A US official has visited St Petersburg to assess the possible impact of a communist victory in Russia's June presidential elections.
"The purpose of the visit is to asses the possible impact of a communist victory in June," said Edwin Hall, minority staff director of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Mr Hall was sent by the US Senate's Democratic minority to investigate matters in the lead-up to the June poll.
The Russian Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov is currently well ahead in opinion polls, trailed by Russian President Boris Yeltsin.
Mr Hall is also in Russia to meet with non-government organizations operating in Moscow, St Petersburg, Yaroslavl and Kostroma.
Last Thursday he spoke with Nochlezhka fund president Valery Sokolov about the fund's work in the homeless community and toured the organization's clothing dispensary, first aid station and cafeteria.
"If anything helpful to the organization comes of this visit, I will be very happy," Mr Sokolov said.
Mr Hall said he was interested in Nochlezhka's work with the mentally ill homeless population.
Mr Sokolov explained that, though the mentally handicapped constitute a significant percentage of the homeless, lack of a "propiska" (residence permits) makes it impossible to collect any handicapped benefits.
US Consulate officials would not confirm any connection between Mr Hall's trip and the scheduled private visit to St Petersburg by US President Bill Clinton.
Mr Clinton is scheduled to arrive in St Petersburg on April 18 for an 18-hour stop-over en route to the Moscow G7 nuclear power summit.