MOSCOW (Agence France-Presse)—The international auction house Sotheby's opened an office in Moscow on Wednesday in response to rapidly growing interest among Russian buyers in the international art market.

"This is an important point in the history of Sotheby's and its relations with Russian collectors," Bill Ruprecht, president of Sotheby's, said at a news conference in the Russian History Museum in Moscow .

The value of the international market for Russian art, mostly driven by wealthy Russian collectors, has multiplied at least 100 times in the last six years, Sotheby's experts said.

Sotheby's also organized a viewing of prestigious Russian art, as well as international impressionist and contemporary paintings ahead of auctions in London next month.

Auctions in Moscow are not planned for the time being and the Sotheby's office is mainly aimed at managing relations with clients as well as finding new buyers, company executives said.