Alan,
In Kiev, the best option is in the piazza/fountain square near the main post office on Khreshaytix Blvd. (the main street of Kiev). This is a large area where vendors place their wares on the benches for those interested. This is a very touristy area, so bargain hard and ask to see the things the sellers keep out of plain view.
There is also a street near the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (and the British Embassy if memory serves) that winds downhill past a smaller cathedral that has a lot more venders. The street is quite steep and cobblestoned but lined with artisans and trinket salesmen, including litterally a half dozen carts of Soviet medals/orders/uniforms, etc.
In Odessa there are three places:
1) in the main park in the old city. Across and down the street from McDonalds on the main street of the old city is a small park lined with tables of matrioska dolls, flasks and artwork. A bit deeper into the park are some badges/medals/coins.
2) On the Potemkin steps leading to the Harbor. There are a couple of guys selling things along the sides of the steps.
3) Odessa has a collectioneers club that meets every Sunday morning in the Green Theater (outdoor) in Shevchenko park. If they are not there due to poor weather, they meet on the first floor in a bar across the street from that park entrance. Ask anyone around and they should know about it. There is a minimal entrance fee. In the theater, badges and medals are to the left as you enter, stamps and postcards, telephone cards, etc. to the right.
Be forewarned--all of these guys, club included, know the value of their pieces, and are in the business to take advantage of the tourist. Also, Ukraine customs is the most difficult in the whole region (Belarus included). They will go through your bags just for the fun of it and confiscate everything they see or worse. I have flown into Ukraine via Kiev (both airports) and Odessa and the treatment is the same throughout. You might want to focus on paper items...
Also, in Odessa, there is also a very large outdoor market. There are actually two--one near the train station which you don't want, and another that is even larger, extending for several square blocks where you can find some things laid out on the blankets. This area is where the locals come to sell their items for bread money; so items are less high end, used, and less expensive. It is still interesting though, particularly if you are interested in things like records, toys and soviet books/journals. I bought some gasmasks, soviet army equipment toys, and some stamp catalogs in my searching one day. Bring small bills, be prepared to bend down in traffic, and watch you money and your bag in this heavily travelled area. I would exchange money elsewhere for safety reasons--its safe enough, just lots of people.
In Kiev, the best option is in the piazza/fountain square near the main post office on Khreshaytix Blvd. (the main street of Kiev). This is a large area where vendors place their wares on the benches for those interested. This is a very touristy area, so bargain hard and ask to see the things the sellers keep out of plain view.
There is also a street near the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (and the British Embassy if memory serves) that winds downhill past a smaller cathedral that has a lot more venders. The street is quite steep and cobblestoned but lined with artisans and trinket salesmen, including litterally a half dozen carts of Soviet medals/orders/uniforms, etc.
In Odessa there are three places:
1) in the main park in the old city. Across and down the street from McDonalds on the main street of the old city is a small park lined with tables of matrioska dolls, flasks and artwork. A bit deeper into the park are some badges/medals/coins.
2) On the Potemkin steps leading to the Harbor. There are a couple of guys selling things along the sides of the steps.
3) Odessa has a collectioneers club that meets every Sunday morning in the Green Theater (outdoor) in Shevchenko park. If they are not there due to poor weather, they meet on the first floor in a bar across the street from that park entrance. Ask anyone around and they should know about it. There is a minimal entrance fee. In the theater, badges and medals are to the left as you enter, stamps and postcards, telephone cards, etc. to the right.
Be forewarned--all of these guys, club included, know the value of their pieces, and are in the business to take advantage of the tourist. Also, Ukraine customs is the most difficult in the whole region (Belarus included). They will go through your bags just for the fun of it and confiscate everything they see or worse. I have flown into Ukraine via Kiev (both airports) and Odessa and the treatment is the same throughout. You might want to focus on paper items...
Also, in Odessa, there is also a very large outdoor market. There are actually two--one near the train station which you don't want, and another that is even larger, extending for several square blocks where you can find some things laid out on the blankets. This area is where the locals come to sell their items for bread money; so items are less high end, used, and less expensive. It is still interesting though, particularly if you are interested in things like records, toys and soviet books/journals. I bought some gasmasks, soviet army equipment toys, and some stamp catalogs in my searching one day. Bring small bills, be prepared to bend down in traffic, and watch you money and your bag in this heavily travelled area. I would exchange money elsewhere for safety reasons--its safe enough, just lots of people.
