Could American citizens travel to the Soviet Union?
Yes you could. The USSR had an official state travel agency named Intourist which translates to foreign tourist. There were special hotels, stores and restaurants for foreign travelers with hard currency. Of course, the KGB would keep close tabs on foreign visitors and it was quite possible that your guide would be an employee of the KGB. Bernie Sanders and his wife had their honeymoon in the USSR in 1988. They visited the City of Yaroslavl which had a connection with Burlington, VT. Sanders was the Mayor of Burlington at the time.
I did not go to the USSR, but I have been to post USSR Russia several times. It is still more complicated than most tourist destinations and the state employees are not the most friendly people. Unless you arrive on a cruise ship or some other organized tourist operation, you have to plan way in advance as the visa requirements are complicated and change from time to time.
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