Moscow: A Moscow restaurant called 'Anti-Soviet' has changed its name under pressure from local authorities who said it offended Russia's older generation, the manager said Monday.
'Anti-Sovetskaya', which opened in July, was renamed 'Sovetskaya', or 'Soviet', Friday.
"They said it insulted the feelings of veterans," Alexander Vanin told reporters, adding local authorities had threatened to fine the kebab-serving restaurant over its name.
Though many Russians view the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 as positive, waves of nostalgia sweep through Russia.
Russian media reports said Oleg Mitvol, a Moscow city prefect and former ecology official known for his high-profile attacks on Western energy firms, had taken exception to the name of the restaurant.
"Such names are insulting to the history of our country," he was quoted as saying.
Bureau Report
First Published: Tuesday, September 22, 2009, 09:28