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April 5th 2021
Published: April 5th 2021
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21st March - Sokolinaya Gora District, Moscow #heygo http://www.heygo.com

Within a few yards of where our tour started, was a KFC, Macdonalds

Although not at this location we heard about the first McDonald’s in Soviet Russia.

The Moscow McDonald’s initiative was a joint venture between McDonald’s of Canada and the Moscow city council, a plan first envisioned when George Cohon, founder, and CEO of McDonald’s Canada, met Soviet Union officials at the ’76 Summer Olympics in Montreal. And almost a quarter of a century later, on January 31st, 1990 it became a reality.

At the time of its construction, it was the largest McDonald’s restaurant in the world. A venue with 900 seats with a staff of about 600 workers that were carefully selected from 35,000 applicants.

Reportedly, it was expected to serve around 1,000 during the McDonald’s opening day. A crowd of more than 5,000 Soviet citizens lined up in Pushkinskaya Square before it even opened and about 30,000 customers passed through the door throughout the whole day.

The summer came, but the lines just kept growing. People from other cities were flocking the McDonald’s restaurant just for a single hamburger. And more and
more restaurant opened up.

People would keep the boxes and bags as souvenirs, now there is a fast food KFC, McDonald’s, Burger King close to almost all metro stations.

We walked past one of the first shopping precincts in the area and continued to a local park close to where our guide lived and went to school.

There was an old cinema that was under renovation.

Rodina Cinema was built in 1938 according to the project of architects Jacob Kornfeld and Victor Kalmykov in postconstructivist style. Its appearance is inextricably linked in the minds of the inhabitants of the Sokolinaya Gora district with pleasant memories from their youth or childhood. In 2007, the building, located at 5 Semenovskaya Square received the status of an object of cultural heritage of regional significance. In preparation for the restoration, architects worked with archives for a year and a half, studying the features of the building. Work is being carried out by ADG group.

Authentic facades have been preserved almost without loss, as well as the interiors of the main lobby and stairs - now they are protected objects and will be restored. The facade of the Rodina Cinema will be completely restored. Now its facing layer and the supporting elements are damaged. The main task is to carefully restore the unique facade mural, columns and entrance portal. Key interior details, including coffered ceilings with chandeliers, columns, decorative elements and stair railings after restoration, will regain to their original appearance.

The idea of flat exploited roofs, an important element of the architecture of the time, will also be revived. In Soviet times, the roof of the Rodina Cinema was an additional public space. There was garden furniture there, dances were arranged, creative meetings were held. In the renewed Rodina Cinema, the terrace will again become a place of leisure for Muscovites, there will also be an open veranda here.

The building will have a cinema with six halls, new cafés and restaurants, and a pickup point for online orders. In addition, a creative workshop will be opened for children, and older guests will be able to attend master classes of the Moscow Longevity program.

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