Report of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy

Oswald’s Passport Reinstatement and Embassy Negotiations

When Oswald arrived at the Embassy in Moscow, he met Richard E. Snyder, the same officer with whom he had dealt in October 1959. Primarily based on Oswald’s interview with Snyder on Monday, July 10, 1961, the American Embassy tentatively concluded that Oswald had not expatriated himself. On this basis, Oswald was given back his American passport, which he had surrendered in 1959. The document was due to expire in September 1961, and Oswald was informed that renewal would depend upon the ultimate State Department decision on expatriation. On July 11, Marina Oswald was interviewed and steps toward obtaining her American visa were begun. In May 1962, after 15 months of dealings, Oswald’s passport was renewed and permission for his wife to enter the United States was granted.

Soviet Exit Visa Process for the Oswald Family

To leave Russia, the Oswalds also needed Soviet governmental permission. Marina Oswald, though her memory was unclear, said she and Oswald first made their intentions to go to the United States known to Soviet officials in Minsk in May 1961, even before the July Moscow trip. Soviet documents showed formal applications from July 15 to August 21. The key question for Soviet authorities was whether to allow Marina to accompany her husband.

Timeline of the Oswalds’ Soviet Exit Visa Approval

Marina Oswald was called to the local passport office in Minsk on December 25, 1961, and told that authority had been received to issue exit visas to her and Oswald. On January 11, 1962, Marina was issued her Soviet exit visa, marked valid until December 1, 1962. The Oswalds did not leave Russia until June 1962, but the additional delay was caused by U.S. Government problems and the birth of a child in February. Permission from Soviet authorities, once given, was never revoked.

Pre-Departure MVD Interviews of the Oswald Family

Marina Oswald’s reported interview with MVD Colonel Aksenov in late 1961, which was arranged at her own request, may have served the purpose of determining whether she or her husband had access to confidential information. This conference, together with Oswald’s predeparture MVD interview, appeared to be standard assessment activities. Oswald told the FBI in July 1962 that he had been interviewed by the MVD twice—once when he first arrived in the Soviet Union and once just before departing. Marina testified that the second interview did not occur in Moscow and that they dealt with MVD visa officials frequently in Minsk.

U.S. Data on Soviet Wives’ Exit Visa Processing Times

The Department of State and CIA compiled data for the Commission on Soviet wives of American citizens receiving exit visas. The State Department had sufficient information to measure waiting times in 14 cases, noting that the sampling carried a bias toward lengthy periods since cases were typically brought to State Department attention only when delays occurred. Of the 14 cases, 6 involved women who applied after 1953, with approximate waiting periods of 13 months, 6 months, 3 months, 1 month, and 10 days. The CIA examined 11 cases with known or inferable time periods, finding that Soviet wives typically waited from 5 months to a year for exit visas. The Oswalds’ experience of at least 5½ months was consistent with these normal waiting periods.

CAPÍTULO VI.

Chapter VI examines the Soviet Union’s treatment of Marina Oswald’s emigration, the Commission’s conclusion regarding the Oswalds’ departure from the USSR, and the Oswalds’ associations within the Dallas-Fort Worth community upon their return to the United States, including their relationships with the local Russian-speaking community, the De Mohrenschildts, and the Paine family.

Soviet Pressure on Marina Oswald’s Emigration

This section addresses the pressure that Soviet authorities allegedly applied to Marina Oswald to dissuade her from emigrating to the United States. While Lee Harvey Oswald claimed in correspondence with the American Embassy and his brother, in his diary, and in post-return conversations that the pressure was so intense Marina was hospitalized for five days for “nervous exhaustion,” Marina testified that no such hospitalization occurred. She did confirm being questioned occasionally and made to feel that her government was displeased with her decision; her aunt and uncle in Minsk did not speak to her for a long time, and she was dropped from the Komsomol. A student who took Russian lessons from her in Texas recalled Marina describing that period as “a very horrible time.” Despite this pressure, Marina testified that she was surprised their visas were granted so quickly—particularly her own.