Petrivka

Petrivka is part of Podil located near the North Bridge and Pochayna metro station (before 2018, Petrivka station). This very place is deemed to be the source of the legendary Pochayna River where Prince Vladimir (Great) baptized the people of Kyiv and later the entire population of Kyivan Rus. Nearby there is a city train station and buses and taxibuses shuttle to different parts of the city and its suburbs from the metro station.

Yet, Petrivka-Pochayna is mostly known for its huge book market “Petrivka”, with the eponymously-named Clothing market located next to it. Officially it opened in March 1997 and has been the favourite place of Kyiv’s book lovers ever since. You can buy everything at Petrivka: from writing pads and notebooks for schoolchildren, various textbooks and literature of any kind, to rare editions. They trade here in music CDs, movies and games, miniatures, records, sewing and knitting kits, art tools, paints and brushes, pens, markers… you name it, Petrivka has it. Haggling and bargaining is part of the game until you have secured that handsome gift for yourself or your loved one. If you cannot find the thing you want, the sellers will happily go on a search. They will give you their business cards to call about it later. It is better to go to the market in the afternoon on weekdays, or around midday on Saturdays and Sundays, when almost all outlets are open. The book market is closed on Mondays.

Victoria Ugryumova

This article was published in the book Interesting Kyiv.
You could download this book in PDF file for free here.

© Sky Horse Publishing House (Kyiv) / Nahs Haus, 2019
Copying and publication of this article is possible only with the written permission of the publishing house.
Official website of the Awesome Heritage series: awesomeheritage.com

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