Since beginning work at KPG recruitment agency about a year ago, Ilona Ragueva has found herself faced with the delightful dilemma of buying fresh-cut flowers at least once a month.
"We have quite a large staff at work, so I find myself buying flowers more often than before" -- as birthday gifts or for special holidays -- she explained.
Ragueva prefers to buy a bouquet for special occasions at an established florist where she can be certain that the flowers have been handled and stored correctly. For less formal occasions, she settles for a metro kiosk, but even then she meticulously selects fresh-cut stems that show no signs of damage or flaws.
For those less flower savvy than Ragueva, finding high-quality fresh-cut flowers can be a problem. And though flower kiosks abound at nearly every Moscow metro station and sell a standard array of carnations, lilies, and roses -- shoppers looking for an elegant cascade of chrysanthemums or a one-of-a-kind arrangement may find themselves stranded among monstrous, gaudy bouquets of half-wilted roses.
Luckily, several specialty flower shops have sprung up in Moscow over the past decade to cater to the needs of both corporate and private clients. Many even offer online ordering as well as local and international delivery options.
Among Moscow's handful of high-end floral boutiques is Mare di Fior, which caters to many large Moscow companies as well as individuals and takes orders by telephone at 747-2696 or online at Maredifior.ru.
Mare di Fior's flower arrangements and bouquets are assembled by skilled florists and outdo anything available from street-side vendors. A glance at the boutique's web site shows 37 bouquets ranging in price from 799 rubles ($27) for a small bouquet, to the large "Akvarel" exotic flowers bouquet for 6,999 rubles. Special orders are also accepted and delivery is free anywhere within the outer Moscow ring road.
Alina Timoshenko of Mare di Fior said that the prices shown online are those for individual clients.
"Our corporate clients as well as their employees enjoy special discounts for any order," she said.
To ensure that a client is satisfied with an order, the company will e-mail a photo of the flower arrangement to each client for his or her approval. This service is free for corporate clients and their employees. It costs 50 rubles for individual clients.
"If you don't like it, you can suggest changes or simply decline to purchase it," Timoshenko said.
Mare di Fior doesn't accept orders for international delivery but will arrange for delivery in six Russian regions. For weddings and other special events, Mare di Fior invites clients to their shop near Mayakovskaya for a consultation.
For those looking to send flowers abroad, AMF-International Flower Delivery Corporation has a network of more than 700 flower shops in Russia and the CIS and cooperates with 15 companies in North America and Europe for flower delivery.
A selection of flower arrangements at one of AMF's web sites, Sendflowers.ru, shows prices ranging from $15 up to $1,000. AMF's corporate clients receive a 7 percent discount.
AMF spokesman Stanislav Kotomkin said that the florist's clients can be absolutely certain that what they order in Russia or online is what will be delivered even on the other side of the Atlantic. Only the price of sending your mom in Ohio a single red rose over Sendflowers.ru will set you back $65, compared with ordering on the popular U.S.-based site FTD.com, where a dozen red roses costs $40.
AMF also offers online ordering at Cityflora.ru and promises delivery within two hours in Moscow or St. Petersburg and within 12 hours in other Russian regions. Delivery is free in Moscow between the hours of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and runs between $10 and $20 for delivery outside regular business hours. They will send you a free e-mail photo of your flower arrangement.
Custom orders can be made in person at the company's store at 3 Taras Shevchenko Naberezhnaya or by telephone at 974-7090.
Another flower shop for the well-heeled is Elita Flora. Begun in 1991 to create floral fashions and interiors for former President Boris Yeltsin, Elita Flora opened its first salon store in 2003 at 32 Bolshaya Gruzinskaya Ulitsa, telephone 254-3992.
Despite its seemingly high-end orientation, the salon caters to all budgets.
"Everyone can buy flowers here. The simplest bouquet can be just a single, $5, elegant flower arranged in a unique way," said manager Egor Zaporozhets. "We try to convince our clients that the Russian idea of the bigger the bouquet, the more you respect the person, just isn't relevant."
Freshness of stems is also important at Elita Flora: The flowers are flown in almost daily from Belgium. The florist also accepts orders for international delivery through Interflora and its affiliates (Interflora.ru).
Variety may be more limited and freshness less of a priority, but kiosks and street vendors are a viable option for those who don't have time to find specialized shops or place complex orders.
One of the city's most popular flower-buying spots is the pedestrian underpass at Pushkin Square, where small, delicate bouquets sell for 300 rubles and massive arrangements start at 1,500 rubles. Such kiosks also take special orders, which require a down payment of around 150 rubles and agreement on a pick-up time.
"We have quite a large staff at work, so I find myself buying flowers more often than before" -- as birthday gifts or for special holidays -- she explained.
Ragueva prefers to buy a bouquet for special occasions at an established florist where she can be certain that the flowers have been handled and stored correctly. For less formal occasions, she settles for a metro kiosk, but even then she meticulously selects fresh-cut stems that show no signs of damage or flaws.
For those less flower savvy than Ragueva, finding high-quality fresh-cut flowers can be a problem. And though flower kiosks abound at nearly every Moscow metro station and sell a standard array of carnations, lilies, and roses -- shoppers looking for an elegant cascade of chrysanthemums or a one-of-a-kind arrangement may find themselves stranded among monstrous, gaudy bouquets of half-wilted roses.
Luckily, several specialty flower shops have sprung up in Moscow over the past decade to cater to the needs of both corporate and private clients. Many even offer online ordering as well as local and international delivery options.
Among Moscow's handful of high-end floral boutiques is Mare di Fior, which caters to many large Moscow companies as well as individuals and takes orders by telephone at 747-2696 or online at Maredifior.ru.
Mare di Fior's flower arrangements and bouquets are assembled by skilled florists and outdo anything available from street-side vendors. A glance at the boutique's web site shows 37 bouquets ranging in price from 799 rubles ($27) for a small bouquet, to the large "Akvarel" exotic flowers bouquet for 6,999 rubles. Special orders are also accepted and delivery is free anywhere within the outer Moscow ring road.
Alina Timoshenko of Mare di Fior said that the prices shown online are those for individual clients.
"Our corporate clients as well as their employees enjoy special discounts for any order," she said.
To ensure that a client is satisfied with an order, the company will e-mail a photo of the flower arrangement to each client for his or her approval. This service is free for corporate clients and their employees. It costs 50 rubles for individual clients.
"If you don't like it, you can suggest changes or simply decline to purchase it," Timoshenko said.
Mare di Fior doesn't accept orders for international delivery but will arrange for delivery in six Russian regions. For weddings and other special events, Mare di Fior invites clients to their shop near Mayakovskaya for a consultation.
For those looking to send flowers abroad, AMF-International Flower Delivery Corporation has a network of more than 700 flower shops in Russia and the CIS and cooperates with 15 companies in North America and Europe for flower delivery.
A selection of flower arrangements at one of AMF's web sites, Sendflowers.ru, shows prices ranging from $15 up to $1,000. AMF's corporate clients receive a 7 percent discount.
AMF spokesman Stanislav Kotomkin said that the florist's clients can be absolutely certain that what they order in Russia or online is what will be delivered even on the other side of the Atlantic. Only the price of sending your mom in Ohio a single red rose over Sendflowers.ru will set you back $65, compared with ordering on the popular U.S.-based site FTD.com, where a dozen red roses costs $40.
AMF also offers online ordering at Cityflora.ru and promises delivery within two hours in Moscow or St. Petersburg and within 12 hours in other Russian regions. Delivery is free in Moscow between the hours of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and runs between $10 and $20 for delivery outside regular business hours. They will send you a free e-mail photo of your flower arrangement.
Custom orders can be made in person at the company's store at 3 Taras Shevchenko Naberezhnaya or by telephone at 974-7090.
Another flower shop for the well-heeled is Elita Flora. Begun in 1991 to create floral fashions and interiors for former President Boris Yeltsin, Elita Flora opened its first salon store in 2003 at 32 Bolshaya Gruzinskaya Ulitsa, telephone 254-3992.
Despite its seemingly high-end orientation, the salon caters to all budgets.
"Everyone can buy flowers here. The simplest bouquet can be just a single, $5, elegant flower arranged in a unique way," said manager Egor Zaporozhets. "We try to convince our clients that the Russian idea of the bigger the bouquet, the more you respect the person, just isn't relevant."
Freshness of stems is also important at Elita Flora: The flowers are flown in almost daily from Belgium. The florist also accepts orders for international delivery through Interflora and its affiliates (Interflora.ru).
Variety may be more limited and freshness less of a priority, but kiosks and street vendors are a viable option for those who don't have time to find specialized shops or place complex orders.
One of the city's most popular flower-buying spots is the pedestrian underpass at Pushkin Square, where small, delicate bouquets sell for 300 rubles and massive arrangements start at 1,500 rubles. Such kiosks also take special orders, which require a down payment of around 150 rubles and agreement on a pick-up time.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.
Remind me later.
×
Remind me next month
Thank you! Your reminder is set.
We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy.