Market guide

I heard it quite a few times before and I assume it’s true – one of the things that strike a newcomer to Ukraine as exotic are the outdoor markets. Of course, there are similar things in the West as well – flea markets for instance. However, in the former Soviet countries you can actually buy almost everything without ever entering a store. Of course the appearance of modestly priced boutiques has greatly eliminated the need for clothes markets at least for me, while the appearance of supermarkets which sell everything from bread to shampoo and domestic appliances has drawn lots of people from many other markets. However, there is still a range of markets in Kyiv which are a “must go” both for its residents and for those new to market culture. Even if you’re bad at bargaining and speak neither Russian or Ukrainian, don’t worry, it’s still quite an experience.

Food mongers

While supermarkets offer fresh produce all year long, it’s not always the best quality – even in the summer, so the not so lazy shoppers tend to shop for it outside, especially considering that the outdoor food markets often exist side by side with the big stores. If you have one near your house then you’ll hardly need our advice, but if you don’t, here are a few well-known food markets.

Unfortunately, the Sennoy market which was famous for both as a food market and a great flea market, was closed down altogether – the former market building has been demolished, and while it’s not clear what is being constructed on its site, it most likely won’t be a market any more. The two other remaining markets are Besarabskiy and Zhytniy.

One of the oldest and certainly most central, Bessarabskiy market is situated at Besarabska ploshcha and dubbed “Besarabka” by locals, mostly attracting people who live nearby and city tourists and newcomers, which explains its prominent prices. The market is relatively small, inside the building the area is neatly divided into sectors of fruits and vegetables, flowers, meat, milk and other dairy products, which makes your shopping as easy as possible. There is also a special section where you can find a great variety of tea, tea pots and cups, a small honey store, a fish store and a flowers section – Besarabka is certainly a more pleasant place to buy them than the underground crossing at Maydan. But what distinguishes Besarabka from all the other markets at first glance is the amount of caviar of all kinds sold in all possible quantities at different ends of the market. It’s of course meant for tourists, who often find it cheaper than in their countries and buy it among the other souvenirs they bring from Ukraine. For the same reasons, many sellers at Besarabka speak at least a few words of English.

More humble than Besarabka, Zhytniy market in Podil stands much closer to the traditional Ukrainian market. The market, built in the best traditions of Soviet realism and divided into two floors fails to accommodate all the willing mongers, so you’ll find a separate trade court outside. However, despite the size and number of sellers if you’re looking for some exotic products such as avocados or halibut you’ll still have to go to Besarabka. But if you’re shopping for some customary fresh produce and good meat then Zhitniy is a worthy place with a great selection and the salespeople shouting at you from every stand to come and buy their stuff being both helpful and annoying at the same time. In fact all the food is concentrated on the first floor, while the second offers clothes, materials for home repair, decoration, bathroom equipment and similar items.

Besarabskiy Market

2 Besarabska ploshcha, 224-9207

Zhytniy Market

16 Nyzhniy Val, 417-3426

Read, Watch and Listen

Petrivka market was and remains the main place to go in search of books, music and films. The multiple rows and rows of stalls run the whole length of the market, filled with all kinds of things but mainly books, CD’s, VHS’s and DVD’s. At first glance it looks easy to get lost there, but after a few visits you should be able to adjust and feel quite at home.

Unfortunately, the selection of English books at Petrivka is not very impressive on the whole. At the stalls that offer all sorts of foreign language educational literature, you’ll usually find a regular selection of Penguin classics. As for Russian and Ukrainian books, you’ll find everything that is at the market – various editions of famous classics – both by local and foreign writers and the latest bestsellers and releases from Dan Brown to Paulo Coehlo.

What you can really find in the original and with a great variety are DVD’s. Of course, it’s true that there are a lot of pirated DVD’s, and even some licensed ones that don’t feature original dubbing, but a lot of them do. But of course, the fact that it says “English” on the cover of the DVD means nothing. However, there are plenty of DVD players now found on the market, so the seller can usually prove to you that it does have English or, as happens sometimes, prove the contrary. However, your best bet will certainly be the series of pirated DVD’s bearing “superbeat” and “extrabeat” logo. Those are the movies copied from original DVD’s which means they have perfect picture quality and an animated menu, features several languages including the original, subtitles and bonus materials. The selection of different movies featured in the series keeps on expanding, currently including all sorts of classics both older and modern like “Alien,” “The Matrix,” “Groundhog Day,” “Kill Bill Vol.1” or my latest purchase – “The Big Lebowski” – you name it. Of course, there are plenty of licensed DVD’s available, and I’m not in the very least discouraging you from buying those, especially considering that they are not too expensive, ranging from Hr 35, while pirated ones are Hr 25. The only problem is the selection of licensed movies on DVD is still quite modest.

As for music, you may find or may not find everything you need there depending on your taste. If the latest albums of Okean Elzy, Madonna, Robbie Williams or Red Hot Chili Peppers are satisfying enough for you, then you can count on Petrivka. If you’re looking for something a little more sophisticated and less widely popular – at least in this part of the world, the internet might still be your best and only option. Instead, you should pay attention to the stalls that offer mp3 collections of various musicians – the selection offered there is usually quite impressive and fit for any taste.

Petrivka book market

Petrivka metro station

Open Tuesday through Sunday

Birds, cats and dogs

There are still quite a few pet shops – and I mean shops that sell actual pets, not the food for them, in this town, so if you’re seriously set on buying yourself a new friend and you want to have a variety to choose from, direct your steps to the “Bird Market.” The market is not too big, so it’s easy to walk around, though it depends on, of course, how many pets you want to cuddle, as you might need to make a stop every now and then to admire another “darling creature.” Actually, not all the creatures found there appear so “darling” at least not to everyone. I mean pythons, anacondas, grass-snakes and lizards – cold blooded pets you cannot stroke or hug, suitable only for the fans of the exotic. If you are looking for something less menacing but still original, go for a turtle, neither are a problem at the “Bird Market.” If you prefer pets that indeed make as little noise as possible and require equally little of your time, then fish is your choice.

Among the very popular pets at the markets are rodents – white mice and guinea pigs, regular and angora – the latter have especially beautiful fur, and small dwarfish rabbits – specially bred to never grow past regular rabbit size. Of course, the “bird market” should justify its name and it does – there is a selection of birds – mostly canaries and parrots – from the most common budgerigars to the more beautiful and expensive cockatoos and grey jako parrots. But of course talking about pets we usually mean cats and dogs, and there are plenty of those here. You’re likely to find some people giving away cute little mongrel kittens and puppies for free, or selling them for a very modest price. However the highlight of the market are the pure-bread cats and dogs, usually sold by their actual breeders and owners, who can tell you the whole family history of their nurslings and the specifics of the breed and give advice on their feeding and caring. Expensive mastiff puppies, toy terriers you can carry around in your bag, furry Persian kitties, wayward Siamese cats and loyal German shepherds, be ready to be dazzled, especially if you have a weakness for pets. But in the end you should be able to decide which animals suit you best, even if you have to visit the market several times in order to do that.

Bird Market

1 Frunze ploshcha

Open Tuesday though Sunday from 8 a.m. till 8 p.m.

Get a ride

Despite the number of cars in Kyiv that just keeps on increasing, you won’t find too many places to buy used cars here. I mean there are of course auto magazines with personal ads from people trying to sell their cars, but if you prefer to see the whole variety for yourself, you can take some time and go to the city’s car market. Experts claim that you should be able to find a car of any brand and type there, including some exotic and vintage automobiles. The variety is indeed impressive – I remember visiting the market with my mom when she was still undecided as for which car to choose, so we just went to take a closer look at all the cars whose “appearance” we found attractive. Later on she settled for a pretty dark red Nissan Micra, but then she fancied a Niva – the local version of a small Jeep. However, the owner honestly said that the Niva may be a little harder to manage for a delicate lady, and she had to agree after she took a little test-drive with him around the market. Upon that visit Mom didn’t pick any car, but decided to come back there with her brother, who knew about cars. And it’s good advice for anyone – to bring a local car expert with you, especially if you don’t speak good Russian or Ukrainian, or even if you do, it will still be clear to anyone that you’re not a local. As it is with any market you can expect to be fooled, so you’ll definitely need someone to kick the tires and ask the owner the right questions concerning its condition.

Now if you already have a car, there is another car related market you may find useful – “Automarket” which is a considered a real goldmine of spare parts. Of course, you can drive to the nearest Auto-service center, but in case you don’t trust them and know something about fixing cars yourself, “Automarket” will help a lot. The aforementioned local car specialists claim that you can find spare parts for almost any car there, produced in almost any country. You can always try the stores, but quite often they won’t have the exact detail you need in stock and will offer to order it for you and the delivery may take quite some time. Or you can just go and pick up what you need at Automarket.

“Central” city car market

104 Stolichnoye shose

Open on weekends

“Automarket”

19 Perova Bulvar

Open Tuesday though Sunday from 9 a.m. till 6 p.m.by Alexandra Matoshko, Kyiv Post Staff Writer Oksana Bondarchuk, Kyiv Post Staff Writer

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