Russia will remake itself. But it has to crumble first.

The Russia I knew has been erased. What’s coming next is dark. The U.S.S.R. gives us some clues of what it might be like — but even then, there were some flickers of hope.

As my parents’ stories and my archive show, many Soviet citizens found ways to thrive in what was essentially a giant social experiment. Yes, they had to deal with bread lines, news (and propaganda) supplied by the state-controlled, Orwellian-named Pravda (Truth) newspaper and a persistent fear of nuclear war. But they continued to create art, make scientific discoveries and build families and architectural masterpieces. There was a great deal of humor, beauty and creativity behind the Iron Curtain.

When l learned that McDonald’s had joined the long list of international companies suspending operations in Russia, I couldn’t help but think about my family’s first visit to the burger joint. Could any of the people lining up for their first cheeseburger in 1990 have imagined that modern Russia would find itself sliding all the way back to where it started?

We will remake Russia, of course, slowly and patiently, just like the generation before us. But not before this one crumbles first.