Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
8
Shopping in Moscow
Most visitors limit their Moscow
shopping to a few
matryoshka
nesting dolls
and some Soviet memorabilia, but a bit of
perseverance can uncover unusual crafts
and striking gifts. Hand-embroidered
table linens from the textile-producing
towns along the Volga are a good buy, as
are scarlet-and-gold Khokhloma wooden
spoons, intricate wooden Easter eggs, or
jewelry cut from richly colored Siberian
stones you won't find at home, such as
lilac-colored charoite and deep pink rho-
donite.
Moscow has also become one of the
world's fastest-growing luxury shopping
destinations, with a bigger Prada store
than Milan, and Russian designers' top-of-
the-line creations that sell for jaw-drop-
ping prices. There are also plenty of
midmarket clothing chains such as Benet-
ton and Mexx, but overall, Moscow
remains less touched by this kind of glo-
balization than other European capitals.
Moscow's vendors are quite market-
savvy after more than a decade of capital-
ism. That means the shocking bargains of
black market days are long gone, but it also
means that quality is more reliable and
competition has livened up the selection of
products available. Beware, as in any big
city, of con artists on the street trying to sell
a “real” silver fox hat or czarist medal for a
suspiciously low price. Several typical Rus-
sian souvenirs are described below. For
advice on buying lacquer boxes or the lacy
silver designs of Russian filigree, see the
sidebars “Box That Up” and “Fine Russian
Filigree,” both in chapter 15.
1
THE SHOPPING SCENE
When you buy anything in Russia, keep in mind that you'll want to take it home—and
Customs officers can bar the export of anything antique, any book printed before 1960,
or any painting or other work of art considered of cultural value to Russia. You'll have no
problem with the majority of souvenirs, and even the antique or valuable ones can usu-
ally be cleared for export by the Ministry of Culture. This process takes a few days,
involves getting the item appraised and then approved, and can cost anywhere from 10%
to 100% of the item's value. If you're in doubt about a purchase, check with the vendor
about its exportability, and also with a tour guide or other third party, if possible. Many
hotel concierges can help you get Culture Ministry clearance. Otherwise, you can try
contacting the ministry's Moscow appraisal and certification agency (8 Neglinnaya
Ulitsa, 3rd floor, room 29;
&
495/921-3258
or 692-1532). The rules change frequently,
but items like samovars and old icons are always on the iffy list (see the box “Russian
Orthodox Icons,” below).
Hotel gift shops are the most expensive places in town for souvenirs, and heavily tour-
isted areas such as Red Square are a close second. Better bets are the small crafts shops or
outdoor markets farther from the center of town. For Orthodox icons and other church-
related paraphernalia, the monasteries have the most authentic and attractive selection.
Moscow has no traditional sales tax, so the price printed on an item is the price you'll
pay, as long as you know what currency is being cited (see the “Currency Confusion” box
