Ukrainians like their outdoor markets. That has something to do with Soviet times, when the products stocked by state shops were inferior to those found in bazaars. These days markets continue to be popular because they boast a greater range of goods and lower prices than those found in many new shops. Markets can also get highly specialized, and some offer products that are not likely to be found elsewhere in the city. Even if you’re not in the “market” for some of these articles, the markets themselves are worth checking out.
Radio Market
The Radio Market is the Mecca for Kyiv technical junkies. On weekends the neighboring streets are jammed with cars while the market overflows with crazy‑inventor and geeky‑programmer types – typically hairy, unshaved and sporting thick glasses – buying and selling their strange gadgets.
Here you can buy computers and computer parts, from brand names to who‑knows‑if‑it‑works ones, as well as sell your own. Telephones and mobiles are another big segment. One popular device is the AON (automatic definer of number), a device displaying the caller’s number. Computer and game software are also well represented. But there is also a healthy representation of new and used televisions and parts and less common devices such as oscillographs to measure frequency. Vendor may issue limited‑time guarantees.
Automobile Market
Here you can find everything related to cars. Car parts include valves, pistons and connecting rods for the motor and springs and shock absorbers for the chassis and there are even body parts, especially for Russian cars.
Available accessories include mirrors and mats, as well as car alarms and radar. Lubricants like brake fluid and engine oil are available. There is also paint, shampoo and polish. Small servicing for minor repairs such as glasswork or installing mudguards are also performed at the market.
Home Appliance Market
Planning to do some handiwork around your home? Pay a visit to the Home Appliance Market. Stretching for almost 2 kilometers, the market starts with a carpet bazaar, followed by stacks of wood and wallpaper – from plain Ukraine‑manufactured versions to imported washable kinds.
Tiles of all sizes, colors and prices can be as much as 1 1/2 times cheaper than in specialty shops. After you make your selection you simply purchase the amount you need from the nearby warehouse – and, for a reasonable price, you can arrange delivery.
The market also carries everything you need for your bathroom (with the exception of bathtubs). There are light bulbs and switches and heaters and fans. There are also rows of lamps, though chandeliers of good taste are somewhat rarer commodities. And don’t forget about paint, polish and glue.
Not willing to do it all entirely yourself, you can also find tradesmen through the market who’ll help you with your wallpaper, tiles or parquet, metal doors or window bars.
Bukhara
For some reason the Kyiv market specializing in fishing is referred to as Bukhara, an ancient Uzbek city. Though, then again, maybe the answer is not so mysterious – “bukhat” is also Russian slang for “drinking heavily,” an activity which all too often goes hand in hand with fishing.
You can buy all you need for fishing here, from Hr 10 bamboo rods to $100 state‑of‑the‑art graphite beauties and $200 rods complete with reels. Bait remains plentiful and varied – as does the fishing accessories. There are rubber overall‑and‑boot gator combinations, awls for ice‑fishing, spear guns, inflatable boats and canoes.
Weddings
Kyiv has no specialized wedding market per se, but many of the larger clothing markets such as Volodymyrsky or Zhitny have wedding sections. The biggest and the most popular is the wedding section of Troyeshchyna Market. Perusing the rows of white gowns and veils and seeing young brides trying on the most important dress of their lives can remind you of little girls dressing up as princesses. And while few dresses here are going to appear in any fashion magazines, the market is one of the best places in Kyiv to find bridal accessories such as veils, bonnets, garlands and gloves. Other items for the ceremony can also be had, though the groom is left largely neglected.
Petrivka
Petrivka needs no introduction. But surely one of the capital’s most popular markets also falls within the category of specialized markets, since it’s also the biggest book markets in Kyiv. Beside mostly Russian‑language fiction, it offers a wide selection of so‑called “esoteric” (philosophical and religious) literature; school textbooks and professional writing on anything from ornithology to finance, and dictionaries in dozens of languages. You can also find some fiction in English, French or German – mainly classical works or random second‑hand selections.
Petrivka is nearly as famous for its music CDs, mp3s, computer games and software.
Most markets work Tues‑Sun
9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Radio Market
Chokolivsky ‑ Karavayevi Dachi bus stop
Automobile Market
Perova ‑ across from Avrora Cinema
Home Appliance Market
Velyka Okruzhna ‑ at the terminus of Tram No. 3
Bukhara
Near Dnipro Metro
Wedding Market
Troyeshchina Market (main entrance, to the left)
Book Market
Petrivka Metro
Ptichka
Kurenivka ‑ Trolley or Minibus No. 18 from the Maidan to Ptashyny Rynok stop
