TO TASTE & BUY
Rostov Enamel (Rostov Finift Jewelry)
Finift is perhaps one of the most recognisable Russian-made jewelry. Unlike Russian dolls and other toys, finift is much more than just a souvenir. Many Russian women, especially the older generation, still where their earrings, brooches, and bracelets with colourful finift enamels. Even today, Rostov is still the only place where finift is produced. The largest share of enamels is produced by the Rostov Finift Factory founded in 1918. You can visit a museum there, take a tour to the workshop, and try your hand at polishing and painting the enamels. There's also a shop selling their produce. Apart from the factory, there're several independent artisans who also make enamels, and they're a bit more expensive than factory-made. Another place where you can buy finift jewelry is in the shop at the Rostov Enamel Museum in the Rostov Kremlin. Finift is very reasonably priced, considering that it's usually silver jewelry, and it's certainly a great present to bring home.
Where to buy: Shop at the Rostov Finift Factory (Фабрика Ростовской Финифти), 3 Borisoglebskoye motorway (Борисоглебское шоссе, д. 3), Mon-Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 10am-5pm; Shop at the Rostov Museum of Enamel (Finift Museum) on the territory of the Rostov Kremlin. Open Wed-Sun 10am-5pm.
Rostov Black Polished Ceramics
The production of black polished ceramics in Rostov began as early as in the 16th century. The crockery was simple but durable, it lacked the decorations but had a beautiful shiny surface, almost as if it was glazed. In the 19th century, black polished ceramics was a popular product sold at the local market, and at the big annual Rostov fair. The manufacture declined in 1950s when it became clear that it couldn't compete with cheaper mass-produced Soviet ceramics. Until the end of the 20th century, the only place where you could see the Rostov black polished ceramics was a museum. But everything changed when a local artisan, Alexander Shabalov, decided to revive the production of black polished ceramics. He opened a workshop on the territory of the Rostov Kremlin where all the ceramics are handmade using the traditional recipies. Today, you can peep into the workshop, and see the artisans at work, moulding and burning clay, and taking cute owls, frogs, birds, cats, clay whistles, jars, jugs and pots from the oven.
Where to buy: Black Polished Ceramics Workshop (located next to the belfry, on the corner of the Eastern entrance to the Rostov Kremlin), open Mon-Sun 9am-5pm; Dom Remesel, an exhibition space, and a souvenir shop on 16, 2nd Passage of Tolstovkaya Emb. (2-й проезд Толстовской наб., д. 16), behind the restaurant 'Slavyansky' ("Славянский"), open Mon-Sun 10am-6pm.
Rostov Kremlin Gingerbread, Honey, and Other Products
The Rostov Kremlin has been producing it's own food for a long time. Mitropolichy Garden in the back of the kremlin is where fruits and vegetables were grown, herbs were gathered, and an apiary was kept for honey. Today, these products can be bought in a small café in the basement of the Dom na Pogrebakh Hotel. They sell honey from Mitropolichy garden, and preserves made from fruits and berries of the kremlin garden. There's also a traditional Rostov gingerbread in the shape of a man or a lady which was baked specially for the weddings. And don't forget to try their delicious homemade honey drink sbiten', mead, and kvass. You can have them in a café or buy a bottle for takeaway.
Where to buy: Pogrebok Café is located on the territory of the Rostov Kremlin, next to the Dom na Pogrebakh Hotel (the place is officially called 'Pogrebok' although it doesn't say it on the sign of the café). Open Wed-Sun 10am-5pm.
