Which McDonald's restaurant opened in Moscow in 1990 and became famous for its record-breaking launch?

Pushkin Square McDonald's opened in Moscow in 1990 and became famous for its record-breaking launch.

The restaurant opened on January 31, 1990, after years of planning, negotiations, and supply preparation. It was McDonald's first location in the Soviet Union and represented a highly visible example of Western commercial branding entering a major Soviet city near the end of the Cold War.

Large crowds attended the opening, and the restaurant served thousands of customers on its first day. Reports commonly describe the launch as a record for McDonald's at that time, making the opening notable both as a business event and as a cultural symbol.

The restaurant's branding remained unmistakably McDonald's, but its operation depended heavily on locally sourced ingredients and training. The Pushkin Square opening is therefore remembered not only for its crowd size but also for showing how the chain could preserve a global identity while building a local supply system.