Social and Legal Studios

Abstract

The article considers the peculiarities of crossing the border of the former Soviet Union by foreign citizens for tourist, business, private, educational and transit purposes. The aim of the article is to analyze the legal grounds and the procedure for foreigners to cross the USSR border. The research methodology is defined by an interdisciplinary approach and is based on general scientific and special scientific methods, such as analysis, synthesis, legal comparison. The results of the study indicate that foreigners could cross the border of the USSR through the established checkpoints with valid passport document and visa specified by law or an international treaty (visa-free regime was established with a number of socialist countries). Legal bases and procedure for crossing the border of the USSR by foreign citizens were regulated by international agreements and domestic law. The Soviet side considered the admission of foreigners to its territory a right, not an obligation. And although this approach was typical for most countries that used the permit (visa) procedure for entering their territory, the specific feature of the Soviet approach was a complex procedure for granting permission and establishing control over foreigners by Ministry of Internal Affairs and Committee for State Security (KGB). Foreign citizens, who crossed the Soviet border, also underwent mandatory customs control. It is concluded that the issuance of permits and documents for entering the territory of the USSR, registration, control over compliance with the rules of stay of foreign citizens were the responsibility of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which in this area interacted with other state authorities. Due to the nature of the political regime, when crossing the border of the Soviet Union, a foreign citizen faced a thorough check, constant control and various restrictions. The peculiarities of the communist regime together with the bureaucratized procedure led, for example, to a relatively small number of tourists in the Soviet Union

Keywords: foreign citizens, border, visa, internal affairs agencies, Soviet Union

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