Apple could soon open a store in Moscow, in what would be its first location in a former Soviet republic, ifoAppleStore reports.
The store would be located in a historic hotel not far from the Kremlin and other tourist hotspots. A pair of Apple executives, senior vice president of retail Ron Johnson and vice president or real estate Bob Bridger, are said to have visited Moscow last month to explore the potential space.
The company is eyeing a two-level 16,000-square-foot space in the Hotel Moskva, which is in the process of being renovated as Russia's first Four Seasons Hotel. The Hotel Moskva, the façade of which is printed on the label of Stolichnaya Vodka, is located at the north end of the Red Square. It originally opened in 1935 and is in the end stages of construction that started in 2002. ifoAppleStore said the hotel could open by the end of 2011 or early 2012.
Apple hasn't signed a lease for the space, but "a decision could be made soon," sources tell ifoAppleStore.
Additionally, Apple is preparing to open a second store in Utah, the site said, citing job listings for the location. The store would be located in the Salt Lake Valley, about eight miles south of the original shop.
If the rumors of the Russia store are true, it would be the easternmost Apple store in Europe. The store that currently holds that title was just opened in Dresden, Germany. An Apple store in Moscow would join the Dresden shop as Apple's second location in a former communist state.
Russia could be an important market for Apple. AppleInsider pointed out that the iPhone launched in the country in 2008 and has been adopted quickly in the time since.