All Russian Co-operative Society

The All Russian Co-operative Society, commonly known as ARCOS, was a Soviet-linked cooperative trading organization operating in the United Kingdom. It handled import and export activity and commercial contacts between Britain and the Soviet Union, functioning within the broader system of Soviet foreign trade. During the 1920s, ARCOS became a prominent point of attention in Britain because of its connection with Soviet commercial and diplomatic activity. In 1927, British authorities searched its London premises, producing a major political and diplomatic dispute commonly known as the ARCOS affair. As Anglo-Soviet relations deteriorated, the organization’s activities in Britain were curtailed and it eventually ceased operating there. The available material does not establish a reliable founding date, detailed legal history, trade figures, or a complete list of merchandise, so those details are not stated here.

The All Russian Co-operative Society, or ARCOS, was a Soviet-linked trade and commercial liaison organization established to facilitate import and export relations between the Soviet Union and Britain. Although its name presented it as a cooperative body, it was closely connected with the Soviet foreign-trade system and therefore had significance beyond that of an ordinary private trading company. ARCOS operated in London during the 1920s and became an important visible element of Soviet commercial activity in Britain. In 1927, British authorities searched its premises, provoking substantial political controversy and diplomatic consequences in what became known as the ARCOS affair. As relations between Britain and the Soviet Union deteriorated, ARCOS’s activities in Britain were restricted and the organization eventually ceased operating there. Reliable material supplied for this entry does not establish its exact founding date, management structure, product categories, or formal closing date, so those details are left unstated.

• 1927

  ARCOS Affair

  The British side raided ARCOS's London premises, causing tension in Anglo-Soviet relations and severely impacting the organization's operations in Britain.

Soviet trade and commercial liaison office in Britain

• 1927

  ARCOS Affair

  The British authorities' raid on ARCOS's premises sparked political and diplomatic controversy, becoming a significant event in the deterioration of Anglo-Soviet relations.

Read more