The main fashion streets of Moscow are located in the city center. The greatest selection of international and luxury brands can be found on Tverskaya Street, and Kutozovsky and Kuznetsky Prospekt. Stoleshnikovsky Pereulok connects Tverskaya and Pokrovka streets, and also features a range of international brands. The famous Tretyakovsky Passazh, beneath the city’s old walls between the Red Square and Lubyanka, is a prime location for top luxury brands. Managed by Mercury Trading, Russia’s leading luxury brands retailer, the Passazh features Armani, Breitling, Chopard, Faberge Polo, Ralph Lauren and Tiffany alongside showrooms for Ferrari and Bentley.
A great deal of the best shopping opportunities can be found in Moscow’s enormous range of malls and shopping centers. Because of the high concentration of residents living in high-rise apartment buildings, hundreds of malls are spread all across Moscow, with no particular area of dominance. Malls are known as either TRK – torgoviy-razvlekatelniy komplex, TK – torgoviy komplex, or TTs – torgoviy tsenter. The first is the largest and will always include a major movie theatre and other entertainment venues, for example bowling alleys or skating rinks. The latter is the smallest. They all have numerous small stores and a few larger anchor stores, with well-known European brands predominating. They will all have at least a food court and usually at least one or two nicer, eat-in restaurants.
Historic department stores with roots in Soviet times are known as UniverMag (universalniy magazin or universal store.) Despite the Soviet-reminiscent names, the two famous UniverMags that remain in Moscow today feature high-luxury and high-cost international items.
The famous malls and department stores in the center (see Department Stores and Shopping Centers) typically feature the greatest proportion of luxury brands and are the most costly. The farther you go out from the center, the more available lower-cost options will become.
For lower-cost options, you can visit one of Moscow’s many markets. Every region of the city has at least one local market featuring everything from groceries to household goods to clothing and accessories. Costs here are significantly lower compared to shopping centers or shops in the city center – although you should diligently inspect the quality of anything you buy. You can also find specialized markets spread across the city if you’re looking for something in particular, for example the clothing market at Cherkizovksy or the Gorbushka home electronics and entertainment market. See the specific shopping sections of this guide for details on specialized markets.
