I have been in St Pete four different times on business/personal pursuits for 1 to 2 and a half weeks at a stretch.
I am also very familiar with Maksidom, having shopped at the store in the Severnaya area of Sankt Petrburg, as well as the one more near the centre - near or along the run of Nevskii Prospekt. The Director of Maksidom is a friend of a friend, and he consciously uses the German store "Obi" {the ubiquitous beaver} and Home Depot and Lowe's in the US as business models...a very clever approach, as there is a huge market potential in Russia!
These stores are really much more analgous to "Home Depot", or "Lowe's" in the USA; they do stock a little more in the craft and home electronics/ home cosiness realm, however.
Russians in St Petrburg and Moskva celebrate both the western Christmas, and the traditional Eastern/Russian Orthodox Catholic Mass, so this falls right squarely in the heart of their shopping frenzy times - and in busy, capitalism-driven cities of ever-widening prosperity.
{I} Pray that this is not the first of many wider attacks. That could prove disastrous, given the volume of business that places like Maksidom draw. I do not for one minute believe that this is based in a business/territorial dispute. Neither Putin nor the Russian people would tolerate such an attack which could invariably affect not only ordinary working class people, but the wealthy and influential which shop in such stores, also.
Like I said, I have been in two of the Maksidom locations; one can meet people shopping in either who have taken the tram, bus, or metro to shop, people who have ancient, rickety Ladas parked outside, and folks who pulled up in the latest model BMW's, Volvos, and Mercedes G55's {an $80,000 + 4x4 SUV/wagon, for those on this thread who are unfamiliar with the model}.
I hope the FSB catch the bastards who are responsible, and make a very public show of it...for all their problems, I really love the Russian people.
A.A.C.
One other thing, there is a vey large and very active Uzbeki, and Tadjiki mafia presence in St Petrburg. They are heavily involved with the Chechnyans and are moslem activist dominated.
They're extortionists, and racketeers, and the men turn their women and children out onto the streets every day to beg from wealthy Russian shoppers and western tourists and businesspeople. These are the usually darker-skinned, dirty, ill-dressed little waifs who are often within eyesight of their mothers {normally seated on the curb or sidewalk, or against the wall in metro, bus or train stations} that come up tugging at your sleeves, and follow you persistently for some distance.
Frequently the "man" {I used the term advisedly} will come by and check of their begging progress during the day...making sure they are being diligent enough.
This they do, regardless of whether or not the husband is gainfully employed or able to work.
A.A.C.