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McDonald\u2019s invested $50million to establish an outpost in the Soviet Union, and after 14 years of preparation, their first Russian restaurant opened in Moscow\u2019s Pushkinskaya Square on 31st January, 1990.\n30,000 residents lined up in the freezing cold to be amongst the first customers to get a taste of America - although the restaurant, at the time the world\u2019s largest, was technically an offshoot of McDonald\u2019s of Canada.\nIn this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly reveal how the Soviet authorities clamped down on \u2018burger scalping\u2019; compare and contrast the golden arches with Communist iconography; and explain how it wasn\u2019t just the Big Macs, but the customer service, that felt entirely foreign to the Muscovites\u2026\nPhoto credit: Alexander Steshanov/\u041c\u0410\u041c\u041c/MDF/russiainphoto.ru\nFurther Reading:\n\n\u2018The first McDonald\u2019s in Moscow that drove the city mad, 1990\u2019 (Rare Historical Photos, 2021):\xa0https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/first-mcdonalds-moscow-soviet-union-1990/\n\n\n\u2018The Evolution of Russia, as Seen From McDonald\u2019s\u2019 (The New York Times, 2010):\xa0https://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/02/business/global/02mcdonalds.html\n\n\n\u2018McDonald's opens in hungry Moscow, but costs half-a-day's wages for lunch\u2019 (CBC, 1990):\xa0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckbfS99N6jY\n\n\n\nFor bonus material and to support the show, visit\xa0Patreon.com/Retrospectors\nWe'll be back tomorrow! Follow us wherever you get your podcasts:\xa0podfollow.com/Retrospectors\nThe Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.\nTheme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Emma Corsham.\nCopyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2021.\n#90s #Food #Russia #US\n Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices