Take a global shopping spree with our guide to Kyiv’s major shopping malls
The concept of shopping in Kyiv changed forever with the appearance of European-style shopping centers, which offer a large collection of stores under one roof, not to mention entertainment and plenty of parking spaces.
Basically, most shopping malls provide an opportunity for an ultimate family outing, which may include shopping, lunch, and a movie, and plenty more. Having it all in one place certainly saves time and allows one to spend time more effectively and pleasantly.
Downtown
Globus is the most central of all Kyiv shopping centers, situated under “Maidan,” or Independence Square. Part of the mall is concealed underground, while its southern section is above-ground, with its interior visible from the street through the glass wall directly in front of Hotel Ukrayina.
Globus is known both as a shopping area and simply a fashionable hangout, with numerous stores offering a range of products from exciting men’s, women’s, and children’s fashion to books and mobile phones.
Shops offering some world famous brands such as Timberland, Tommy Hilfiger, Polo, Ecco, Monton, BGN, Lee, Levi’s, and Swatch all have boutiques at Globus. There are a number of cafes, as well as an extensive food court that can seat up to 500 hungry shoppers. The food area offers close to 10 fast-food kiosks of various cuisines. Among Globus’s highlights are the Grandi Firm Outlet, selling discounted designer clothes, as well as Esprit and Oasis shops. There is no extra entertainment such as skating rinks or movie theaters at Globus, but such venues would be wasteful in the city center’s limited space. Besides, there are two cinemas nearby – Kinopalats and Ukrayina.
Metrohrad stretches underground from Lva Tolstoho Square to Khreschatyk with many exits along the way. With its many turns and corridors, you may have to walk around Metrohrad two or three times before you’ll know it well enough to be able to find your way to the shops you need. For your convenience, Metrohrad is divided into several sections – clothes, lingerie, shoes, sporting goods, gifts, household items, bags, books, furniture, electronics, and more.
Under Bessarabska Square, there is a second underground level with a big fast food center (though smaller than the one in Globus) and an Internet cafe. The area surrounding it is known as the “boutique” area, and basically includes a number of lingerie and jewelry shops, though clothes and footwear shops are located there too. Speaking of clothes, there are very few mono-brand boutiques at Metrohrad; Levi’s and few other jeans brands, however, do have their own stores. A shop selling the Dr. Martens and Converse shoe brands, as well as colorful bags for stylish youngsters, is also among Metrohrad’s features. A separate wing called “Noviy Proyizd” offers a range of great gift shops.
There are also a few cafes, a tanning salon, a photo development center, pharmacies, ticket offices, and gift-wrapping services in the complex. However, there isn’t much entertainment at Metrohrad, except for arcade games next to the fast food area.
Mandarin Plaza, behind the Bessarabska Market on Baseyna Street, is the most luxurious shopping mall in Kyiv. Its boutiques showcase the latest clothing and footwear collections from world famous designers, fashionable accessories, fine jewelry and costume pieces, perfumes and cosmetics, eyewear, and a children’s boutique catering to the youngest fashion fans. The shops offer exclusive brands such as Valentino, Christian Lacroix, Givenchy, Versace, Liu Jo, Max Mara, Wolford, and similar high-fashion brands. A wide selection of quality interior furnishings and home fittings is also offered.
Mandarin Plaza has an underground parking garage, several restaurants on the top floor, and a Furshet Gurman supermarket in the underground level that operates 24 hours a day. Apart from clothes and shoes, Mandarin offers the Green Gallery florist studio, which makes some of the best bouquets in Kyiv.
TsUM on Khreschatyk was once the main shopping mall in town (its name, Central Department Store, speaks for itself). Over time, it developed from a traditional Soviet department store into a more modern shopping center. Its renovation didn’t alter many of the design restrictions of the old Soviet department store. It offers five floors of retail, with long flights of stairs in between, so you might prefer to use the elevator. The first floor sells high-end perfume and cosmetics, jewelry, and household items. The other levels are dedicated to separate areas of clothing for men, women and children, toys, and gifts. There are also very useful services such as watch repair, an express passport photo lab, an engraving service, and clothing repair.
The Ukrayina mall is another Soviet-themed shopping center in Kyiv. After extensive reconstruction, Ukrayina offers a variety of shops and entertainment services, such as the Odesa-Kino multiplex that has four movie theatres and the Chameleon bowling lanes, along with retail outlets. Many leading Ukrainian and international brands such as Esprit, Springfield, Ecco, Glenfield, and Massimo have stores at Ukrayina. A number of jewelry boutiques are located on the first floor, and the second floor is made up of clothing and footwear shops, including Intertop.
On the third floor, you can find the Jysk shop for home wares and the Berhoff shop for kitchen wares, a stationary shop, and a toy center. The Velyka Kyshenia supermarket is located in the semi-basement and operates 24 hours a day. A nine-level parking lot for 400 cars, with an entrance to the shopping center from each of its floors is connected to the shopping mall.
Globus (Maidan Nezalezhnosti, 238-5937)
Metrohrad (Besarabska Ploscha – Lva Tolstoho metro, 247-5665)
Mandarin Plaza (4 Baseyna, 230-9550)
TsUM (2 Khmelnytskoho, 234-9505)
Ukrayina (3 Prospect Peremohy)
By the metro
The new five-level shopping center Komod on the Dnipro’s left bank was opened recently next to the Livoberezhna metro. Its main highlights are Kyiv’s only Marks & Spencer boutique and an ultra-modern multiplex movie theater. Mexx, Naf Naf, Carlo Pazolini, TJ Collection, Minelli, Montres, Bustie, and Closed all have shops at the mall. Komod is also the site of the second Furshet Gurman, whose prices are lower than at Mandarin Plaza. The cafe’s windows offer a wonderful panorama of the Dnipro River. While you are shopping, your children can play at the special children’s playground with a rock-climbing wall and two-storied labyrinth Neposeda (Fidget). And before leaving, take some time to enjoy fresh juices and milkshakes at their fresh-bar.
The Gorodok shopping center is located in a major shopping area near Petrivka metro and has very good access to public transportation. The name of the center, which translates as “Town,” is visible in the layout of the mall – lanes between boutiques have signs with names like “Spring Street” or “Apricot Street.” Jewelry is understandably found in the “Golden District.” All other shops in the mall are arranged by type, making your shopping as convenient as possible. If you plan to shop there frequently, inquire about its discount systems, “Gorodok Baby,” “Gorodok Family,” and “Gorodok City.”
Alta Center is another big shopping center located near the Petrivka metro. It’s mostly known for housing a Fashion Lab – a gallery of boutiques by Ukrainian designers. Its other special feature is a multi-brand shop of the Argo chain that distributes brands like Mango, Castro, Miss Sixty, and Benetton, among others. It also offers a big supermarket and a spacious parking lot for 500 cars.
Another shopping giant, the Bilshovyk mall, is located not far from Shuliavska metro. Situated on the eponymous factory’s territory, is a serious competitor to similar big malls. Its trademark red logotype with a hammer, sickle, and five-pointed star offers shoppers a taste of Soviet nostalgia, but its interior fortunately corresponds to Western standards.
Bilshovyk has a MegaMarket grocery store on the ground level, while its upper level offers boutiques and shops of various price ranges: Sela, Hallmark, Chicco, Lee Cooper Jeans, High Design Group, Annette Gortz, Baumler, Paul & Shark, McGregor, and others.
Bilshovyk’s special features include a Lacoste store (its other location is quite inconvenient), Swiss Time watches boutique, Scorpio home decor shop, and Sportland, carrying sporting brands like Adidas, Reebok, Nike, Converse, Fila, Salomon, andAtomic.
Among the various restaurants is a new sushi bar called Kava and sandwich bar Sharikoff, where you can relax after a tiring day of shopping. Bilshovyk offers a large skating rink that opened just this winter, which has already become a favorite haunt for students from the nearby universities.
Komod (4 Lunacharskoho, 593-2550 (Liboberezhna))
Gorodok ((Petrivka) 23 Moskovskiy Prospekt, 230-8050)
Alta Center ((Petrivka) 11A Moskovskiy Prospekt, 426-5454)
BIlshOvYk ((Shuliavska) 6 Hetmana )
Out there
The Karavan shopping mall is located in Kyiv’s industrial area on Luhova Street and many shoppers drive to the mall. For those without cars, a special free marshrutka runs between the shopping mall and Petrivka metro station.
Considering its location, Karavan is best suited for those who prefer to have a whole day of shopping and fun in one place, and then drive home with a car full of shopping bags. The shopping center’s vast area includes nearly everything – supermarkets, shops, and an entertainment center, all of which will satisfy nearly everyone’s needs, even experienced shoppers.
The mall offers over 100 brands such as Etam, Sinequanone, Jackpot, Cottonfield, Celio, Axara, Inwear, as well as those that can be found only in Karavan – a Calvin Klein jeans boutique, Replay, Kookai, and Morgan. The entertainment center has an indoor ice skating rink, a bowling alley with a bar, a five screen cinema, billiards, a casino, fast food restaurants, and a play area for kids while you shop.
The shopping complex Materik is located in an industrial zone, a ten minute ride from the Shuliavska metro. The area’s boutiques and stores were chosen to match the principle “closer to the people” – you won’t find expensive clothing and footwear brands. But there is no problem buying mid-priced items of casual style for all family members. Shops include VD One, Step by Step, Brocard, PTA, Monica Ricci, Le Greto, Clan, 75B, and more. Among the new stores are men’s and women’s wear brands Bigrey and Sorbino. The noteworthy multi-brand store Free Zone sells casual clothes, knitted wear, accessories, and the Eleganza shop, offering only Italian clothing, sells Missoni wear.
Among Materik’s main trumps are the Rainford supermarket on the ground floor, a kid’s room, cafes, and restaurants on the second floor.
The Rhythm entertainment complex, located in the Nikolska Borschahivska district, not far from Zhuliany airport (the closest metro station is Sviatoshyno or Nyvky), is the most impressive center of all.
The entertainment area consists of the Vitamin bowling club that has 24 alleys, the billiard club Paradiz, the Caramel disco club, the Station computer club with 200 computers, slot machines, pizzerias, cafes and restaurants, and a kid’s playground. The center also has a San-Plaza solarium, a fitness club, a barbershop and the Lady Happiness beauty salon. The Furshet chain has a supermarket on the first floor, and on the top level, there is an economy-class hotel open seven days a week with 36 comfortable rooms. Every hotel room is equipped with a mini-bar, satellite television, digital telephone line with access to the Internet and air conditioners. It has a parking lot for 900 cars. In the near future, a movie theater and dolphinarium (an aquarium with dolphins) are promised to open there.
Karavan Megastore (12 Luhova, 461-8200)
Materik (154 Borschahivska)
Rhythm (4 Heroyiv Kosmosu, 236-4202)
