Flea Market Kurazh Bazar. When in Kiev: 10 favorite places around Ukrainian capital

Finally, spring came to Kiev and I restart my column “When in Kiev” – the guide around trendy and vivid places around Ukrainian capital. Now it is time to get out of a winter sleep, put aside a laptop with fantastic Jude Law and “Young Pope”, take friends, kid, dog, even parents (let them dive into a Kiev trendy life), grab some good mood and go up in Kurazh Bazar – the biggest charity flea market.

What is Kurazh Bazar today?

The first flea market of this kind appeared in 2014 under the name “The New Old” and had much smaller dimensions comparing with nowadays. First such idea came a to a girl who saw an empty niche of entertainment in Kiev and decided to fill this gap. At the same time, she combined fun and a charity element. Everything seemed to be simple: she called her celebrity friends to come up and sell their goods and chattels and donate the money made from sales to a famous charity fund in Ukraine “Tabletochki”.

In 3 years the movement of fun&help has risen so much, that now people look forward to a new season and the next event. Now the venue of the event is an Art-factory “Platforma”, a space similar to those in New York or in Lisbon “LX Factory”, a space fool of co-working spaces, a venue for events and small concerts, etc. Today Kiev’s charity flea market is able to receive over 370 sellers of old and new, preserving the main idea – charity.

Now each event sets the goal – to but an equipment to a hospital, improve the medication for premature infants, etcetera. Kurazh Baraz has grown up a lot and today it attracts a lot of partners from florists to event agencies, from presenters and celebrities to young Ukrainian designers.

It is a place to gather with friends and gad about the counters, goods, take selfies, smoke hookah on the grass or pouffes on the art-factory territory, eat and drink.

So in this post I’ll tell you about a seasonal place definitely to visit when you are in Kiev to feel the real atmosphere of the city and to get inspired by the creative people around.

Kurazh Bazar season opening 25 and 26 March reportage.

Why to go & What to bring

If you are a love to turn over all the cloth and own junk, and throw out half of your wardrobe, this is a right place for you. Sell on your own counters or bring old but still nice clothes to a charity shop “Laska”. They know what to do.

If however you are a love to collect the crud or you decided to get acquainted with young Ukrainian artists, designers and get some inspiration for the whole next week, it is a right place for you as well.

If you’ve got a pug-dog, there was even a pug-dog lovers set, organized by Pug Team Kyiv! So if you’ve got another breed, just suggest to make the next set ;)

During the first Kurazh you could even get married surrounded by amazing bouquets and other splendid decorations. So if you were looking for a hint to your fiance, you could have a fantastic chance to have a real.. almost real wedding! :D

5 things to buy in flea market per 200 UAH

On Saturday I walked around the counters of 370 sellers and in all that stuff I decided to find 5 pieces which you can buy at the market per 200 UAH. Are they useful or useless you decide! :)

TA-DAH #1 – a set of moustache рatch

The funniest and useful thing for spring and those who bought new shoes. Water-resistant patches with moustache desing, 3 types, 30 pieces each will cost you 185 UAH and will bring you a ton of good mood! Where to buy: Family Decor.

TA-DAH #2 – unknown sunglasses

A super important thing for summer. Don’t forget to get a new one for a new season! ;) The flea market has got lots of counters with glasses – wooden, metal, transparent, 80-th style, new, second-hand glasses. Even don’t know why so many! It means that Ukrainians love to wear sunglasses? :D

We choose those no brand shades in butterfly form for 150 UAH and 50 UAH go for a glass of punch in a bar. that weekend poured newly born Kiev bar BarmenDiktat.

TA-DAH #3 – flowers from “IMI”, Victor Tur Design

What’s particular? It is japanese kusamono. This is a whole designed compositon, not just a houseplant. Kusamono are a potted collection of plants designed to be viewed either in accompaniment with bonsai or alone.

Well, the only thing is that the potties are too small and the price is big enough. But for sure the moment of exclusiveness is present. So such 3 potties will cost you 200 UAH. If you want a fourth one for a proportion, bargain!

TA-DAH #4 – 1/3 of a new T-shirt :D

I am not a big fan of a second-hand stuff, so I was looking at new pieces. There was a wow-wow embroidered denim jackek, but it costed a bit more than 200 uah, some flowers printed jeans.. Amazing actually. All – young creative Ukrainians.

Turning back to the T-shirts, watch the video where I am trying to bargain for one and the guys from Odessa Benya & Zubrika are ready to cut me a 1/3 of their t-shirt for 200 uah, which costs (count quickly) 600 uah.

There were girls from MyMess. They got simple but bright t-shirts with pink flamingo.

TA-DAH #5 – Mehndi tattoo

Make some beauty on your arms! Decorative designs created using a paste, got from the powdered dry leaves of the henna plant, will be ready in 15 minutes and will last about a week. It looks amazing on the beach! Price – 150 uah.

All the rest, celebrities’ hats, designers dresses or whatever similar obvioiusly are over 20o uah :)

Let’s go at the food court to talk to Alena Gudkova, inspirerer and organizer of the flea market Kurazh Bazar.

— Alena, how often do you renew your wardrobe at the flea market?

— You know, there is no time at all to look for something. I run around like a crazy in non-stop regime. All the time I talk to someone, give interview. Or you have to fix the banner, or other stuff. I usually buy sunglasses or gifts to my friends. And after the birth of my son everything became simpler. There is no need to try on the cloths, I just buy and he is happy.

Average check

— Have you ever counted how much does an average guest spend at Kurazh Bazar?

—Actually no. You know, I’ve been thinking about it these days. We’ve tried to value all the goods of our sellers and the cycle of money. And we counted approximately half of a million UAH. I guess an average visitor spends around 500 UAH.

The most memorable moment

There are so many. One of those I remember immediately happened during the Night Market. At the first day the tents were flying away because of bad weather. Suddenly it started to rain and I, being on 9th month had to hold all the tenеs with antiques and other sellers’ goods. Well, that situation I remembered at least from physical exertion point of view.

Off Top. 4 destinations from Kiev airport – Barcelona, Amsterdam, New York, Bali