Reddit mentions of Beyond the Color Line and the Iron Curtain: Reading Encounters between Black and Red, 1922–1963 (New Americanists)

There is a great history of Africans coming to Moscow in the Soviet days to study at university. Patrice Lamumba / People's Friendship university was built specifically to host top African students from friendly non-US aligned nations like Angola and Congo/Zaire in the 60s

Then there is also a 2nd history of Africans coming to Russia to play football in the Russian clubs in the 90s and 00s

One of the highest salaries for a player in the history of the sport was for Samuel Eto'o - who reportedly earned 20 million euros net per annum for his time with FC Anzhi

This isn't about social integration and racism per se. Sure there is plenty of racism towards dark skinned people in Russia, and anybody who looks like they're a non-white foreigner - but the victims of this are predominantly the undocumented workers who are brought in from the FSU central Asian republics and elsewhere and are called "gastarbeiter" - guest workers.

The sentiment towards these people is very negative because they are perceived to be taking Russian people's jobs and to be taking advantage of the system. It is akin to the sentiments felt by Latin Americans entering the US in an anti-immigrant state like Arizona.

There are several books about black people living in the USSR - and Soviet - African/Black relations

"Black on Red" A biography of a Jamaican toolmaker living in Soviet Russia

Beyond the color line and the iron curtain Soviet influence on African American works of literature