Red Square Christmas Market

GUM-Fair ГУМ-ярмарка
Stands of the fair at nighttime
Nickname	Red Square Christmas Market Red Square New Year's Market
Genre	Christmas market
Date(s)	11 December–1 March
Location(s)	Red Square, Moscow
Coordinates	55.7541°N 37.6214°E / 55.7541; 37.6214
Country	Russia
Years active	2013–present
Inaugurated	1 December 2013
Attendance	Hundreds of thousands
Capacity	63 stands
Website	gum-katok.ru

The Red Square Christmas Market (Russian: Рождественская ярмарка на Красной площади, romanized: Rozhdestvyenskaya yarmarka na Krasnoy ploshchadi) or Red Square New Year's Market (Russian: Новигодная ярмарка на Красной площади, romanized: Novigodnaya yarmarka na Krasnoy ploshchadi), officially the GUM-Fair (Russian: ГУМ-ярмарка, romanized: GUM-yarmarka), is an annually held Christmas market at the Red Square in Moscow, Russia, run by the Russian GUM department store that operates every day from December 11th to March 1st.[1] It's the most popular place to visit and buy New Year's gifts from in the winter in Russia and also the largest fair, with up to 63 stands attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.[2][3][4][5]

History

People have been trading, buying and selling in Moscow, especially the Red Square, since the Middle Ages, with many old shopping streets, such as Nikolskaya or Varvarka, existing since those times. Under Catherine the Great, Russia started designing newer and modern shopping spaces in the places of older outdated merchant rows.[6] Thus, the first version of the Upper Trading Rows appeared on Muscovite maps; nowadays they're known as the GUM department store. They opened in 1893.[7] The Christmas fair was opened for the first time in 2013, on the 120th anniversary of the opening of the GUM department store.[8]

Stands

There is a lot to buy, sell, attend and take part in on the 63 stands of the fair. They're decorated and built just like other European christmas markets, with the difference being that Russians concentrate more on Novy God than Christmas itself, which takes place on January 7th. People can buy "Yolka" balls, knitted mittens, traditional Russian decorations and food from Russia, regions under Russian influence and generally popular Christmas food such as Bavarian sausages or Russian blinchiki. A circular "battery" of counters has been set up in the center, where they sell Balloons, going from 500 up to 1,000 rubles. Ded Moroz or Cheburashka figures are also sold, costing up to 12,600 rubles. There are also carousels, an ice rink and stands where children can take pictures with Ded Moroz and Snegurochka.[2][9][10]

Gallery

• 
  A big nutcracker doll at the center
• 
  Carousel at daytime
• 
  Busy streets at night
• 
  Ded Moroz attending the fair
• 
  Station of Pervyy Kanal
• 
  Stands of the fair covered in snow

References

1. "Top-5 Christmas Fairs in Moscow". www.visitrussia.com. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
2. "ГУМ-ярмарка". kp.ru. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
3. "Торговая площадка «ГУМ-Ярмарка-2018» откроется в Москве 30 ноября". orangehousehotel.ru. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
4. "ГУМ-Каток". gum-katok.ru. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
5. "Рождественская ГУМ-ярмарка, Москва: время работы в 2024-2025". fountravel.ru. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
6. "ГУМ-ярмарка на Красной площади: что посмотреть, попробовать, купить". Туристер.ру (in Russian). 2023-12-12. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
7. "GUM galleries". Introducing Moscow. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
8. "Новогодняя ГУМ-Ярмарка на Красной площади". BURO. (in Russian). 2013-12-02. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
9. "Новогодняя Гум-Ярмарка на Красной площади 2024-2025: сроки, товары, развлечения". www.mvexpo.ru. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
10. "Стало известно, когда на Красной площади откроются ГУМ-Каток и ГУМ-Ярмарка". radiosputnik.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2024-11-26.