30,000 Russians queue for the first McDonald’s in the Soviet Union, January 30th 1990

"My parents hosted a family from Russia is the 80s (my father is a Russian historian). The family was actually staying in their own home close to us. My mom and dad (both spoke Russian) would check in with them every day and help them transition into their 6 month or so stay. I think the father was a visiting scholar, not unusual in academia. One day, my parents took them to a grocery store. Obviously, they were amazed. So much stuff! So much variety! This was the 80s, remember, when it was only 3 or 4 kinds/brands of peanut butter, not the 10-15 kinds you see now. Well, the family bought a few things, but apparently a couple of days later they returned and spent a good portion of their per diem. They bought all kinds of stuff – perishable and non-perishable. Like, 5 gallons of milk, pounds of meat and cheese, fresh (and out of season) vegetables, bread, etc. I think they also bought a bunch of cleaning stuff they didn’t need since they had a housekeeper coming once a week anyway. Anyway, it was more than a family of 2 adults a small child could consume before it all went bad. My parents came over and were flabbergasted by the overflowing fridge and cupboards. When asked why they bought so much, they said that they had gotten to market at a good time, before anyone else. They thought they might be able to barter with the excess milk and bread."