Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
168
Russian Clothing Sizes
For help selecting the right sizes when you're shopping for clothes or shoes, see
the “Clothing Size Conversions” section in chapter 2, which compares American,
European, British, and Russian sizes.
The Arbat
has fashioned itself as Moscow's premier shopping district, though most of
the souvenir booths lining the center of the pedestrian street are overpriced and seem to
offer the same merchandise as their neighbors. The Arbat's better shopping deals can be
found in its few remaining crafts shops, which sell boxes made of carved birch wood in
traditional Russian patterns, hand-embroidered bed and table linens, and traditional
Russian caftans and gowns. Look for children's sizes, too—some make good choices for
holiday or Halloween outfits. Prices drop as you move west along the street. The New
Russian Store is worth a peek inside; the tongue-in-cheek boutique of traditional Russian
handiwork caters to—and makes fun of—Russia's extravagant nouveau riche. On a
recent visit I saw a delicate ceramic cellphone and a lacquer box painted with a scene of
thuglike businessmen being fed grapes by scantily clad nymphs.
A less abundant but more original shopping area is
Pyatnitskaya Street
in Zamoskva-
rechye, south of the Kremlin. Several independent artists sell their paintings and sculp-
tures in galleries and small shops here, along with traditional Russian crafts. This is also
where Moscow's few vintage clothing stores reside, plus a few shops offering secondhand
designer wear.
Moscow's shopping mecca for foreign and Russian visitors alike is the huge open-air
bazaar at
Izmailovsky Park,
in eastern Moscow outside the Garden Ring. The rough-
and-tumble stalls and garage-sale feel of a few years back have been replaced by organized
rows of vendors behind a cheerful, towering facade of carved wood. On weekends an
entrance fee of 50 rubles is charged. Inside, you'll find 10 times the selection of
matry-
oshka
nesting dolls than the Arbat displays, plus Russian space-program memorabilia,
malachite chess sets, intricate and original jewelry, blue-hued Uzbek plates, surprisingly-
patterned quilts, Soviet propaganda posters, booths and booths of lacquer boxes, wooden
toys, and much more. Most prices are negotiable, and all vendors speak some English.
Get off at the Izmailovsky Park metro stop and follow the crowd.
Muscovites often spend their weekends at the open-air food and clothing markets
scattered around town, where they buy produce, meat, diapers, winter boots, cleaning
supplies, and any number of things at prices much lower than those in department stores
or supermarkets. The quality ranges from cheap Chinese toy trucks to fine Russian-made
shearling coats. If you're curious, check out the food and clothing markets at Izmailovsky
(to the left of the souvenir bazaar) or Fili (btw. the Bagrationovskaya metro station and
the Gorbushka electronics market).
8
3
THE SHOPPING CENTERS
The concept of the shopping mall as North America knows it remains foreign to Russian
shoppers, though they have their own version of shopping centers that serve the same
purpose. Moscow's premier shopping gallery is
GUM
(pronounced
goom
), which stands
