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

Oswald’s Post-Marriage Plans to Return to the U.S.

In late June 1961 (according to the diary) or between May and July (according to Marina’s recollection), Oswald told his wife he was anxious to return to the United States; she was “slightly startled” but encouraged him to do as he wished. Embassy records show Oswald notified the Embassy in a letter received May 25 that he was married and that his wife would seek to accompany him to the United States. The Oswalds began making inquiries in Soviet offices about exit visas. During this period they enjoyed their new life together, taking most meals at cafes or restaurants where they worked, and going boating, to the opera, concerts, the circus, and films, occasionally gathering with friends for cooperative meals. Oswald’s Russian improved but he retained an accent and never learned to write or speak grammatically; he read the English-language Daily Worker and books on Marxism and Leninism, along with some Russian newspapers.

Oswald’s Rejection From Patrice Lumumba Friendship University

Before marrying Marina, and presumably before February 1961, Oswald had applied for admission to the Patrice Lumumba Friendship University in Moscow. On May 3, 1961, the university sent a letter apologizing for the delay and rejecting his application on the ground that the institution had been established exclusively for students from the underdeveloped countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Oswald expressed his disappointment to Marina.

Oswald’s Correspondence With Family After Marriage

On May 5, Oswald reopened his correspondence with his family by writing a friendly letter to his brother Robert, mentioning his marriage, his job as a “metal-smith,” and that he was living well, while asking for their mother’s address and encouraging Robert to visit Minsk. Robert answered quickly, and on May 31 Oswald wrote again expressing pleasure at hearing from his brother, declining an offer of aid while suggesting Marina might like a small wedding present. In the letter he stated he did not know whether he would ever return to the United States, citing the need for Soviet exit permission and assurances against U.S. prosecution, and mentioned he was in touch with the Embassy in Moscow. Around this time Oswald also wrote to his mother.