One Of The Largest Flea Markets In The World Is In St.Petersburg
Udelnaya Flea Market
Looking for a unique way to practice your Russian this weekend, and maybe pick up a few souvenirs along the way? Then head north to St.Petersburg flea market Udelnaya (Блошиный рынок на «Удельной»)! One of the largest flea markets in the world, this is a great opportunity to find some unique, authentic goods to remember your time in Russia!
The market is open starting in the early morning until 5:00pm on Saturdays and Sundays. To get there, take the metro Line 2 north towards Parnas and get off at Udelnaya station. When you walk out of the station, you’ll most likely see a crowd of people heading to the market — follow them across the railroad tracks and through a long line of stalls selling secondhand goods. The “real” flea market is at the end of this line of stalls in an open area, with most goods lying out on blankets on the ground (see photo above). Beware — if you go on a windy day, like I did, you may find yourself in the middle of a dust storm…it’s not a bad idea to bring a scarf!
Here you can find all kinds of Soviet-era items, from children’s toys to porcelain trinkets to military paraphernalia (don’t be surprised — this includes firearms and some frighteningly large knives!). And if you’re interested in Soviet-era photos, postcards, or money, be prepared to spend a good amount of time here! You’ll see books upon books of old coins and bills, cards, maps, and newspapers (among a selection of vintage porn and bootleg DVDs). Here’s a photo of a few of the items I found, from a 1948 copy of Pravda (Правда) to 60’s postcards and decades-old bills:
Have fun at Udelnaya, and happy hunting!
This post was brought to you by Amy, currently studying Russian at Liden and Denz
