Moscow
From the courtyard, look for the black metal door that leads down into this dungeon of a shop, which houses room after room of CDs, in every genre…
Must-see shopping in Russia
St Petersburg
This Style Moderne stunner is St Petersburg's most elegant grocery store, selling plenty of branded goods from tea blends to caviar and handmade…
St Petersburg
This treasure trove of Soviet ephemera, pre-revolutionary antiques, WWII artefacts and bonkers kitsch from all eras is truly worth travelling for. Exit…
Kaliningrad
Easily the biggest and best of several amber shops along the riverfront promenade in Fish Village. Counters full of amber stones, necklaces, bracelets and…
Moscow
One of Russia’s oldest furriers, this place has been manufacturing shapky (fur hats) and shuby (fur coats) since 1912. While Yekaterina has always…
St Petersburg
Dating from 1906–7, the one-time Esders and Scheefhaals department store has been beautifully restored and is one of the most glamorous places to shop in…
St Petersburg
This is one of the city's largest 'creative clusters' with around 13,000 sq metres of space over several floors hosting a variety of art galleries,…
Golden Ring
'Polka' means 'shelf' in Russian, and every shelf here contains handmade wares from a different local artist – it's like a miniature craft fair. You'll…
Ulan-Ude
This sparkling new shop doubles as a Buryat culture centre that runs lectures and masterclasses in traditional crafts. Goods include stylish jewellery by…
Irkutsk
Very central indeed, Irkutsk's well-maintained and perfectly authentic market is the place to stock up on cedar nuts, taiga herbs and Siberian fish,…
Moscow
Behind its elaborate 240m-long facade on the northeastern side of Red Square, GUM is a bright, bustling shopping mall with hundreds of fancy stores and…
Moscow
Peek in here for a glimpse of pre-revolutionary grandeur, as the store is set in the former mansion of the successful merchant Yeliseev. It now houses an…
Arbat & Khamovniki
If you're in the market for a fancy timepiece, pop into the Arbat outlet of ‘Russian Watch Traditions’. On this touristy drag, these small shops carry…
Arbat & Khamovniki
Considering the lack of flashy signs and kitsch, it would be easy to miss this plain storefront on the Arbat. But inside there are treasures galore, from…
Moscow
Flakon is arguably the most visually attractive of all the redeveloped industrial areas around town, looking a bit like the far end of London's Portobello…
St Petersburg
Dating back to the mid-18th century, this is the company that used to make tea sets for the Russian royal family. Formerly known as Lomonosov China, the…
St Petersburg
Near the courtyard of the Berthold Centre, this delightful shop has lots of eye-catching objects, much of it made in-house or produced by St Petersburg…
Meshchansky & Basmanny
This is about the most clandestine fashion store we've ever reviewed. To get in, enter a graffiti-covered courtyard, then look for a small gap between two…
Tryokhgornaya Manufaktura Factory Outlet
Presnya
Tryokhgornaya Manufaktura is one of the oldest textile factories in Russia, founded in 1799 on the banks of the Moscow River. The factory played a key…
Meshchansky & Basmanny
Moscow’s favourite bookshop is huge, with lots of souvenir books devoted to language, art and history, and a good selection of maps and travel guides. A…
Meshchansky & Basmanny
This sweet boutique – encouraging shoppers to ‘dress for happiness’ – carries unique clothing by a few distinctive designers, including Moscow native Oleg…
Presnya
The best-known Russian fashion designer is Valentin Yudashkin, whose classy clothes are on display at the Louvre and the Met, as well as the State History…
St Petersburg
This cool store will thrill anyone interested in music and cinema, as it sells a very cool range of vinyls from all eras (it’s particularly strong on rare…
Arbat & Khamovniki
Among the largest bookstores in Moscow, Dom Knigi has a selection of foreign-language books to rival any other shop in the city, not to mention travel…
Moscow
Zaporozhets makes clothes themed on popular Soviet cartoon films, such as Holidays in Prostokvashino, for hipsters born after the USSR collapsed who love…
Presnya
This bustling store is the factory outlet for several local candy makers, including the most famous, Krasny Oktyabr (Red October). The display case is…
Meshchansky & Basmanny
These folks do a great service selling souvenirs – cups, plates and T-shirts – themed on inspired and whimsical drawings produced by children with special…
Meshchansky & Basmanny
Here you'll find perfume brands that you won't come by in a duty-free shop. All fringe international and Russian perfume producers are welcome, while Dior…
Meshchansky & Basmanny
This tiny shop that sells secondhand vinyl and CDs has a few shelves dedicated to Russian indie music from the 1980s to present. There is also a Korean…
Eastern Siberia
Baikal fish, smoked and sun-dried, cedar pine nuts, sagaan-dalya and other local herbs – you'll find all of this in the small but bustling market located…
Moscow
A showroom of a popular online shop, which focuses primarily on little-known Russian designer brands. Definitely a place to look for high-quality clothes…
Presnya
This tiny store is packed with books, games, plush animals and beautiful painted wooden toys. This is the place to find some souvenirs for the little…
Volgograd
A terrific souvenir shop with shelves of over-the-top Soviet and WWII-themed shirts, hats, medals, models, flasks and loads of other perfect take-home…
Ulan-Ude
Sometimes moving, sometimes kitschy modern Buryat art, clothes and souvenirs. Buddhist-themed metal sculpture contains some of the most striking items.
Ulan-Ude
Elegant artisanal ceramics by Ayuna Dorzhieva, who fuses Buryat motifs with modern art.
Meshchansky & Basmanny
Never mind the kitschy faux 'tsar's palace' it surrounds, this is the ultimate place to shop for matryoshka dolls, military uniforms, icons, Soviet badges…
St Petersburg
One of the world’s first indoor shopping malls, the ‘Big Merchant Yard’ dates from between 1757 and 1785 and stretches 230m along Nevsky pr (its perimeter…
Moscow
Alena Akhmadullina’s romantic, flowing fashions have been wowing trendsetters since 2005, when the St Petersburg designer first showed her stuff in Paris…
Association of Artists of the Decorative Arts
Arbat & Khamovniki
Look for the ceramic number plate and the small sign indicating the entrance to this 'exposition hall', which is actually a cluster of small shops, each…
Presnya
Katya makes dresses, blouses, sweatshirts and more with brightly coloured applications – all around a single theme. It was 'Tropical Dreams' when we…
