UNIC Shopping Center, Chisinau

Not so long ago, those nostalgic for the Soviet legacy in Chisinau could more or less satisfy their passion whilst visiting UNIC shopping center. The store was founded in 1945, being one of the first commercial enterprises in the country, and was for many years, up until the fall of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, known as Tsentral'nii Univermag (Russian for Central Supermarket).

A decade prior to that the store had expanded and moved to its new (current) location. Curiously enough, even as recently as the 2010s, entering here still made one feel like stepping back in time 鈥� circa 1984 or earlier 鈥� finding all sorts of old-fashioned gifts, souvenirs, cosmetics, Soviet-style appliances, crockery and retro furniture, sewing items, handicrafts, clothing, bags and leather goods on sale. The onsite cafe also added to the impression with waitresses serving same kind of bagels they did 25 years ago. Only the presence of plasma TVs broke the illusion.

Today things have changed courtesy of the European-based designer firm that has created phased redevelopment and extension of UNIC shopping center to house a new food court and external terraces, a new office tower and an underground car park, plus the regeneration of the adjacent public plaza. Some of this has already materialized; the rest is due over the next few years.

Presently, the historic 5-story shopping centre delights visitors with a solid range of merchandise. Each floor carries a certain variety to suit different tastes and purposes: 1st (ground) floor 鈥� accessories, jewelry and cosmetics; 2nd floor 鈥� women's clothes and footwear; 3rd floor 鈥� DIN INIMA brand products by Moldovan manufacturers, including children's clothing & footwear, and toys; 4th floor - menswear and accessories; 5th floor 鈥� fabrics and goods for home.

Those keen on traditional products, should check out the Moldovan-made long-hair carpets (cerga, niturca, satranca), dolls, pottery (wine jugs, bowls), wood carvings and woven baskets.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Chisinau. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "51爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: UNIC Shopping Center
Sight Location: Chisinau, Moldova (See walking tours in Chisinau)
Sight Type: Shopping
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Stefan cel Mare Blvd Walk

Walking Tours in Chisinau, Moldova

Create Your Own Walk in Chisinau

Creating your own self-guided walk in Chisinau is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

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Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
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While the true origin of the name is unclear,... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.4 Km or 1.5 Miles

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Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.6 Km or 2.2 Miles

Best Wine and Brandy Shops

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Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles

Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip

Chisinau Shopping Guide: 20 Moldovan Products to Take Home

Once part of the Soviet Union, now independent Moldova is a small country sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine, of which still very little is known. To mend this, the country has recently opened borders to the outside world. Be sure to take advantage of this opportunity and acquaint yourself with...

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