in Moscow, locals rush to one of the last restaurants still open

It’s an uncomfortable, dark McDonald’s tucked away in a corner of the Leningrad station, but the queue there is endless because it’s the last one open in central Moscow. Its franchise owner is resisting. Kira, 16, came there specially and devoured with delight a Big Mac, one of her last. “Yes I’m already nostalgicshe acknowledges. We miss McDonald’s already.”

“It saddens me, I would like them to stay here, I don’t want to say goodbye to them.”

Kira, Muscovite

at franceinfo

In Moscow, two more restaurants are still open at Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo airports. But not all Russians will regret the disappearance of McDonald’s in the country. Timour came with his friend Irina who had never eaten it before, and they won’t miss it. “I think it’s stupid to come here and wait in line for an hour to eat, for me it’s a waste of timehe blurts out. But hey, it’s his first time, so we decided to stay. I’m not sorry to see them go, there are plenty of alternatives.”

To demonstrate its opposition to the military invasion of Ukraine, the American fast food chain is selling its 850 Russian restaurants to a local businessman, who already operated 25 McDonald’s restaurants under franchise. Viktor Govor has pledged to take over the 62,000 employees of the company in Russia, most of whom no longer worked – but who were still paid – since the announcement in early March by the chain of the suspension of its activities. The businessman will not have the right to take over the McDonald’s brand and products, which will therefore completely disappear from Russia in a few days, 32 years after their arrival under the USSR in the midst of Perestroika.

When the first McDonald’s opened on Pushkin Square in Moscow, we were close to rioting. Since then, Russia has fully entered Western consumer society. But Andrei, 26, thinks things will change. “When you’ve been to Mc Donald’s all your life, you can’t imagine your life without them”he explains.

“The events that happened and everything that followed dealt a big blow to the habits of Russians. It is a symbol above all, the symbol of our life before.”

Andrei, Muscovite

at franceinfo

And there are always alternatives: when leaving the station, you come across a Burger King restaurant. The brand has not decided to leave Russia.