gorbushka
the giant gorbushka complex is home to countless shops and stalls selling electronics. anything electrical can
first is the chance to find everything you could ever want. if you’re a music fan looking for rarities – go to gorbushka. if you just want the latest movie or music releases – go to gorbushka. and if you want to see movies before they are even officially released in moscow theaters – go to gorbushka .
e veryone likes the crust of freshly baked bread. in russian, this is called the “gorbushka. ” but there is another kind of gorbushka in moscow, which is loved by many but has nothing to do with food .
we got our electronics from gorbushka and were quite happy. it' s quite a curious place where legit ...
gorbushka is a huge media and electronics market, located in the former rubin television factory near bagrationovskaya metro. several years ago it was a sprawling open - air market near the gorbunov concert hall, which is where the name “gorbushka” comes from .
many people were unhappy with gorbushka’s move indoors. the prices grew to meet the higher rent, and the new gorbushkin dvor – or gorbushka’s yard, as it is now officially called – boasts modern conveniences such as escalators, air - conditioning, and, finally, toilets. purists would say that gorbushka has “sold out, ” but it has still managed to keep its old charm .
my favourite record shop was not a shop, but a once illegal open - air market in moscow, russia that went by the name ‘gorbushka’ .
gorbushka’s many traders never miss the peak shopping days before christmas and new year’s, as these are the days of their peak income. just as in the west, russians wait until the last minute to do their holiday shopping, and a great many settle on music, movies, or electronics, rushing to gorbushka for the best deals in town, as they have for so many years .
since it was a criminal market, the atmosphere at gorbushka was not always pleasant. there was a neo - nazi stand for instance, where you could buy skinhead punk music and vhs tapes of der fuhrer’s greatest battles .
second, it’s cheap. gorbushka’s traders take advantage of high - speed copying technology to offer high - volume, low cost pirated merchandise. prices for cds and dvds average around 100 - 150 rubles – only around four us dollars .
a greater part of gorbushka’s charm is in its sellers. as its website boasts, gorbushka is a market run by and for music and movie lovers. most of the sellers are passionate about what they sell, and you will be sure to find good advice from a real aficionado on everything from the rarest recordings to the latest noteworthy releases. be sure to ask if you don’t see what you’re looking for – what you want may be hidden away, waiting to be shown to a fellow enthusiast like you .
then one day gorbushka did shut down, thanks to a conflict between rival gangs. i read that the head of the market - a one armed armenian - was walking in the street when he was bundled into a car and made to disappear. whether he ever reappeared i don’t know. but shortly afterwards a new gorbushka opened inside an old soviet tv factory not far from the park. much of the building had been converted into a giant electronics showroom. there were hundreds of stalls selling freezers, hi - fi equipment, washing machines and…er… pirate cds .
russians enjoy bringing their foreign friends there, just to see their “sticker shock” at gorbushka’s low prices. four dollars for an otherwise $ 100 piece of software would shock anyone. of course, trading in pirated goods is not the best thing to do, but somehow “cheap” is always irresistible .
we got our electronics from gorbushka and were quite happy. it' s quite a curious place where legit shops are mingled with stands with, well wares of dubious origins. but they' ve got a very good selection of music cds, movies on any kind of medium, samsung' s ...
gorbushka was not just a zone of cd piracy. it was also home to a stalin - era ‘palace of culture’ where ballroom dancing and balalaika concerts had given way to more extreme sounds. i saw a very fine motorhead gig there, witnessed a rare live appearance by brian eno (sharing the stage with franco - algerian rai - rocker rachid taha) and was blown away by einsturzende neubauten, who seemed very much at home in this rotting soviet edifice. smashing things and bashing amplified bits of metal with hammers made a lot of sense at gorbushka, although at that time en were also heavily into gently blowing air down long pipes .
a large market of pirated merchandise is sure to catch the eye of officialdom, and gorbushka has had its share of government raids and closures. the original, open - air market was closed after a raid in 2001, though it led to a step up, when they re - opened in the indoor, rubin factory location .
since gorbushka’s move to the rubin factory, it has expanded into an electronics market, as well. the market sells everything from a vast choice of cell phones (which russians call “mobile phones”) to plasma screen tvs, home appliances, and computers. prices are moderate compared to other moscow stores, though not as cheap as the electonics market in mitino .
the last time i visited moscow in 2007 gorbushka was still open. friends tell me that these days pirates have largely been chased from the city streets. they’re all online now. but furtive clicking in the dark will never compare to the experience of wandering through the broad alleys of a soviet park in 1997, under full gaze of the police, marvelling at the size of the crowd hunting for cheap sounds .
in 1995 gorbushka became a real brand as an outdoor market. it was not ideal – sellers had to cope with summer heat, november rains, and winter frost, with no cafes or even toilets. there were hundreds of tents selling all kinds of media products, from music and video to software and computer games, as well as print materials. the market became so popular that the filevskaya metro line added more trains and placed guards in the bagrationovskaya metro station just to manage with the thousands of visitors each weekend .
before gorbushka for me associated with a place of attraction for all translators and publishers of rare movies that never were official publications. now, after the arrival of new owners and lease payments, the market is quite deteriorated. translators fled was here the last time in december and no longer arrive. strange benches inhabitants of neighboring countries, only the left drives, copied from the official movie and music discs, and even disgusting quality. persistent attempts to dilute you. nasty and uncomfortable in the once iconic place of all muscovites - movie lovers
occasionally the market would disappear for a few weeks, causing panic among muscovites that the cops had finally shut it down. in fact, gorbushka vanished whenever bill gates or a senior american dignitary passed through town. it’s a funny russian custom: hiding your business from the authorities. the thinking goes like this: if you can’t see me, then i don’t exist, even though you know that i do exist. in fact, you know that i know that you know that i exist. at some point in this game, money exchanges hands .
since it was a criminal market, the atmosphere at gorbushka was not always pleasant. there was a neo - nazi stand for instance, where you could buy skinhead punk music and vhs tapes of der fuhrer’s greatest battles. nearby there was a poster of a naked woman impaled on a spear that entered through her arse and left via her gaping mouth. since russia was an extremely violent place, and everybody was cynical beyond belief (and i was still very young), i thought it was real. later i discovered it was a famous scene from cannibal holocaust .
legend has it that in the early 90s you could buy just about anything at gorbushka - guns, ammo, possibly even a small nuclear device. its main business however had always been pirate cds, tapes and computer software. scruffy types would set up their stalls along the park’s tree lined avenue every weekend, and the entertainment hungry denizens of the city would descend. cops would wander about, pausing only to collect payments from the stallholders, or maybe buy a cd. the market was completely illegal, and completely in the open – like all business in russia at the time .
in many ways the new gorbushka was an improvement - you didn’t get rained on or frostbitten as you perused the vendor’s wares. but its clinical light lacked a certain piratical charm. it was also quite surreal: the management had hung up signs that read: don’t give your money to pirates! and pirates your days are numbered! these signs hung directly over the heads of pirates who were selling the latest edition of windows for $ 2. not much of a computer man, i was more amazed by the phenomenon of the mp3 disc: everything kraftwerk had ever done could be yours for $ 3 !
a friend of mine who used to work there was familiar with these raids. he was in the military, serving in the russian army’s general headquarters on weekdays, and making his primary income by selling videos in gorbushka on weekends. a part of this income was reserved for bribes. raids were little more than shakedowns, with inspectors accepting “fees” to let the traders stay open. nothing much has changed, even after the market’s move to its more upscale location. according to my friend, “they could easily have shut the whole pirating operation down long ago, but then they’d be cutting off their own income. ”
we got our electronics from gorbushka and were quite happy. it' s quite a curious place where legit shops are mingled with stands with, well wares of dubious origins. but they' ve got a very good selection of music cds, movies on any kind of medium, samsung' s got a showroom there and other major tech companies. there' s also a very good kitchen section on the ground floor where many good quality kitchen utensils are available. some snacks are available too. cons: everywhere you walk, some seller will start talking to you offering this or that. quite a variety of customers. however you can' t find it anywhere else, you' ll be damn sure they' ll have it here: )
of course, this was all actually very bad and i am very sorry for, er, occasionally succumbing to weakness and buying a pirate tape or cd. the best albums i would later re - purchase as legitimate cds - for example, i picked up rammstein’s catalogue again on a trip to berlin. but in the beginning at least it was no wonder that gorbushka thrived. imported western cds cost $ 20 - 30 a pop; given that hardly anybody earned more than $ 150 a month, and many earned less than that, of course people were going to buy pirated discs. around 2003 however the record labels operating in russia acquired some brains and started pricing licensed cds only slightly higher than the pirates. the selection was poorer, yes, but it was occasionally very strange. for instance i picked up krautrock band cluster’s rare zuckerzeit, legally, for $ 5. why anyone thought they could sell lots of copies of that i have no idea .
gorbushka was also a source of anthropological fascination as it revealed what russians enjoyed listening to. they worshipped the beatles of course, but were also very fond of the 70s hard rock, prog rock and heavy metal that had been banned in the ussr. bands like nazareth, smokie and uriah heep (all of whom were constantly passing through town) were held in high esteem, as were black sabbath, king crimson and slayer. richie blackmore was revered in all his manifestations, even his bizarre late 90s mutation into a wandering minstrel with blackmore’s night. on the lighter side, russians were also very fond of eurodisco - stuff like haddaway and army of lovers. poodle rockers europe and pretty norwegians a - ha were touted as legends of rock. and then there was astor piazzola, the argentinian tango master, whose music was very popular. it was easy to track down weird electronic music such as autechre or aphex twin. quirky, fey and jangly indie pop of the sort favoured by pitchfork or nme was practically non - existent, fortunately. no sufjan stevens for you, ivan !
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i went out of my way to go to gorbushkinsky market in search of cheap software and a mp3 player. i ...
the oldest and largest electronics market it is represented by mobile phones, tablets, tvs, phone repair and more. sporting goods, kitchen utensils. there is also a food court. children' s room .
i went out of my way to go to gorbushkinsky market in search of cheap software and a mp3 player. i had heard that there was a crackdown on pirated software but that some of that was still going on. believe me there was no ...
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bought here – from tiny gadgets right up to fridges. the outlets vary from the major brand - name shops to tiny stalls specializing in just a few appliances. for electrical items prices aren’t significantly cheaper or more expensive than elsewhere in the world and there is also very little difference in prices between the different stalls. upstairs at the complex there is a huge range of cheap pirate dvds, cds and software .
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whether you’re after some ancient relics or traditional russian souvenirs izmailovsky market has it all .
respublika is a cool, new bookshop with a more modern feel than what you find in moscow’s giant, old, rambling, confusing outlets .
the famous department store that stretches along one side of red square for some 242 meters, gum is a popular place with tourists .
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in the early 1990’s, gorbunov hall was the premier concert venue for alternative rock bands. it was the only place where music lovers and fans could regularly meet without being chased by the police. they also met to exchange music and movies with one another. over time the exchanges grew, fueled by the new market reforms into a large, informal market .
muscovites and visitors alike don’t seem to mind. after all, why pay twenty - five dollars for a cd when you can pay just four dollars? plus you can exchange your old disk for another one for just a dollar fee .
part of that charm is in its spirit of subversiveness. one friend likes to visit the market once a month to buy music, which he then downloads onto his computer, bringing the cds back to exchange for new music for just one dollar per disk. this type of pirating is becoming increasingly rare, as sellers are moving into more, squarely “legitimate” trading, but it is still possible .
when you buy something, be sure to get a receipt and guarantee, so you may return or exchange your purchase, if you need to. refunds work here much as they do in any moscow store .
owner description: the oldest and largest electronics market it is represented by mobile phones, tablets, tvs, phone repair and more. sporting goods, kitchen utensils. there is also a food court. children' s room .
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gorbushkinskiy market is located in moscow. by using our moscow day trip site, you can arrange your visit to gorbushkinskiy market and other attractions in moscow .
and gone (hopefully) forever... . remember the time the total deficit at all and as markets in moscow (and not only) saved on the first co - operation and visibility of active communism in the country. rump cap has always been associated primarily with the culture palace. gorbunova, where frequently visited western rockers and loved serve homegrown. but the
yard
has long been the mecca of exquisite shopping in the world of gadgets and electronics at all. probably if you need spare parts (any !) and now it makes sense to come here - you can find any and miscellaneous. and here for buying something substantial... . think past. recently i wanted to replace the smartphone itself. was next with
without
- let me think of zayd. bypassed several shops, stalls and shops. all goods are offered either with showcases, or opened packing... like, looked and... went in network market, located nearby. bought. there i arranged everything. but that' s for fine details perhaps i will drive here ...
another name the language does not turns. in repair shops sit any according criminals who call any prices and moscow is no longer seen, warranty deed, without loja and life is bad. so are rude mountaineers guest workers, which does not seem little in the past. year on the tablet glass changed several times, as after each
repairs
cracked, the question -
what about warranty ?
- started guilty do i know the customer. who this sharashkinu delores office. but i do not advise anyone to come here in moscow, is already an anachronism. there are hundreds of other reliable shops and points of sale .
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i can’t remember what i bought on my first visit. i didn’t own a cd player, so i was stuck with the more limited selection available on cassette. i have a feeling i bought pulp’s this is hardcore for dollar or two. the sound quality was very muddy. very possibly i also picked up orbital’s snivilisation, since i was attempting to get into electronic music at the time… and a roy orbison compilation, yes i’m pretty sure i got some of that. and yes by morphine, if you remember them. a few months later i’d buy my first rammstein record in the park. herzeleid: on the cover six oiled up naked germans stood in front of a big flower, glaring at me. they remain one of my favourite bands, and the group i’ve seen live more than any other .
some of those russian bootlegs were factory made and of very high quality. they had covers, were put out on fake labels, and even had copyright information on the discs and tapes, just for a laugh. others were regular c90s, recorded at home, with titles written on card. because there was always space left over, the pirates added a ps, in the form of bonus tracks by another artist. i bought red snapper’s prince blimey and discovered some rotten drum n’bass filling up most of side 2. john cale’s dubious honi soit was backed with some equally problematic lou reed. at least they tried to mix and match thematically .
it was easy to track down weird electronic music such as autechre or aphex twin. quirky, fey and jangly indie pop of the sort favoured by pitchfork or nme was practically non - existent, fortunately .
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gorbúshka ( russian : тц " горбушка " , shopping center gorbushka ) is a marketplace for dealing in music , electronics and household equipment in moscow , russia . the word itself is an associative usage of an untranslatable russian word for the slice from a loaf of bread which contains mostly the crust . if the loaf is round , the shape resembles a hump ( russian : горб ) . the word has many cultural associations in russia . before the year 2001 the name " gorbushka " referred to an open-air black market for software , music , videos and electronics . the market was in the city square by the gorbunov palace of culture ( дк имени горбунова ) , hence the name . the market dealt mostly in unlicensed music and software cds , videos , gaming consoles with mod chips , as well as video games . due to the copyright infringement issues gorbushka was in sights of the government for a long time . the market closed in 2001 . in its place a more legal shopping center gorbushkin dvor was opened . however , inexpensive unlicensed cds/dvds are still perfectly available in this new shopping center . major russian businessman alexey khotin is reported to possess the company nowadays . 
gorbúshka (russian: тц " горбушка ", shopping center gorbushka) is a marketplace for dealing in music, electronics and household equipment in moscow, russia. the word itself is an associative usage of an untranslatable russian word for the slice from a loaf of bread which contains mostly the crust. if the loaf is round, the shape resembles a hump (russian: горб). the word has many cultural associations in russia. before the year 2001 the name " gorbushka " referred to an open-air black market for software, music, videos and electronics. the market was in the city square by the gorbunov palace of culture (дк имени горбунова), hence the name. the market dealt mostly in unlicensed music and software cds, videos, gaming consoles with mod chips, as well as video games. due to the copyright infringement issues gorbushka was in sights of the government for a long time. the market closed in 2001. in its place a more legal shopping center gorbushkin dvor was opened. however, inexpensive unlicensed cds/dvds are still perfectly available in this new shopping center. major russian businessman alexey khotin is reported to possess the company nowadays.
gorbúshka (russian: тц " горбушка ", shopping center gorbushka) is a marketplace for dealing in music, electronics and household equipment in moscow, russia. the word itself is an associative usage of an untranslatable russian word for the slice from a loaf of bread which contains mostly the crust. if the loaf is round, the shape resembles a hump (russian: горб). the word has many cultural associations in russia. before the year 2001 the name " gorbushka " referred to an open-air black market for software, music, videos and electronics. the market was in the city square by the gorbunov palace of culture (дк имени горбунова), hence the name. the market dealt mostly in unlicensed music and software cds, videos, gaming consoles with mod chips, as well as video games. due to the copyright infringement issues gorbushka was in sights of the government for a long time. the market closed in 2001. in its place a more legal shopping center gorbushkin dvor was opened. however, inexpensive unlicensed cds/dvds are still perfectly available in this new shopping center. major russian businessman alexey khotin is reported to possess the company nowadays.