When the first golden arches appeared in Moscow¡¯s Pushkin Square in 1990, it didn¡¯t matter that it was mid-winter.
It was as if the snow in Narnia had begun to melt and the natural state of things was being returned in glorious technicolor. Russians queued around the corner for a taste of once forbidden patties.
¡°If you can¡¯t go to America, come to McDonald¡¯s in Moscow,¡± ran a McD¡¯s ad. Soon other global brands piled in and dotted streetscapes with their logos and storefronts. The country of Potemkin imported many such familiar facades that were effective in conferring a kind of legitimacy to its government. Whether it was McDonald¡¯s or Hugo Boss, such frontages suggested a country hip to modernity.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.