UFOs and Soviet Scientists in 1967

Summary

In 1967, an American scientist made a one-month trip to the USSR to visit astronomical observatories. During the visit, he also inquired about UFO sightings. The Soviet scientists he consulted, mainly astronomers, showed varied attitudes toward the topic. Some, like V.X. Moroz, showed no interest, while others, like T.A. Kozyrev, were genuinely curious. Kozyrev even suggested that UFOs might originate from Venus, an unusual idea at the time.

A notable point is that UFO sightings were not published in Soviet newspapers because they were not considered valid scientific observations. Despite Kozyrev's acceptance of UFOs as real, official scientific opinion remained skeptical. This contrasts with the Soviet media's willingness to publish more fantastical scientific reports, suggesting that UFOs were treated more politically than scientifically. The report reflects the state of Soviet science during the Cold War, where paranormal topics were often discouraged.