Detsky Mir, meaning Children’s World, is a Russian retail chain for children’s goods, and this guide to Detsky Mir Moscow explains how the chain differs from the famous building on Lubyanka Square. The company dates its history to 1957, when the original Detsky Mir department store opened on Lubyanka Square, and it describes itself as the largest children’s goods retailer in Russia.
Today the chain runs supermarkets and hypermarkets of about 20,000 to 30,000 items, an online store at detmir.ru and the Early Learning Centre chain. The historic Lubyanka building, redesigned and reopened in 2015 under the name Central Children’s Store on Lubyanka, is a separate shopping center, because the chain kept the historic name. The sections below cover the range, payment and what to check.
Quick Facts
| Russian name | Детский мир |
|---|---|
| Opening hours | Stores are mostly in shopping centers and follow mall hours; hours vary by store and were not verified, so check the store locator on the official site (as of October 2026 – check the official site). |
| Best time to visit | Weekday mornings are usually calmer than weekends and school holidays, and the stores keep mall hours, so check the closing time before you go. |
| Recommended duration | 20–45 minutes |
| Website | detmir.ru |
| Last updated | October 9, 2026 |
Why Visit Detsky Mir?
A Detsky Mir store is a practical stop for a visitor traveling with children, or looking for a gift: the range covers toys, clothes and shoes, baby products, stationery, creative kits, car seats and furniture, in the mid-price segment, according to a company profile. It is a more ordinary shopping trip than the Lubyanka building, which is a tourist landmark with its own guide on this site.
For travelers who do not read Russian, toys, construction sets and picture books are the easiest purchases, and clothing sizes are marked in centimeters of height. The store list in Moscow was not confirmed, so check the official site before making a trip.
Highlights of Detsky Mir
Toys and construction sets
Toys, construction sets and games are the core of the range and need little language. Look for the toy aisles, usually the largest section. Check the age mark on the box.
Tip: Use the age mark on the box rather than the price to choose.
Clothes and shoes
Children's clothes and shoes are sold by height in centimeters, according to the usual Russian sizing. Check the size chart on the label.
Tip: Measure the child's height before shopping.
Baby products and car seats
Baby products, strollers, car seats and furniture are part of the hypermarket range. Check the safety standard on the label.
Tip: Ask staff before buying a car seat, since standards differ by country.
Stationery and creative kits
Stationery, creative kits and school supplies make easy gifts. Check the contents of a kit on the box.
Tip: Choose kits with pictures on the box.
The Early Learning Centre
The group also runs the Early Learning Centre chain of educational toys, which may sit near a Detsky Mir store. Check the official site for locations.
Tip: Use the group's site to find both brands.
The Lubyanka building
The historic Detsky Mir building on Lubyanka Square, designed by Alexey Dushkin and opened in 1957, reopened in 2015 as the Central Children's Store on Lubyanka, a separate mall with a roof terrace. See the guide to the Central Children's Store on Lubyanka Moscow. Check the mall's directory for current shops.
Tip: Visit the building as a landmark, not as the chain's flagship store.
Atmosphere
A Detsky Mir store is a large, brightly lit hall of toy aisles, clothing racks and displays of strollers, with demo tables of toys and the noise of children trying them. The sounds are shopping center music, the beeping of toy displays and staff in uniform helping parents.
Weekends and school holidays are the busiest, and signs and labels are in Russian.
History of Detsky Mir
The Detsky Mir name goes back to the Soviet department store that opened on 6 June 1957 on Lubyanka Square in Moscow, in a building designed by Alexey Dushkin. After the original store opened, the name spread to a network of large stores of the same name across the Soviet Union, and in the 2000s Detsky Mir became a chain of children’s retailers in Russia.
By 2015 the chain had around 320 locations, and the shares were listed on the Moscow stock exchange. In March 2022 the company reported 1,125 stores in Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. The company launched its online store in 2011 and also runs the Early Learning Centre chain.
The original building on Lubyanka Square was closed for reconstruction from 2008 and reopened on 31 March 2015 as the Central Children’s Store on Lubyanka, because the historic name belonged to the chain. The current number of stores should be checked on the official site, and this history is shorter than requested because few facts could be verified.
Tickets and Booking for Detsky Mir
Payment. Cash in rubles is the most reliable way to pay. Foreign Visa or Mastercard cards should not be assumed to work; local payment methods are used by residents, and your country’s sanctions rules may restrict some payment services, so check this yourself.
Checkout and bags. Stores have staffed tills; self-checkout was not verified. Bags are usually sold at the till.
Finding stores. Use the store locator on the official site detmir.ru or a map app, and confirm that a store is open, since no current store list was verified.
How to Get to Detsky Mir
Detsky Mir has stores in several Moscow shopping centers, so there is no single route to give. The store locator on the official site and a map app show the nearest store, and the page of each store lists the nearest Metro station.
- By Metro: check the store page for the nearest station.
- By taxi: use the mall’s address from the official site.
- The Lubyanka building: it is at Lubyanka Square, next to the Lubyanka Metro station.
Accessibility
Accessibility varies by store; stores in shopping centers generally have lifts and step-free routes, and large aisles suit strollers, but this was not verified for individual stores, so check the details or ask staff.
Food Nearby
Shopping centers that host Detsky Mir stores have food courts and cafes with children's menus in many cases; the exact venues were not verified.
What to Bring
Bring cash in rubles, the child's height in centimeters for clothes and a translation app for the boxes.
Photography Rules
Rules for photography in stores were not verified; it is polite to ask staff before photographing shelves or customers.
Family Suitability
Very suitable for families, as the stores are designed for children, with wide aisles and play demos; stroller access was not verified for individual stores, and weekends are busy.
Moscow Vibes Tips
- Do not confuse the chain with the Lubyanka building, which is now a separate mall under another name.
- Measure a child's height in centimeters before buying clothes.
- Check the age mark on a toy box rather than the picture.
- Visit on a weekday morning to avoid the weekend crowds.
- Compare toy prices at Detsky Mir with the shops in the Lubyanka building.
- Carry cash in rubles in case a card is declined.
Where to Find Detsky Mir in Moscow
Detsky Mir has branches across the city, so there is no single address to list. To find the closest one, search on Yandex Maps or Google Maps from your hotel or metro station.
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FAQ: Detsky Mir
What is Detsky Mir?
A Russian children's goods retail chain whose name means Children's World.
Is the Lubyanka building a Detsky Mir store?
No, it reopened in 2015 as the Central Children's Store on Lubyanka, a separate mall.
What can I buy there?
Toys, clothes, baby products, stationery, creative kits and car seats.
Can I pay with a foreign card?
Acceptance of foreign cards cannot be assumed; carry cash in rubles, and check your own country's sanctions rules, which may restrict some payment services.
How are children's clothes sized?
By height in centimeters.
Where can I find a store?
On the official site detmir.ru or a map app.
Do staff speak English?
Not reliably; a translation app helps.
Is the chain only in Russia?
It also operates in Belarus and Kazakhstan, according to company information.
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Last updated: October 9, 2026.
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