I visited Russia's most iconic department store, a 126-year-old building in the heart of Moscow. It was a far cry from most American shopping centers I've been to.
GUM is Russia's most iconic department store, located in the heart of Red Square in Moscow. More than 60,000 shoppers visit the shopping center every day.
I was surprised by the level of security I had to pass through to get in — most department stores I've been to in the US don't have full-body scanners at the entrance.
Source: GUM
I'm not usually a fan of department stores because in the US, at least, they all look the same and they seem isolated from the city they're in, so you can easily forget where you even are. But this one had a completely different vibe than I've typically found in its American equivalents.
Source: GUM
An employee riding an ice cream bicycle added to the whimsical feel of the department store.
Source: GUM
... and Louis Vuitton, both of which can be found in luxury shopping centers around the world.
Source: GUM
But there were also shops like Gastronome, a delightful, 1950s-style store that sells gourmet food items, wine, chocolate, and classic Soviet products like candies, seafood, and caviar.
Source: GUM
I spent the majority of my time at GUM browsing through the selection at Gastronome, which sells everything from freshly baked pastries and Russian chocolate to candles, cheese, tea, wine, and of course, vodka.
Source: GUM
GUM's dining and drinks options include a smoothie bar, a Champagne bar, a caviar bar, and Bosco Café, which has an internal terrace as well as an outdoor area right on Red Square.
Source: GUM
One potential downside of GUM for some people might be that there's no air conditioning in the main space, only in the individual stores.
Source: GUM
But for me, a person who finds most American shopping centers to be overly air-conditioned to the point where the air feels stale and artificial, it was a plus.
Source: GUM
You also have to pay 50 rubles — or about 80 cents — to use the bathroom in GUM, which could bother some Americans who aren't used to paying to enter a restroom.
Source: GUM
GUM has several major differences that set it apart from US department stores — and that's exactly why it's so charming.
From the two security checkpoints I had to pass through before even entering the store to the distinctive architecture, GUM is nothing like the American shopping centers I've visited.
In contrast to the typical modern, sleek department stores in the US, GUM's beautiful glass ceiling lets in plenty of natural sunlight. Real flowers and greenery and whimsical details like an ice cream bike made the space feel lively and fun.
These details were a stark contrast from shopping centers like the Shops at Hudson Yards in New York, where the interior is all shiny blacks and silvers and artificial fluorescent lights.
While the lack of air conditioning and the fee for the bathroom could both be seen as negatives, I found GUM to be a far cry from generic American shopping centers — in a good way.
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