were discovered, and between St. Nicholas Cathedral and the Church of Paraskeva-Friday, a flooring made of cow bones.

In 2021, the Novgorod Museum-Reserve, which includes the architectural complex of Yaroslav's Court, was allocated a subsidy from the federal budget of nearly 50 million rubles. These funds are intended for the preparation of project and estimate documentation for the comprehensive restoration of 11 cultural heritage sites, including the People's School, several churches, St. Nicholas Cathedral, and fragments of the Guest Courtyard. The last comprehensive restoration at Yaroslav's Court took place from 1951 to 1955.