Historic Armenia store in central Moscow to close

The iconic Armenia grocery store and restaurant on Moscow’s Tverskaya Street is set to close after more than 70 years in operation.

The premises, located at the corner of Tverskoy Boulevard and Tverskaya Street, will be occupied by a store belonging to the VkusVill supermarket chain, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

Opened in 1952 under the Ministry of Trade of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic, the Armenia store specialised in Armenian food products during the Soviet era, including cheeses, sausages, dried fruits, nuts, olives, churchkhela, preserves, as well as wines and brandies.

Following the closure of the historic Yeliseyevsky grocery store, Armenia remained one of Moscow’s oldest food retailers.

Ownership of the premises was transferred to the Moscow city government in 1992.

Between 2006 and 2011, the store's retail space was significantly reduced, with part of the premises converted into a café serving Armenian cuisine.

According to Russian media reports, one possible reason for the closure is the ban on imports of Armenian agricultural products into Russia.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov