Forget duty free, buy a Kalashnikov at the airport

The decision by gunmaker Kalashnikov to set up shop at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport has raised eyebrows among security experts.

The store is the first outlet for the legendary Kalashnikov, whose AK-47 assault rifle has armed Russian forces for 70 years.

No fear — you’re not about to see actual guns in the overhead lockers anytime soon. The shop sells a wealth of souvenirs, including weapon replicas, glasses and headphones to be worn for target shooting, caps, sweatshirts, pens, bags and other items featuring Kalashnikov symbols.

“Kalashnikov is one of the most popular brands that springs to mind when people all around the world come to think about Russia,” said Kalashnikov’s Marketing Director Vladimir Dmitriev in a press statement. “That is why we are happy to give everyone who comes to visit Russia an opportunity to take home a souvenir with a Kalashnikov logo.”

The Sheremetyevo management have been keen to point out that the shop is not technically located inside the airport, but at the Aeroexpress train station.

Source: BFM (in Russian) and The Guardian