Russia’s Kalashnikov Resumes Civilian Firearm Sales in Georgia

TBILISI – Russia’s Kalashnikov Concern – known by its Russian-language acronym IZHMASH – has resumed sales of civilian firearms in Georgia after a 10-year ban on the company’s activities in the small South Caucasus nation.

According to the company’s official website, IZHMASH began selling civilian firearms in Georgia first under the Baikal and Kalashnikov brands on Monday.

The company’s Marketing Director Vladimir Dmitriev said IZHMASH had opened a new brand-zone in Tbilisi’s firearms shop Caliber, the first outside the Russian borders.

"In 2016, Kalashnikov Concern will successfully resume deliveries of civilian firearms to Georgia, a country where our weaponry has been absent since 2006," Dmitriev said in a prepared statement.

IZHMASH’s leadership plans to significantly increase the volume of civilian firearms to Georgia in the next 5 years.

Kalashnikov firearms and their accessories will be sold as traditional rifle products in the Tbilisi retail space.

According to IZHMASH’s marketing strategy, the company wants to develop a robust foreign market for civilian hunting and sporting weapons, as well as develop a Russian-based gun culture.

In 2015, IZHMASH opened 20 brand-zone gun shops in Russia, which it plans to increase to 60 by 2017.

A new corporate office in Kazakhstan will also be opened in 2016.