Founded in 1930 in New York City, it was closely associated with the Soviet All-Union Society for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries (VOKS) and received materials from it for distribution in the United States.
The ARI organized lectures, reports, concerts, exhibitions, and screenings of Soviet films, among other activities, to familiarize Americans with life in the USSR.
In the early 1930s, branches of the Institute began operating in San Francisco and Los Angeles, functioning largely autonomously.
The ARI engaged in a wide range of activities aimed at promoting understanding between the United States and the Soviet Union: These activities were designed to provide Americans with a more nuanced understanding of the Soviet Union during a time of limited direct cultural exchange between the two nations.
While the exact date of its dissolution is not specified, it is clear that the organization ceased operations by the late 1940s or early 1950s, unable to continue its mission in the face of intense governmental scrutiny and public suspicion.