Fyodor Vasilyevich Karzhavin was the first to open Cuba to Russia. In August 1782, he arrived on the island under the name of Captain Bakh, presenting himself as a Russian traveler studying geography, physics, and natural history. From 1782 to 1784, Karzhavin practiced medicine in Cuba, taught French, and sent medicines to American rebels. Upon returning to Russia, he detailed his travels, becoming the first Russian to describe the nature and wildlife of Cuba, as well as the sights of Havana.

L.A. Harris, a graduate of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, visited Cuba during a round-the-world voyage on the brig 'Rurik' from 1815 to 1818.

In 1818, the Spanish government allowed foreign countries to trade with Cuba. As a result, a Russian consulate opened in Havana, and many Russian trading ships began to visit the island. In 1833, the Russian consul noted the arrival of one Russian ship, and in 1834, two. The consul's reports for 1834 mention that the colony's trade significantly increased in 1833.

In early 1850, a Russian expedition led by Alexander Gavrilovich Rotchev, a renowned traveler and writer, set off for Cuba. He visited Havana and Matanzas, studying industrial development and railway construction, and described the island's beauty: 'the island of Cuba resembles a cornucopia, crowned with fragrant flowers, full of sweet fruits and rich harvests.'

In 1864, Lieutenant Commander Nikolai Vasilyevich Kopylov of the frigate 'Peresvet' noted in his reports the warm welcome given to Russian sailors by the locals. In the ports of Santiago de Cuba and Cienfuegos, the crew was met with evident sympathy, and every day many Cubans came aboard the frigate, expressing friendly feelings.