ANALYSIS – In reaction to the invasion of Ukraine, the American multinational decided to close its 850 restaurants in Russia.
The striking image propels the Russians into a dizzying leap into the past, thirty-two years back. There were thousands, this Wednesday, in Moscow and in dozens of Russian metropolises, queuing to buy their last Big Mac before the closure of 850 restaurants decided by the American multinational in response to the invasion of Ukraine.
No other sign than that with the yellow “M” on a red background symbolizes so much the shift of the moribund Soviet Union into capitalism. It was in January 1990, almost two years before the fall of the USSR, that the first establishment of the American chain opened in Moscow, on Place Pouchkine. The Muscovites rush there. They line up for hours to enjoy their first hamburger, an icon of happy globalization. This Wednesday, they were waiting in front of drive-thru restaurants, driving Japanese or German sedans, smartphone in hand. A contrast that bears witness to the spectacular rise in the level of…
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