June 09, 2024

Good Riddance, McDonald's


Good Riddance, McDonald's
McDonald's, before being kicked out. The Russian Life files

Anna Popova, head of Russia's consumer protection ministry Rospotrebnadzor, was quoted as being happy that one of the world's largest food chains left the country.

In her words, "there was no more joyful person than me" when McDonald's left Russia. She also hailed the Russian replacement of the chain, called "Tasty, Period," as "the flagship of healthy eating."

McDonald's, like many Western-owned chains, left Russia in March 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine and the imposition of heavy Western sanctions. In some ways, this has had negative economic consequences for everyday Russians.

In a twist, however, some popular brands were bought up by Russian investors, weakly rebranded, and continued operation with little interruption. In addition to Tasty, Period, Starbucks' Russian operations were taken over by a pro-Putin rapper and an entrepreneur and rebranded as "Stars" coffee (the mermaid is now a woman in a traditional Russian headdress). Similar treatments have been done to Domino's, KFC, Coca-Cola, and others.

You Might Also Like

Twinkle, Twinkle
  • August 26, 2022

Twinkle, Twinkle

A rapper and a restauranteur have teamed up to rebrand the now-exiled Starbucks as a more Russia-friendly Stars Coffee.
Huawei Slinks Out
  • April 15, 2022

Huawei Slinks Out

Russia's international economic isolation continues as Chinese telecoms giant Huawei moves to leave the country.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka
November 01, 2012

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.

Driving Down Russia's Spine
June 01, 2016

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

Marooned in Moscow
May 01, 2011

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955