Must-buy Souvenir from Moscow and St. Petersburg?

You might consider some lacquerware.

matrushka dolls.

amber with a nice bug in it

Vodka, caviar and Armenian brandy.

You might want to read my trip report Just Got Back- GCT Russian Waterways. I gave a list of things we bought for souveniers. Some things are very expensive, like the lacquerware. Amber jewelry is about what you would think you have to pay. I paid $80 for a reasonable size pendant trimmed in silver. We have kind of a travel trinket display so I also bought some things to display. I will wear the shawl and slippers I bought. I think what you buy depends on your souvenier philosophy. We usually buy touristy display stuff. Then one year we decided to buy one "good" thing for each trip. We bought a $2000 red rug while in Morocco. Now we wonder "what do you do with a red rug?" Back to cheap tourist things the next year. The hunt is part of the fun. Best wishes on your trip.

I like small things. One of my favorite things from Moscow is a small gold egg (like Faberge) which opens to reveal a tiny replica of St. Basil's Cathedral.
My mom is religious and enjoys the Icon we brought her from St. Petersburg.
I bought several open work shawls when we visited Peterhof - many vendors there.
We also picked up some wood Christmas trees that came apart to reveal tinier Christmas trees.
Good shopping!
Have a wonderful time.

I bought some nice water colors that were not expensive. The first time we were there we bought oil paintings that were contempory. Easy to roll and then have stretched and framed at home.

We bought three lithographs by different artists with different styles in St. Peterburg.

My parents bought me a wooden music box for my birthday, which I love dearly. I got my dad one of those furry hats, and my mom one of those superlight knit shawls. And I don't think you're allowed to leave Russia without a matryoshka doll

My boss always brings back a bottle of vodka for me.

These are great ideas! I better pack light! I especially love the idea of the egg that reveals the replica. Please tell me things like that are available all over and I won't have to hunt one down...

sdtravels...wonderful report. i cannot wait to go! Please assure me my not knowing Russian (beyond the alphabet) is going to deter me. I always bring back "one nice thing" as well (not as nice as the red rug, however!)

The matrushka dolls are already on my list...BabyDaughter wouldn't let me come to her home without a set!

If it's for others then you probably can't beat those dolls!! It's what people expect so doesn't matter if it's tacky, it'll still be appreciated.

Russian chocolate is exceptionally good too.

For myself, I find a small painting or drawing is a great memento of a happy trip to strange climes - but I didn't see anything at all I liked in M or St P (or at least that I could afford!).

If you want real authenticity, then check out the shops at the major railway stations. Tons of kitch but fun stuff - I went for a travelling ashtray - but you could do a penknife, or keyring or mug, or a sailing galleon dressed up as a table lamp. Honest!! I saw a man buy one of these at Finland Station. He had the sales assistant take it all out of the box and put it together to prove that it worked.

Ho hum!

The Hermitage has a limited selection of posters - as always, you wonder you chooses which paintings in the collection to offer - but fairly priced and not too hard to carry.

Cheers.

I brought back to my politically minded friends a set of those matrushka dolls but they were all political figures, there were also some of historical figures.

The only thing I found worth buying in St Pet was amber - but do look around carefully since much is of poor quality.

I agree about the qualitiy of different ambers, look on line before you go and get ideas of what to look for. Some shop owners held little torches on the amber to show that it wasn't plastic.

I'm not sure where I bought the egg, we did the river trip and it might have been on the boat. If there is some way I can email you a picture of the item it might make it easier to find. FYI amber comes in chokers as well as pendants. I brought some back for my daughters-in-law.

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