Russia will revive an old tradition dating back to the USSR. Starting in the fall, duty-free shops selling duty-free Western goods in exchange for foreign currency will open across the country, reports the guardian. A concept reminiscent of Beriozka stores from the Soviet era.

In order to obtain these imported products, which are increasingly rare in ordinary Russian stores at the beginning of the war in Ukraine, several conditions must be met. First of all, as a foreign buyer, each client must provide a document proving that he is a diplomat, an employee of an international organization or a member of his family. Another condition to respect: pay in foreign currency.

Perfumes, alcohol, watches…

The duty-free shops will be owned by a company created by the Russian Foreign Ministry and another entity to be chosen later. The targeted products will be those commonly found in duty-free shops, namely alcohol, tobacco, jewellery, cosmetics, perfumes, as well as smartphones and watches.

Between 1965 and 1990, Beriozka stores were a way for the state to acquire foreign currency. They later became souvenir shops, most of them closed since the mid-1990s with the collapse of the USSR. The context this time is very different but the goal remains the same: to replenish the foreign exchange reserves that Russia is struggling to access due to Western sanctions imposed at the start of the war in Ukraine.