Shopping in St Petersburg, Russia

[RBDB6]

Please let me know if anyone has any suggestions on shopping in St Petersburg, Russia. We will be in port for two days in May.

We would like to find places that sell quality Russian made products for good prices.

 

Thank you............................Diane

[Paul&Kathy]

Depending on your touring plans your options will unfortunately but probably be limited to where your guided takes you. We were with Red October (who were fantastic) and asked if we could skip lunch on the 2nd day and spend the hour walking around some nearby shops. Our guide was apologetic but said she just was not allowed to let us out of her sight as RO were responsible for us and she would be in terrible trouble if we "got lost". The Red October shop itself was huge and full of lovely things but we thought very pricy. She did take us to a couple of other places but the prices seemed similar. I expect there is a commission scheme that keeps the prices high. There is a small shop by the immigration office at the port we docked at and we thought that was the cheapest for Russian dolls etc but they did not have a huge choice.

[RBDB6]

Thank you Paul and Kathy and Lucy for you information. I will insert your comments in my notebook and ask our private guide in St Petersburg. We will be touring with a small group which may help with personal requests.

 

Regards,

Diane and Roy

[TLCOhio]

Please let me know if anyone has any suggestions on shopping in St Petersburg, Russia. We will be in port for two days in May.

We would like to find places that sell quality Russian made products for good prices. Diane

 

Hi, to fellow Ohioans, Diane and Roy, from those of us in Columbus, enjoying this pretty snowy day in the midwest.

 

Working with a private guide is your best option, especially if you are looking for something better than just the run-of-the-mill tourist items. Costs vary in part depending on the quality of the goods. Sorry! The better stuff does cost more as it will involve more "hand work". Your eye will see what is "better", but also more costly. Trade-offs for what is the best "value". At the Hermitage Museum, there are potential options at their gift shop. You can go on their Hermitage website and see in advance some of those options available there.

 

The dollar's value is a little better in the Baltics now compared to the summer of 2008. BUT, overall, things are not cheap in the Baltics area. Copenhagen and Stockholm are two of the top ten cities in the world for being costly.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

[RBDB6]

Thank You Terry,

 

Nice to hear from a fellow BUCKEYE! OH - IO!

 

I will look up the Hermitage website for our potential options. We just don't want to be guided to just the average shop with inflated prices. We like to gain a little "edge" with knowledge ahead of time.

 

Yes, the dollar has come up a little. Last year on our spring transatlantic the dollar was really taking a hit.

 

Stay warm, Diane and Roy

[TLCOhio]

I will look up the Hermitage website for our potential options. We just don't want to be guided to just the average shop with inflated prices. We like to gain a little "edge" with knowledge ahead of time. Stay warm, Diane and Roy

 

Yes, it's very, very challenging to get the best buys. The cheap stuff looks it, in many cases. The better stuff has more hand, detailed work, but is not cheap. It's hard to know who to trust and what is a real value. We've experienced those challenges in other places from good guides in Istanbul, Turkish Coast, Greece, etc. That's why I like to take lots and lots of pictures as my souvenirs and memories from these great trips.

 

Compared to the sub-zero weather from a couple of days, it's nice and warm now in Central Ohio. Surviving and getting ready for the NFL games today.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

[RBDB6]

Terry,

 

I looked at the Hermitage Museum online and have found what I was in search of already. You see, on past trips in Sitka, Alaska (Russian heritage) I purchased two Faberge style egg pendants for my 2 granddaughters. I now have three granddaughters so I will be on a mission to find another beautiful egg pendant.

 

I will make a point to visit the gift shop when I am in the Hermitage.

 

Regards,

 

Diane

[volkoff]

Of course, if you opt for your own guide, you can say where you want to go. Discover the Baltic recommends Apraksin Dvor, which is certainly cheap and interesting, but without a guide it would be hard to find your way there and around it.

Apraksin Dvor is closed anyway... Market in Apraksin Dvor Migrated to another part of the city.

If you want take shopping you can try following steps as I recommend in this thread: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=782068

[NVCLVR]

We, too, were on a quest to find top quality Faberge-type eggs. We were on a pvt tour & requested shopping for porcelin, furs & jewelry. We had to strongly insist that our guide not take us to the tourist shops. We found exactly what we were searching for (re: the eggs) at the Hermitage. There are several gift shops throughout the museum. The one w/the largest selection of the eggs is upstairs in the back, near the French Impressionists room..a small little shop. It had the best quality & actual Faberge make. A fraction of the price of what was in the jewelry shop on the ship--same eggs, same make (Faberge)! We didn't get any egg pendants, but they are much less, ashore, than those sold on the ship. I don't think you'll be disappointed in the Hermitage offerings!

[RBDB6]

Thank You - NVCLVR

 

Your instructions to lead me in the direction of the Faberge style eggs in the Hermitage are just great. Every minute saved on shopping will enable us to look at the beautiful Hermitage itself.

 

Diane

[smileon]

The shop that sells souveniers at the port-is it accessible without a visa? eg could you visit it in the afternoon after lunch having been ashore in the morning?

 

Also - does anyone know how much you might pay for a set of Russuan dolls( can't remember their proper name) and a Russian hat? The souveniers my children are keen to buy!

 

Thank you!

[MercedMike]

Also - does anyone know how much you might pay for a set of Russuan dolls( can't remember their proper name) and a Russian hat? The souveniers my children are keen to buy!

 

Thank you!

 

LOL -- as has been pointed out, everything from cheap tourist trinkets to quality stuff is available.

 

Russian nesting dolls -- $10 to $500 a set (and up). Clearly the $10 ones are cheaply made, and the $500 ones are beautiful and high quality.

 

Russian hats -- $50 to $1800 (and up). Outside Catherine's palace there were street vendors with $10 versions. I am not sure they would have lasted through the afternoon!

 

If the kids just want souvenirs, it will not be expensive. They will see lots of fun stuff. The street vendows might be as much fun as anyplace.

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[POTOMACRUISER]

Quality, no...but cool...i've got it... The flea market in front of the spilled blood church. Got a fake fur hat (with insignia) + a seaman's hat with about twenty badges/pins for, no joke $20!!

 

*** what i really remember was seeing the plaster busts of lenin and marx, hidden under the tables in the marked-down bin !!!!

 

One of our tours (with the subway ride) took us to the grocary market, where my dad bought some really high quality caviar. I got some chocolate bars because they had beautiful artwork wrappers of the places we had visited -- my kids got the chocolate, i kept the souvenir wrappers.

[msmoger]

Can you find kitschy stuff like Lenin or Stalin T-shirts or mugs or other communist era things? Or is that something that is frowned upon? I remember seeing a lot of that type of thing in Berlin.

[jkw3tx]

Last year my mom got in trouble trying to go back into the shop without her guide- so I'd say no the store at the port is on the russian side of the border- no visa no admission.

JKW

[abouna]

My favorite place to shop is the big department store on Nevsky Prospect in the middle called Gostini Dvor. Prices are set so you don't have to bargin, but not overpriced. You also know what you are getting is authentic. On the street, you have no idea and are probably getting cheated somehow, especially for higher end items. Just a word of advice, stay away from the places that the organized tour guides take you. Those places all give kickbacks to the tour guides to the likes of up to 30% or more which gives you a good idea of the mark up of those items.