There is hardly a better place to gain access to local Russian culture and authenticity than a flea markets in Moscow.
Top 4 Moscow flea markets
Visit to a Moscow flea market is always kind of a lottery: you never know what treasure you will find. No surprise that at a flea market you can find not only a unique thing, but also a little local treasure with its own history – from precious brooches to different spare parts for old film cameras.
Levsha Flea Market in Moscow
Flea Market Levsha is the oldest Russian flea market. It was born in 1824.
It’s best to come on Saturday morning, the earlier the better. By lunchtime, all the most interesting stuff is gone.
The vendors are ordinary people selling their own family antiques.
The range of goods of this flea market can impress even the most sophisticated minds – there are over 5000 antiques. Here you can buy all kinds of unique vintage and antique items: furniture, clothes, shoes, dishes, books, toys, antiques, handmade, figurines, coins, badges. Many unique items come from the 70s and 80s, from the Soviet past.
You will find here unusual souvenirs from the very heart of Russia.
Visiting the flea market is not just shopping, it is rather a kind of excursion, cultural plunge into a local life. Flea Market is a rare opportunity to find and buy things from different eras, which have very different purposes. Flea market is always unpredictable, it’s a great place for those who love to passionately seek for antiquities.
How to find: Novopodrezkovo station, Novoshodnenskoe Highway 166 N
Opening hours: 8:00 – 16:00 on weekends
Flea market at Izmaylovsky vernisage
One of the most famous flea market in Moscow. Located close to the “second Kremlin” of Moscow, it has not only a great choice of souvenirs, antique, old cameras and fun stuff from Soviet times, but also an atmosphere of an old Russian market. Wooden trade rows make your shopping the cultural experience in itself.
We have Izmaylovo Flea Market and Kremlin tours where you can expect Russian crafts, fairy-tale royal palaces and vintage accessories at cheapest price in Moscow.
Izmailovo Vernissage is the largest, world-renowned exhibition-fair of items of art and applied art created 25 years ago for artists, designers, craftspeople, artisans, community arts organizations, unions, cooperatives, and other crafts folk crafts manufacturers .
Izmailovo Vernissage today is intended to maintain, develop and preserve Russian culture, crafts and traditions.
The complex includes: “Artists Alley” with displayed works from more than 100 artists and “Craft Street” with art works and folk techniques by masters of Zhostovo, Palekh, Gzhel, Sergiyev Posad, Dymkovo and other towns of Golden Ring.
Izmailovo Vernissage is included into the international tourist guides as the object of the show and one of the most popular Russian fairs with goods from masters of folk art from all over Russia.
The multi-complex also includes Museum of the History of the Russian Navy, Bread Museum, Museum of the History of Russian vodka, Museum of Russian folk toys, Pottery, Forging the yard.
Endless rows of military form of the last two centuries, dresses, knives, lighters, oil lamps, dishes, silverware and toys, samovars, irons and many other interesting things, old books and postcards, key rings and battered statues, old coins, boots, flashlights, lace, masterpieces of wood, leather, stone, bark and fur, carpets and more. … enormous number of treasures offered by Izmailovo Vernissage. It is endless!
It is best to come to the flea market in the morning, while the stalls are still full with the most interesting and unique antiques. But you can try and visit it closer to closing – sometimes sellers are willing to part with their goods for just pennies!
Don’t skip a tour around Izmaylovo Kremlin, which is very different from a regular Kremlin tour.
How to find: m. Partizanskaya, Izmaylovskoe shosse, 73zh
Opening hours: 9:00 – 18:00 on weekends
Flea market on Tishinka
One of the oldest and major projects devoted to antique and vintage design. Here you can find all kinds of peculiar items;apothecary vials, vintage perfume bottles, unusual scissors, thimbles, embroidery frame, eyeglass cases, cups baleen (the mustache is now a trend), and other strange and charming things. Vendors come here from all over Russia, Britain and France.
This is not an ordinary flea market, but a big art project connecting different forms and types of art. Details for your home interior, table silver, old books from the childhood of Russian famous actors and singers. Unfortunately, this market is open only several times a year, but if you’re in Moscow these days, Tishinka is must visit.
How to find: Trade center “Tishinka”, Tishinskaya square, 1, build.1
Opening hours: spring, summer, autumn, winter
Flea market at Museum of Moscow
Every Sunday at the yard of Museum of Moscow you can find vintage, antiques and precious examples from the past centuries. There are rare glasses, jewelry, accessories and other nice and unusual things. Moreover, visitors will discover an amazing collection of antique porcelain, glass, silver and pumpernickel.
At this flea market you can hear nostalgic music, see dance marathons, Fashion Show of 1950s and practice your Russian listening to lectures on the history of Moscow’s flea markets. The prices are different – from 100 rubles to 40 000 rub. Here you can find things from the old Soviet Moscow apartments and objects from flea markets in Europe: coasters, gramophones, silver cigarette cases and candelabra of the XIX century.
This Sunday, June 28, the whole day will operate the project “retro barbershop”: a rare opportunity to do makeup and hair in the style of the 30’s or 60’s, take pictures and learn to create your own retro image. As usual on the City flea market you can have a delicious lunch or a cup of coffee with cake and homemade chocolate.
How to find: Museum of Moscow, Zubovsky boulevard, 2
Opening hours: See schedule on website mosmuseum.ru. Next market will be on June 28, 12:00 – 20:00.
Would you like to drop by a flea market when in Moscow? Would you like to make it a part of your Russian cultural experience?