Paris car shop celebrating Russian Christmas

The Peugeot car shop on Champs Elysees has already started celebrating Christmas Russian style. Champs Elysees, which is the French capital's main street, now thrills local residents and numerous foreign tourists with its Christmas attire. All trees on both sides of this street are shining with electric garlands; its buildings are also decorated with numerous lights, as well as fir-tree branches and toys. Beautiful Christmas trees can be seen on the porches of its stores, boutiques, shopping malls and haute couture shops.

However, not every French company abides by generally accepted traditions. For instance, the Peugeot auto concern has decided to decorate its Champs Elysees car shop in line with Russian patterns. Its shining shop windows feature stylish Matreshka nested dolls of just about every size. The wall of a hall just opposite the entrance looks like the Kremlin of an unspecified ancient Russian city replete with towers and gilded-dome churches. The Kremlin's walls are lined with snow-covered fir-trees. Moreover, one can admire a sledge train carrying vintage Peugeot cars, which date back to the early 20-th century, in front of the walls.

Russian symphonic music, which was written especially for Christmas and New Year Eve, is being played here all the time. Talking to RIA-NOVOSTI, Remy Benedetto, who works at this car shop, noted that the Peugeot concern's top management didn't opt for the shop's Russian-style interior decoration by sheer coincidence. In his words, this decision has something to do with more substantial Peugeot sales on the Russian market; besides, France now likes all things Russian.

According to Benedetto, this shop is being visited by 2.5 million people each year; Peugeot considers them to be visitors, rather than clients. They can gain an insight into corporate values and new ideas here, Benedetto stressed. This time, we give our visitors a chance to leave Champs Elysees for that fabulous winter-time Russia, Benedetto said in conclusion.