Leading tourist hotel hosts coffin exhibition

One of Crimea’s most popular hotels offered tourists an unusual entertainment during their seaside holidays – to choose funeral supplies at a large exhibition in the lobby.

The hall of the Yalta Intourist was decorated with wreathes as the exhibition called ‘Necropolis. Crimea 2015’ opened on Wednesday (June 10) at the pick of the tourist season.

Around 100 companies brought coffins, crosses, funeral attire and other supplies to Crimean most popular resort to conquer new market and attract new customers.

Tatiana Rozhkova, who works for a Moscow-based company, said she expected to find clients on the Crimean peninsula and establish long-term business relations with them.

“We came here and brought our products to offer it to our future clients, I hope. And (we) hope for further fruitful cooperation,” Tatiana said, as her colleagues opened a coffin lid so that visitors could see the design and quality of their products.

Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in March last year after the uprising in Kiev ousted pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovich.

Later in April 2014 a conflict erupted between pro-Moscow rebels and Ukrainian army, which killed over 6,400 people in the east of the country.

The organizer of the exhibition, Boris Yakushin, said the recent geopolitical changes and war in Ukraine in particular had a negative effect on the business and drastically changed the market.

“Because of the changed relations between various countries, it’s not a secret – between Russia and Ukraine – the market has changed as well. And in order to understand where to go, where are producers and what they produce…because unfortunately there are certain problems now with supplies of materials from Ukraine,” Yakushin said.

Companies working in the Ukraine’s rebel-controlled east also took part in the exhibition.

“We brought here products that we make in the Luhansk People’s Republic. We are going to conquer the Russian market. Because of the difficult situation and the blockade of the republic, it is essential,” said Sergei Chukarin, who came from the rebel-controlled Luhansk.

Visitors had two days to enjoy the exhibition, which ended on Thursday (June 11).