Pushkin Square became McDonald’s first location in the Soviet Union when it opened in Moscow in 1990.
The restaurant’s opening on January 31, 1990, was a major international branding event. Thousands of people reportedly waited in line, and the location became a highly visible symbol of McDonald’s arrival in a country that had previously been largely closed to Western fast-food companies.
McDonald’s spent years preparing for the opening, including developing local supply and production systems. The restaurant was operated through a joint venture and emphasized food quality and locally sourced ingredients as part of its launch strategy.
Pushkin Square is sometimes confused with Red Square because both are famous Moscow landmarks. The McDonald’s restaurant was located at Pushkin Square, not at Red Square, and its opening predates the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.