The Visit of Special Soviet Tourist Group to Spain in 1969 in the Context of the USSR-Spain Relations during late Francoism

During the time of late Francoism Spain and USSR did not have diplomatic relationships. Although the two countries had economic and cultural contacts, they were limited. In this context at the end of January of 1969, a group of soviet tourists visited Spain. This event made a very important contribution to the Soviet-Spain relations. It moved beyond the line of just an ordinary visit. The "tourists" had contacts both with highest officials of the francoist regime and with clandestine members of Spanish communist party. On the base of recent declassified materials of Russian archives, this article pretends to put this visit in the context of relationships between URSS and Spain.