KATHERINEMAEPARDEE

We leave for Moscow in a couple of days and I have always wanted one of those typical Russian fur hats. Are they mink? or rabbit and how expensive. If you bought one or saw one, please write soon or better to my email

[email protected]

thank you

USNR

After a trip to Russia, we called it "The Land of Stuff." You have never seen so much "stuff" on sale and on every street corner, in every park, and every bus stop. But be careful in buying those hats. The fur is of questionable origin. We suspected that lots of stray cats went into those hats. Lots and lots of army hats, but most are complete fakes, put together for the tourist trade. It reminds of an old saying: "If you don't know furs, know your furrier."

Marc_David_Miller

A good fur "ushanka" (which is what most people consider a classic Russian hat) is made of mink and will cost around $300-400; sable will be about 3-5x more. The shop we always recommend to clients in Moscow is

Mekha
13 Pyatnitskaya (near Lubyanka or Kuznetsky Most metro in the center)

The best furrier in Moscow is probably Helen Yarmak, but they are more of a fashion house.

You can buy a souvenir quality hat for $10-40, made of either rabbit or "Cheburashka" (synthetic, named after a cartoon character). These are available in many cheap shops and kiosks, most notably on Old Arbat.

On my first day in Moscow, in March of 1999, I bought a mink ushanka and I still wear it whenever the temperature goes below freezing, both in Russia and in New York.

NeoPatrick

Cat?

To avoid being taken how does one say "Is that a Cat in the Hat" in Russian?

KATHERINEMAEPARDEE

Cat in the hat! Know your furrier!!!

You all gave great advice.

Mink is what I want and now I even know where to start looking. Thank you.

Cats, really? I saw them stuffed in China but never thought they would be made into hats in Russia.

I'm not a shopper but I would like one of those hats and maybe a nice set of stacking dolls and maybe a music box and maybe a pair of felt slippers and maybe.....

and I'm NOT a shopper though my husband might disagree.

Thanks again everyone

Marc_David_Miller

As a side note, we are cautioning our clients not to purchase any militaria or other souvenirs without proper documentation (those who have bought lacquer boxes in Russia have seen the small slips of paper which give some information for export; such items are NOT a problem).

There was a recent incident where a graduate student (Roxana Contreras, a Chilean citizen studying in the US) was detained for over two months on charges of attempting to smuggle cultural treasures out of Russia.

We work with many people who import and export artworks and antiques, and always recommend strict adherence to Russian (and other countries') customs regulations.

Also the temperture in Moscow (and St. Petersburg) is unlikely to become cold enough to wear a fur hat during September.