This rather simple poster, incorporating the blue-and-white stripes and white star on a red ground of the Cuban national flag, was issued by the Communist Party of Cuba to commemorate 20 years since the formal restoration of diplomatic ties between Cuba and the Soviet Union in 1960–61. This was engineered by the revolutionary leader Fidel Castro soon after he took power in Cuba in January 1959 as he sought to establish the country’s position in the Communist world through connection to Russia’s equally charismatic leader, Nikita Khruschev. These efforts coincided with an increasing split between Washington and Havana, marking a critical period in the history of the Cold War in the years immediately before the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962. By 1980, Cuba had become increasingly dependent on Russian investment in its industry and military infrastructure, presumably the reason for the commemoration advertised in this poster.