In 1995 when we arrived in Yekaterinburg Russia, some of the Ural State University journalism faculty took us to lunch. They apologized for the poor quality. Good manners kept us from agreeing.
Probably the countries’ best restaurant, they told us, was in Moscow, a day’s train ride to the west. Opened by Chicago’s McDonald four years ahead of our curriculum changes assignment
We heard Russians were standing in long lines to order a ‘Bolshei’…translates as ‘Big’…Mac hamburger.
Not however in 2022, after Russian troops invaded Ukraine.
McDonalds now reports closure of 847 Russian restaurants. Sanctions, loss of insurance, incurred costs of $127 million, income down 28 per cent.
We repeat newspaper reports at the end of March, 2022. And worry about what happens next week—Russia’s traditional military celebrations on April 8. Bolshoi worries.
Krasnoyarsk, Russia – March 10, 2022: closed entrance to the restaurant McDonald’s. Photo at Shutterstock
