There are two Kristina stores located in the center of Kyiv. The larger store is located off Maidan Nezalezhnosti,
4 Kostyolna, tel. 228-7950.
The smaller shop is near metro Universytet,
2 Pyrohova, tel. 224-0990.
Both are open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays, and until 6 p.m. on Sundays.
Back in Soviet times, the holiday season was marked by pleasant anticipation. To provide the masses with something more substantial than promises of a bright future, the local shops would occasionally diversify their assortment with some higher-quality, imported goods, mainly from the ТbrotherlyУ socialist countries of Yugoslavia and Hungary. Anything from canned sardines to cotton socks was considered a find.
One of the popular targets during the seasonal hunt was for Christmas decorations. Back then, the decorations were mostly made of glass, and families with children and those fond of loud New Year revelry were especially in need of an annual refill.
Soviet Christmas decorations were pretty standard: a red star for the top, a string of light in four basic colors, glistering ribbons and lots of Christmas balls.
These days itХs much easier to create a stylish Christmas tree. Dark-blue and cream-colored balls of dim glass, which were once rare, can now be found at any store that sells Christmas tree decorations. And you can also buy matching candles.
Private flower vendors in the metro underpasses sell all kinds and sizes of the Western-fashion pine and spruce wreaths. No holly or mistletoe, however.
If you are ready for a Christmas shopping adventure and start planning your route, consider dropping by departments stores TsUM, on Khreshchatyk, Ukraina, on Ploshcha Peremohy, or Detsky Mir, at Darnytsya metro.
If that experience doesnХt wear you out, you can find some cheaper products at the bazaars.
Kazka Store at 54 Velyka Vasylkivska is perhaps the best place to buy the whole Christmas package, including a tree.
Artificial trees cost between Hr 300 and Hr 400; sets of decorative balls cost between Hr 12 and Hr 22 per pair or per six depending on the size. Strings of glass beads are Hr 10 per set, and strings of lights cost Hr 40. If you prefer the gaudy Soviet-style balls, they cost Hr 5 each, and there is a good variety to choose from.
But our choice for best place to buy Christmas decorations is Kristina. Unlike all the above-mentioned places, which offer exactly the same range for almost the same prices, Kristina is unique in offering original Christmas items imported directly from the United States.
The prices are five to 10 times higher than in other places, but if you buy in Kristina, you can be sure that you wonХt run into an identical fake Christmas tree in someone elseХs home.
There are no crowds or lines. Entering a Kristina store is a special holiday emotional experience in itself. It feels like entering a Christmas fairytale. Or a mall in the United States.
The bell rings gently as you open the door, and a blend of pleasant smells envelops you. Perfumed candles burn, and the sounds of ТSilent NightУ and ТRing, Christmas Bells,У wafts from the stereo.
If you take your children, make sure youХve got enough cash to buy something because the display is indeed enticing.
YouХll find anything from a set of gold stars ornamented with fake rubies to mirror-like balls the size of a human head. The latter cost Hr 200 each and are hung from the ceiling.
The store offers more than a dozen elaborate porcelain Santa Clause figurines. Each Santa is slightly different and costs around Hr 1,220. Live wreathes cost between Hr 300 and Hr 500; artificial trees cost between Hr 120 for a small one to Hr 3,000 for a full size one. You can even buy a Christmas tree already decorated, which will cost between Hr 5,000 and Hr 6,000.
The good news is that Kristina has introduced a 10 percent discount on all Christmas products.
