Lately I often meet posters with an inscription; that for one Soviet ruble it was possible to buy one dollar and two ice cream on delivery, on 18 kopeks.
All this so! But only partially. I would like to dispel this myth and to remind everything that this transaction of the legislation of the USSR couldn't be turned.
In the Soviet Union in the criminal code there was article of 1960 "Violation of the rules of currency transactions". This article meant pretty severe punishment for speculation in currency. Yes, for one Soviet ruble of a sample of 1961 - 1991, it was possible to buy one dollar. But on delivery you received not ice cream, but imprisonment term from 3rd to 15 years. At the same time, have seized all property from you. And at speculation in especially large sizes the reference from 15 years has been provided to you, up to the death penalty. This article worked in all republics of the USSR.
It was possible to exchange rubles for dollars only in that case; if you went abroad, or in the USA, and that is it had to be coordinated at the level of the local government of the White House. Or it would be considered as currency speculation.
Here so appreciated US dollar in the USSR.