McDonald’s is now closed in Russia, part of a wave of companies exiting the country after its invasion of Ukraine sparked sanctions from the West. But a local alternative, Uncle Vanya, appears to be gearing up to take a bite of the Russian burger business – with a strangely familiar logo.
In a March 12 trademark filing, Uncle Vanya’s yellow and red logo looks almost identical to the iconic Golden Arches of McDonald’s, but tilted 90 degrees to the right. They form part of the letter “B” in the Cyrillic alphabet, which corresponds to the “V” in “Vanya”.
Uncle Vanya’s trademark, Russia’s Federal Institute of Industrial Property, March 12, 2022
Though none of these new restaurants have opened yet, the plan could apparently be to take over the existing shuttered McDonald’s restaurants. The restaurant takes its name from the 19th-century play Uncle Vanya by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov.
As titular character Uncle Vanya himself said: “When you have no real life, then you live with mirages. At least it’s better than nothing.”
Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of Russia’s lower house in parliament, said last week that Russian brands should take over McDonald’s locations. “They announced they are closing. Well, OK, close. But tomorrow in those locations we should have not McDonald’s, but Uncle Vanya’s,” he said. “Jobs must be preserved and prices reduced.”
Officials have also said Russia can ignore patents owned by entities from countries that Moscow sees as hostile while Russian President Vladimir Putin last week also endorsed a plan to nationalise foreign-owned businesses that have left the country. He said Russia must “introduce external management” on departing companies “and then transfer these enterprises to those who want to work.”
The moves pave the way for Uncle Vanya to fill McDonald’s void in Russia.
Muscovites eating in a McDonald’s on Sunday March 13, after the fast food giant said it would shutter its stores in Russia. Credit:AP
McDonald’s 1990 arrival in the Soviet Union drew crowds as well as headlines, becoming a symbol of the West’s triumph over communism at the end of the Cold War. The Soviet Union collapsed in the following year. Since then, the American chain has gained popularity in both Russia and Ukraine, both former members of the Soviet Union.
McDonald’s Russian knockoff has a very familiar logo
Source: Philippines Alive
