When foreign businesses announced the indefinite closures in Russia, Russians started queueing in front of stores like Ikea, Victoria Secrets or Uniqlo, for a chance to stock up on their favourite products. One person has even chained themselves to a McDonald’s restaurant to prevent it from closing, while others have decided to profit from this by selling branded products, at hefty prices, on Avito, the Russian version of Craigslist.
In all the commotion, one fast-food chain owner decided to file for trademark of a logo similar to that of McDonald’s, merely 3 days after the American restaurant announced its closure in Russia.
1. Uncle Vanya
Uncle Vanya, listed as a snack bar providing cooking and home delivery services, is a Russian fast-food chain based in Moscow.
The new logo, for which the chain applied for trademark, features a stylized B, standing for the Cyrillic Ve, as in Uncle Vanya, with the name of the restaurant written underneath. However, the logo is quite similar the well-known golden arches and, not only does the stylized B look just like an M on its side, but the colour scheme of red and yellow also resembles the McDonalds brand.
They announced they are closing. Well, okay, close. But tomorrow in those locations we should have not McDonald’s, but Uncle Vanya’s.
Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the lower house of parliament, the State Duma, cited by The Washington Post
2. Nationalising western business
Foreign businesses have decided to close shop in Russia, to show their disapproval of the invasion of Ukraine and to provide an additional blow to the country’s economy, in the hope of determining President Vladimir Putin to reconsider the attack.
Regardless, Russia perseveres, President Putin having endorsed a plan of nationalising foreign-owned businesses. In a meeting with his cabinet, he stressed that “The economy will, without doubt, adapt to the new situation” and the country will get through this period.
Russia must introduce external management and then transfer these enterprises to those who want to work.
Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation
Showing concern over the economic strains and job losses caused by the business departures, the President approved a legislative proposal that would allow the Russian government to seize the assets of the fleeing foreign companies and then sell them locally.
