Elite boutiques, metal detectors, paid toilets: what struck the Moscow GUM with an American. A PHOTO

I visited the most iconic department store in Russia, located in the 126-year-old building in the center of Moscow. And this experience was completely different from the experience of visiting most US shopping centers.

Photo: Shutterstock

New York has Barneys and Bergdorf Goodman, Paris has Le Bon Marché, and London has Harrods. In Moscow, the most iconic department store is GUM, a massive 126-year-old structure in the heart of Red Square, says Katie Warren for Business Insider.

On a recent trip to Moscow, I visited a department store that opened in 1893: there are luxury shops, such as Prada and Louis Vuitton, as well as a cozy 1950-style deli selling fine food, wine, chocolate and classic Soviet products.

That's how it looks.

GUM is Russia's most iconic department store, located in the heart of Red Square in Moscow. More than 60 customers visit it every day.

GUM opened in 1893 year. Until 1920, it was known as the Upper Trading Rows.

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During a trip to Russia, I went to the 126-year-old department store and was amazed at how many levels of security you need to go through to enter the building. In most of the shopping centers in which I was in the United States, there are no scanners and metal detectors at the entrance.

The revolving doors even had a second checkpoint.

From the moment I entered GUM, I was pleasantly surprised.

I’m usually not a fan of department stores, because in the US they all look the same and appear isolated from the city in which they are located. You can easily forget where you are. But it had a very different atmosphere compared to the American equivalents.

The domed glass ceiling transmits a lot of natural sunlight, and live plants and flowers give the space an atmosphere of freshness and positive.

In the center is a fountain, and the unique architecture creates a sense of mixing interiors and exteriors.

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To the overall bizarre feeling that develops from visiting a department store, the employee controlling the bike with a tray of ice cream added its touch. And in general there is no shortage of retail outlets where you can buy a cold delicacy.

Among the luxurious boutiques of GUM are such famous brands as Fendi and Louis Vuitton, both of which can be found in luxury shopping centers around the world. In total, more than 100 of leading world brands are represented here, as stated on the site.

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There is also a cozy deli, a delightful 1950s-style store selling gourmet food, wine, chocolate and classic Soviet delicacies - candy, seafood and caviar.

I spent most of my time in GUM in the grocery store, considering the assortment: they offer fresh pastries and Russian chocolate, as well as candles, cheese, tea, wine and, of course, vodka.

The restaurants and bars of GUM include a smoothie bar, a champagne bar, a caviar bar and a Bosco cafe with an internal terrace and an open area right on Red Square.

One of the potential disadvantages of GUM for some people is the lack of air conditioning in the main space; refrigeration is only available in certain stores. But for me, someone who finds most American malls to be overly air-conditioned (making the air feel stale and artificial), this was a plus.

You also have to pay 50 rubles (about 80 cents) to use the toilet in GUM, which may disturb Americans who are not used to paying for entrance to the toilet.

GUM has several significant differences from US department stores - and that's what makes it so charming.

From the two security checkpoints I had to go through to the unique architecture, GUM is not like American shopping centers.

Unlike typical modern, elegant department stores in the USA, the beautiful glass ceiling of GUM lets through a lot of natural sunlight. Fresh flowers, greens and bizarre details enlivened the situation, lifting the mood.

These details contrasted sharply with shopping centers such as Shops at Hudson Yards in New York, where everything inside is decorated in shiny black and silver colors and illuminated by artificial fluorescent lamps.

Although the lack of air conditioning and toilet fees can be considered as disadvantages, from my point of view, GUM is far removed from ordinary US shopping centers - in a good way.

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