McDonalds in Russia is...kind of a big deal. It's a giant billboard that Russia is open and participates in the global economy, and the wealth and opportunity that brings. Americans don't see it because they were never that cut off, but for anyone behind the iron curtain the whole concept is still a sign that they had left an age of rationing, empty shelves and unavailable produce.
If you're a young person in Russia today, you have probably heard stories from your parents about when their wasn't McDonalds, or supermarkets which had things. The big mark of stuff getting better after the cold war the influx of the American brands, and the massive luxuries they brought in.
This is a cultural perspective that's hard to communicate, but Russia - well the USSR - used to have exactly one McDonalds - which opened in 1990 in Moscow[1], and parents would save for months to be able to afford to take their children there. The people who lived through that time are still alive.
[1] https://www.boredpanda.com/first-mcdonald-restaurant-opens-s...