AVAna

Hello! My sister and I are going to Moscow. We have already chosen the places that we would like to visit. I'm wondering where is the best place to buy souvenirs? What souvenirs can you bring from Russia to your friends?

DrRodneyMcKay

Arbat St.- it's a pedestrian-only street with lots of historical buildings and plenty of touristy souvenir shops, if that's the kind of thing you're going for. It can also be a kick to see familiar chains like Starbucks transliterated into Russian. Note that there's also a street called "Novy Arbat" ("new arbat") that does allow traffic and has quite a few lanes; that's not the one you want. You want the one that runs kind of diagonally from it and that's only for pedestrians. If you get off at metro "arbatskaya" and walk southwest, you'll be in the perfect place to walk the entire thing.

As for what souvenirs you can bring - do you want the silly but cute touristy souvenirs, or something more unique? The shops on Arbat will have all sorts of things, from Russian nesting dolls to keychains to all sorts of Soviet paraphernalia with hammers and sickles, which I've always found entertaining. Some shops may also sell fur products, as Russian laws about that are more lax, so be aware of the laws and customs for when you fly back home. Arbat st. also has lots of great street artists; I've loved buying souvenirs from them. There's a guy that does gorgeous art with spray paint in front of your eyes, for example.

Ellaa

There are so many interesting things in Moscow! I have only wonderful memories of our trip! There are many beautiful souvenirs you can bring back. We bought ours on the market- they were very cheap. You can find out more about souvenirs here https://www.moscovery.com/shopping-savings/. The site provides a lot of helpful information.

AVAna

Thank you! What did you get there?

Ellaa

We bought porcelain dishes with authentic paintings and beautiful jewelry boxes.

Daniel_Danil

We also bought souvenirs at the market. There are a lot of choices and prices are much lower than at the stores. You can also bargain!

Daniel_Danil

We went to the market on our first day. I regret we couldn't get there again. They have really great prices.

Lussy

A friend from Moscow brought wooden hand-painted Christmas decorations. I have never

Alise

I went to the market and bought beautiful dolls in the national costumes. I got these for my friends. I bought a necklace and earrings for myself.

Daniel_Danil

You can find unique boxes with national Khokhloma painting in most of the stores.

Ellaa

AVAna, you can't pay with your credit card on the market. They don't have terminals there. You need to have some cash with you.

AVAna

Are there going to be any problems with using a credit card in Moscow stores?

Ellaa

Most of the times you can pay everywhere with your credit card. The money will be immediately converted into rubles. You might have to pay with cash only in the small shops, in the market, or in fast-food places.

AVAna

What will be the commission for currency exchange?

Ellaa

The commission depends on the bank.