Chapter 19 - Culture and Entertainment

I

This chapter starts out with a short history of Russian art, followed by a list of interesting art galleries, framing shops and places where you can buy antiques. When purchasing antiques, always remember that they can be difficult (and sometimes impossible) to export from Russia.

The next section focuses on Russian souvenirs. Moscow has a multitude of souvenir stores and, of course, it is also home to the famous Izmailovsky Vernisazh souvenir market. Traditional Russian souvenirs include: wooden matryoshka dolls, toys and boxes; Gzhel and Lomonosov porcelain; lacquer boxes; Khokhloma (decorative wooden bowls and spoons, traditionally painted red and black with gold applications); birch boxes, Easter eggs; and linen and lace. We provide information on souvenir markets and shops, as well as on some very creative artists who make items outside the standard range generally sold.

Next come sections on bookstores (both those selling foreign-language literature and those selling books in Russian), Russian and Soviet literature and writers, libraries, and newspapers and magazines.

Old Moscow
Circus

New Moscow
Circus

Russian Art 1