Popcorn, as a popular Snack, officially appeared in Russia in December 1991. But, according to the testimony of residents of the southern regions of the former USSR, popcorn existed earlier - in the 70s and 80s in Armenia it was called Adi budi and was sold ready-made and weighed in the markets. In Georgia, it was called Bati buti and was sold on the streets and in markets, but not in stores.
In Uzbekistan, Bodrok/Badrok was made from popcorn - sweet popcorn balls in syrup, and sold for 10 kopecks. In Kazakhstan, popcorn was also sold in the form of balls pressed with syrup and called this treat "Tashkent marmalade" in the Crimea and Kuban, salty or neutral popcorn was sold as seeds, in bags, and called khlopantsy.
Most likely, the seeds for growing popcorn corn were brought to the USSR in 1959, when imported seeds were purchased for planting corn in the southern regions (in exchange for 372 tons of gold).
In the central and northern regions of the USSR, a product called "popped corn" was sold in stores. It was made by popping the kernels of regular corn, which were quite tough and difficult to eat on their own. The intention was for consumers to add this product to their soups.
However, it seems that this product did not gain widespread popularity. During the corn boom in Moscow, a cafe called Chudesnitsa was opened, where they served corn dishes, including popcorn, but it is unclear whether this was popcorn or another type of popped corn.
According to the memoirs of a Moscow resident, in the 1960s, a store called "Kukuruza" was also opened in Moscow. It sold air-popped corn, both sweet and salty, in large cardboard boxes and smaller bags; canned sweet corn; corn oil; and corn on the cob. However, the store later changed its product range and was renamed to "Vegetables and Fruits."
There is also information that popcorn was sold in 1945-1946 in the Yeliseyevsky deli in the center of Moscow. According to statistics, in regions where popcorn has a longer tradition of consumption, the per capita consumption is higher than in other regions.