OK Group, one of Russia’s major retailers, announced it was going to put up a hypermarket in Yekaterinburg.

The city council reports the construction should begin in 2011 or 2012. The hypermarket will be located at the intersection of Babushkin St and Frontovikh Brigad St, on the premises of the former Turbine Motor Plant.

The new store’s area is expected to exceed 7,000 sq m. In addition to a grocery store, the place will house a wellness center, three movie theaters, a bowling club, and a place to play billiards.

Now the retail chain actually declared as early as 2008 that it was planning on building a store in Yekaterinburg; the place was to be launched in 2010.

The company’s General Director Patrick Longe said that in 2011, the chain would probably open more stores not only in Yekaterinburg but also in Omsk, Moscow, Tyumen, Astrakhan, and Saint Petersburg, ten hypermarkets altogether.

The executive observed the group mainly aimed at opening new shopping centers, but it could also take over another operator if the opportunity presented itself.