Sometimes you just have to hand it to the Russians. They get it: Guns are cool. They’re something to be embraced by a society — not shunned or scapegoated by a society for the follies of men (Guns don’t kill people, people kill people).
They are proud of the firearms heritage, so much so that the Kalashnikov Group, makers of the iconic AK-47, has opened its first branded shop at the country’s biggest and busiest airport.
That’s right, 31.6 million domestic and international travelers passing through Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport will be able to stop into the 58 square-meter store at the Aeroexpress Terminal to pick up some cool Kalashnikov goodies.
I know what you’re thinking. Nope, no firearms will be sold there. But some cool t-shirts, bags, clothes and other Kalashnikov-branded products will be available. Customers will also have an opportunity to check out a wall of replica firearms.
“Kalashnikov is one of the most popular brands that springs to mind when people all around the world come to think about Russia. That is why we are happy to give everyone who came to visit Russia an opportunity to take home a souvenir with Kalashnikov logo,” said Kalashnikov Marketing Director Vladimir Dmitriev.
Kalashnikov shop at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport. (Photo: Sheremetyevo Airport via Facebook)
“Opening a branded shop in the airport that retains a leading position in terms of passenger traffic of our country is a totally reasonable step towards consumer adoption and building customer loyalty,” he continued. “We hope that people would highly evaluate our initiative and buy our company souvenirs as a memory of their trip.”
Can you imagine how crazy gun grabbers and the media here in the good old USofA would go if Ruger or Smith & Wesson set up apparel stores at JFK and O’Hare international airports? They would go bananas!
Anyways, so far, everything at the Kalashnikov store, which opened Aug. 16, is going smoothly.
Ilya Vorobyov, an airport spokesperson told USA Today, “at this point there haven’t been any confrontations regarding it,” adding that in the event of “conflicts and irregularities affecting security” the airport would consider suggesting the shop’s “product assortment” be adapted.