More than three decades after the entrance of the highly successful Western fast food chain, former McDonald’s Corp (MCD.N) outlets reopen under new name and ownership on Sunday, marking a fresh dawn for Russia’s fast-food fans.
On Russia Day, a patriotic celebration commemorating the country’s independence, the reopening will take place at the same flagship location in Moscow’s Pushkin Square where McDonald’s initially launched in Russia in January 1990.
McDonald’s came to symbolize a softening of Cold War tensions in the early 1990s, as the Soviet Union fell, and was a vehicle for millions of Russians to taste American food and culture.
The brand’s departure has become a potent symbol of Russia and the West once again turning their backs on one another.
