The One Thing You Can't Miss in...Moscow, Russia!

Izmailovsky Market

Located just beyond the heart of the city is Izmailovsky Market, a wonderful little place where you can shop, listen to music and grab a bite to eat. While there is plenty to do in Moscow from the Kremlin to Red Square, this is the one unique spot that you just can’t miss!

One of the best things about Izmailovsky Market is that it’s more than just a great place to shop, it’s also a great way to take in some Russian culture. Unlike a lot of the shopping centers in Moscow, Izmailovsky Market is set up the old fashioned way—with wooden stalls out in the open air, it has a quality that reminds you of a cute old Russian village.

As far as shopping goes, Izmailovsky has lots of traditional Russian crafts to buy like matryoshka dolls (also known as “nesting” dolls), amber jewelry, decorative Faberge eggs, colorful pashmina scarves, and other items—all at a much cheaper price than what you would have to pay in the center of the city.

If you are into Russian history there are lots of stalls that sell historic items from the old Soviet era, like military pins and old velvet parade banners featuring Lenin, among other items. On the upper level of the market there are lots of paintings in all different styles of art, as well as etchings. There are also lots of places to hunt for beautiful Russian antiques.

After browsing the antiques you can listen to Russian folk music, sung by a group of women near the bottom of the stairs to the upper level.

Finally, if you start to get hungry after all that shopping, you can stop by one of the food stalls for some shashlik, a popular meat dish cooked on metal skewers and served with veggies. Or, grab a cup of tea from one of the drink carts.

One of the easiest ways to reach Izamilovsky Market is by Metro, Moscow’s fastest transport system filled with stations that have beautiful statues, mosaics and antique lights. Just take the dark blue line and get off at Semyonovskaya station. Izamilovksy Market is open daily, however there are always more vendors on the weekends. Have fun browsing the stalls, just remember, a little bargaining goes a long way!