Having written a review of Soviet psychiatric literature some years ago without being able to see things for myself, I was eager to avail myself of my first opportunity to visit the Soviet Union, which came in the summer of 1959. Though the visit was not undertaken in any official capacity, preliminary correspondence secured a number of cordial invitations to visit a series of leading Soviet institutions, and soon after our arrival in Moscow permission was received from the Ministry of Health to pursue our visit on a “business” basis, which meant a reduced rate without benefit of personal guide services. My wife and I were thus for the greater part of our sojourn in the U.S.S.R. free to move about the cities of our choice and to seek out and visit hospitals, research institutions and child care facilities that interested us. My conversational Russian, though elementary, was sufficient for this purpose and in most institutions there were staff members who could speak English, French or German. With the single exception of Odessa, where the local health officer did not permit me to visit a chronic psychiatric colony some distance from the city, I was extended every possible courtesy and plenty of opportunity to see what I wanted. During the summer months unfortunately many of the leading research workers were away on vacation, schools and Pioneer Palaces were closed and almost all child care facilities moved out to the country, so that I was unable to get much first-hand information on the care and education of handicapped children, and missed some important people I would have liked to meet. On the other hand, several heads of institutions returned from their summer retreats to meet me in the cities and sometimes urged me to stay on or return again to see more things. Official autos were sent to pick us up and return us to hotels, staff members sometimes awaited us on our arrival in new cities and several festive tea parties culminated our institutional visits, with gracious and cordial exchange of toasts; we were constantly presented with books and gifts, and huge bouquets were given to my wife. Russian hospitality is typically warm and heart-felt, and was at this time especially motivated by the wish to form friendly ties with America and the West. Like most visitors, we could not fail to be impressed by all of this, and did what we could to respond in kind.