Moscow Destination Guide

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Shopping
Guide to Shopping in Moscow

As with most of the former Communist countries, Russia has imported all of the main stores prevalent in the West. Most of the shopping items that are available at home can nowadays be bought in Moscow as well, although they are often a bit more expensive. If the prices seem too good to be true, they usually are; counterfeits and cheap rip-offs are plentiful in Moscow's many shopping venues.

However, items such as caviar, vodka and handicrafts, including Matroyshka dolls and the ubiquitous Russian shapka (traditional fur hat) are easy to find at many of Moscow's large shopping areas.

You should become familiar with the Russian system of paying for your goods still employed in many stores. This rather long-winded method of shopping involves choosing your purchase from a display counter. The assistant here will give you a chit, with the item and its price written down on it. You take this to the payment counter or kassa. After paying for your goods here you'll be issued with another receipt that you have to take back to the original display counter. On production of your payment receipt you will at last receive your purchase.

Take note of Russia's public holidays when shopping hours may be curtailed.

Where to Shop

Best Areas
Depending upon one's taste, everything is available in Moscow. The high-end shopping centre of Okhotny Ryad caters to the tacky, almost American-like mall crowd. GUM is a bit more sedate and less crowded.

Head for Ulitsa Arbat for the best antique stores in town, although be aware that anything pre-1945 old is subject to a ream of red tape and a hefty exportation tax. If you're planning to buy antiques make sure that you find out beforehand from the Russian Ministry of Culture as to what restrictions apply and any permits required. Make sure all documentation is provided on purchase.

Shopping Centres
Originally built in the late 19th century, most Russian guidebooks claim GUM (Gosudarstveny Univer Mag) was an "exhibition centre" during the Soviet period. Located adjacent to Red Square, GUM was actually the shopping place for all of the Soviet Union's elite while on vacation in Moscow. From the high end to the low end of shopping the visitor will find countless individual shops catering to any taste. GUM is open daily from 08h30 to 20h30. (11h00 to 19h00 on Sundays).

The complete opposite of GUM's sedate imperial charms are to be found in the new, glitzy Ohkhotny Ryad underground mall on Manezhnaya ploshchad. All of the biggest names in Western fashion can be found here: Ferre, Trussardi, Helen Yarmak, Benetton, Guess, TJ Collection, Nike, Reebok, Rivoli, Casadei, Vicini. There is also a food court on the bottom floor. Don't miss the Russians posing for photos at the fountain in the centre of Okhotny Ryad. Okhotny is open daily 11h00-22h00.

Markets
For a range of goods that stretch from the Caucasus in the south to Central Asia and Vladivostok in the east, the Vernisazh Weekend Market, near Ismailovsky Park is a must see. Here you will find local handicrafts originating from all the distant corners of the former Soviet Union. There are rugs from all regions, handmade clothes from the Russian Far East, amber from the Baltic, antique samovars, chess sets, Matroyshkas, artists selling their own work and much, much more. Bargaining is obligatory if you expect to pay a reasonable price, otherwise be prepared to be fleeced. The Vernisazh is a three-minute walk from the Isamailovsky Park metro.

What to Buy

There are plenty of souvenirs of the ex-Soviet Union that have become delightfully retro-kitsch items among the foreign tourists that now flock to Moscow. Everything from Soviet Army uniforms (hats, belts and coats are favourite items) to everyday paraphernalia such as telephones and kitchen utensils can be found for sale at Moscow's more eclectic markets.

Cheap rip-offs of Western goods are common, and you'll find fakes of all manner of designer labels for sale all over the place. Quality varies greatly and you generally get what you pay for. Souvenir goods tend to concentrate on the pretty run of the mill. It doesn't take much hunting to find miniature models of St Basil's, or the Matroyshka dolls-within-dolls mannequins. Lacquerwork and rugs from the interior of the country are popular items, although larger pieces are not very portable.

A shapka fur hat meanwhile could be a very useful purchase if you happen to visit during a Russian winter, but unless you live in similarly severe climes it might not get too much wear back home.

A bottle of vodka is obligatory. There are many varieties available; to foreigners Stolichnaya is probably the most recognisable of the domestic brands. Make sure that your bottle has a tax paid sticker over the cap of the bottle, or there may be questions asked at customs - bootleg vodka is widespread in Russia. Never buy vodka on the street - it will be bootleg and will probably make you ill if you drink it.

You could also take home some genuine Russian caviar, available at all foodstores and supermarkets. Make sure that it is kept refrigerated right up to the time you leave however; caviar, even in cans, spoils very quickly. You should also note any customs restrictions that may apply on foodstuffs.

Opening Hours

Stores in the city centre open daily (including Sun) and usually from 10h00-20h00 or later each day (shorter hours may apply on Sun). Smaller stores may still close for lunch although in tourist areas this is becoming less common.

Tax Refund

A VAT of 20% is imposed on almost all goods apart from food staples. There is no state scheme for tourists to reclaim tax although there are duty free shops in the city and at the airport.

 

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