Bessarabsky Indoor Market, Kiev

The Bessarabsky (Bessarabian) Market lends its name to the square it lies upon, at the south-western end of Khreshchatyk in Kiev. The indoor market provides commercial space for local farmers and agricultural producers. It was built between 1910 and 1912 by architects Gai and Bobrusov, with the exterior designed by students of the famous architect, F. Balavensky. At the time of its inauguration, the market featured 31 shops and 165 stalls. Today, it contains 387 stalls and 59 outlets fitted with refrigerators for perishable goods.

Other than selling fresh produce - fruits, vegetables, meat and fish, - the market also provides space for service providers. It has a barbershop, a sewing workshop, shoe repairs, a wedding store and foreign exchange.

The name “Bessarabsky” derives from the large Bessarabian community (nowadays known as Moldovans) who used to come here often, long before the market was built, and sold their crops. Today, the market is a convenient place to buy food much as it is to meet local folk, representative of all strata of the Ukrainian society.

Operation hour: Monday - Sunday: 9 am - 8 pm