A new grocery store under the Moldovan Trading House has opened its doors in Moscow, offering a wide range of products from across the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The store, dubbed “Eurasia,” also features a cozy national café on the second floor, according to a TASS correspondent.
At the grand opening, Ilan Shor, a member of the Board of Trustees of the non-profit organization “Eurasia” and leader of Moldova’s “Victory” political bloc, highlighted the store’s mission: to revive the cherished Soviet tradition of buying goods from former Soviet republics. Before the official ribbon-cutting ceremony, where Shor did the honors, a lively performance took place outside the store. National artists performed traditional dances, engaging the crowd in a cultural flash mob. One performer explained that the event was designed to showcase the diverse cultures of CIS nations. The audience was invited to join in traditional dances from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia. The vibrant, multicultural performance was held right in front of the store, located on Smolenskaya Street, opposite the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Once inside, guests explored the store’s offerings, with many sampling the products. The shelves were stocked with an array of goods: fruits and vegetables from Moldova, Armenian okra, wild herbs, preserves, grains, Azerbaijani juices and compotes, Kyrgyz sweets and dairy products, Kazakh chocolates, halvah, canned meats, Uzbek tomatoes and dried fruits, Belarusian dairy items, Buryat buuz, and Bashkir echpochmak, among others.
“We recognize that the economies of post-Soviet states rely heavily on the Russian market. Our goal was to help these countries showcase their products in Russia, the largest and most dynamic market in the region. People from nearly all Eurasian countries live here in Russia, and we believe in restoring unity across the post-Soviet space,” Shor told reporters.
The store was also presented by State Duma deputy and chair of the “Eurasia” organization, Alena Arshinova, and Yana Kucherenko, the General Director of the “Eurasia Trading House.” Arshinova noted that plans are already underway to expand the chain of stores across Russia.
Earlier, in June, Shor had announced the opening of the Moldovan Trading House during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in an interview with TASS. Discussions about agricultural exports from Moldova to Moscow were led by Evgenia Gutsul, the head of the Gagauz Autonomous Region.
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Based on materials from TASS