Moscow’s oldest cheburek shop, “Druzhba,” has been serving customers since 1980, enduring significant historical periods from perestroika to the COVID-19 pandemic. Located near the Sukharevskaya metro station in a 19th-century building, this establishment is considered a living legend of catering and a cultural touchstone of old Moscow.

The shop’s exterior features a prominent sign reading “Cheburechnaya Druzhba”. The interior is minimalist, furnished with high tables for standing customers, in line with Soviet-era aesthetics. Poems from grateful customers adorn the walls. Despite the early hours, the shop is bustling with workers, families, and pensioners.

“Druzhba” offers only one dish: cheburek with meat, prepared according to a Soviet recipe and priced at 150 rubles. Other menu items include tea, juices, water, vodka, and beer. The chebureks, weighing 110 grams each, feature a thin, golden dough and a juicy meat filling.

Many customers have personal connections to “Druzhba,” with some having visited the shop for decades. Regulars recall when chebureks cost only five rubles and the shop was a popular gathering place for workers. Some customers bring their children and grandchildren to continue the tradition. Others, including those living abroad, make it a point to visit “Druzhba” when in Moscow.

A memory book invites guests to share their experiences from years past, with entries ranging from complaints about quality changes to enthusiastic praise for the chebureks. One visitor shared an alternative serving suggestion, adding canned olives to their cheburek. An employee emphasized that the chebureks are better now than in the 90s, with higher quality meat and dough.