-
Ivan Tsarevich
One of many souvenir shops on the Arbat, with little to choose between them. This touristy area is probably not the best place to buy souvenirs, as prices are high and bargaining is non-existent. But the selection is decent, in case you don't have time to go out to Izmailovsky Park.
-
Izmaylovo Market
This sprawling area is packed with art, handmade crafts, antiques, Soviet paraphernalia and just about anything you might want for a souvenir. You'll find Moscow's biggest original range of matrioshkas (Russian dolls), Palekh and Khokhloma ware, as well as less traditional woodworking crafts.
-
Kalinka Stockmann
Once a Scandinavian haven in Moscow, it has a pricey foreign goods supermarket in the basement.
-
Kovcheg Gallery
This unique gallery is devoted to showcasing the lost work of early Soviet artists. Caught between the vibrant, early-20th century (post-impressionism and avant garde) and the stifling Soviet period (socialist realism), many of these artists were never able to exhibit their work, until recent efforts to uncover it.
-
M'ars Contemporary Art Centre
Founded by artists who were banned in the Soviet era, this cutting edge gallery has recently moved into slick new quarters. The space includes 10 exhibit halls showing the work of top contemporary artists a cool club and cafe in the basement.
-
Mantram
This small boutique features Russian designs influenced by the mystic east. Clothes for men and women feature richly coloured fabrics and exotic patterns. Slippers, tapestries, pillows and other imported interior design elements are also on sale.
-
Marki
This bright boutique carries clothing by dozens of Russian fashion designers, some better known than others. It's a great opportunity to witness the burgeoning Russian design scene. Prices are not outrageous.
-
Moskovsky Dom Knigi
Moscow's main bookshop, excellent but crowded, stocks books on pretty much anything, including a very decent selection of English-language novels.
-
Nautilus
This oddly-shaped, four-storey building fronts Nikolskaya ulitsa and Teatralny proezd, with the entrance at the corner. Its bright interior houses a range of upscale boutiques, including a very trendy luxury spa on the top floor. Take a break from shopping at the fantastic Loft Café, also on the top floor.
-
Novinsky Passage
This newish shopping centre is perhaps better for eating than for shopping; but nonetheless it contains a variety of mostly high-priced boutiques, with additional shops continuing to open.
-
Advertisement
-
Okhotny Ryad Shopping Mall
Manezhnaya pl, at the northwestern end of Red Sq, has transformed into the vast underground Okhotny Ryad Shopping Mall. Designed by Tsereteli, it's worth a look just to shatter images of Russians queuing in the snow for bread.
-
Old Arbat
The Old Arbat is the historic, pedestrian street famous in Moscow for its proliferation of souvenir sellers. It's extremely naff and usually overpriced, but if you want souvenirs - from nesting dolls to Soviet flags and engraved hip flasks - this is the place.
-
Petrovsky Passage
This luxurious, light-filled arcade, on Moscow's premier shopping strip, houses a range of pricey shops, including La Perla, Max Mara, Bosco and others...
-
Ramstore
The old Moskovsky Univermag has given way to Ramstore, the Turkish chain of hypermarkets that is taking over Moscow. This is the counter to all the exclusive shopping malls springing up around the centre. The selection is huge and prices are relatively cheap.
-
Seventh Continent Supermarket
The most convenient and reasonable places to stock up on foodstuffs. You can grab a cart and peruse the aisles just like at home. Products available are Russian and imported - it's still expensive, but not prohibitively so.
-
Shakespeare & Co
This tiny store occupies cramped quarters in the basement of an apartment block, giving it an old-school, underground, used-bookstore feel. It is, in fact, the only store with a decent selection of used books, offering a welcome change to the standard English classics that most Russian bookstores carry.
-
Smolensky Passage
Besides the Finnish department store Kalinka Stockmann, many other smaller shops are housed under the glass roof of this long-standing shopping mall.
-
Smolensky Supermarket
The most convenient and reasonable places to stock up on foodstuffs. You can grab a cart and peruse the aisles just like at home. Products available are Russian and imported - it's still expensive, but not prohibitively so.
-
Stoleshnikov per
The new wealth of Russia has created a class of Russians for whom nothing is too expensive or extravagant. If you have the cash, check out Stoleshnikov per is full of designer labels.
-
Texas
Jeans in all shapes and sizes. Not just blue jeans. Not even just denim. Texas carries jeans in every colour and fabric imaginable, from a wide variety of designers. This is the place to come looking for those yellow velvet jeans you always wanted.
-
Advertisement
-
Tretyakovsky proezd
The new wealth of Russia has created a class of Russians for whom nothing is too expensive or extravagant. If you have the cash, check out the designer boutiques of Tretyakovsky proezd, where Prada, Gucci and Armani jostle for your attention.
-
Uneroid
This wacky, underground boutique features cosmos-inspired fashion modelled on alien mannequins. Look for lots of tie-dye, batik and other way-out motifs. Designers include Chillout Family, Space Tribe and Acid Dreams. They have likely smoked their fair share of marijuana, resulting in a collection of cool clothes reminiscent of the hippy era.
-
VDNKh Culture Pavilion
Houses an art salon which features well-known and typically Russian products, such as Gzhel porcelain, Pavlovsky-Posad scarves, Palekhboxes and more.
-
Vernisazh Market
Good value, but rather far-flung, this market has a huge collection of handicrafts, knick-knacks, souvenirs, clothing and art.
