Miguel Delibes (1920–2010), together with Federico García Lorca and Rafael Alberti, has been the most translated Spanish writer in the Soviet Union, and his texts have been used for the teaching of Spanish in many universities and schools. The translated work of Delibes has been formative for the imaginary of both Hispanists and readers, with respect to Spain’s language, culture and history. In this article we study the process of reception and assimilation of Delibes in Russian culture through articles, prologues, reviews and translations. In addition, we research the translation work and critical writing of Hispanists, such as Inna Terterian, and explain how she introduced Delibes into Russian culture in the 1960s. Although history and literary tastes have changed, we ask what maintains the interest in Delibes’s literature in Russia and why his works remain key texts for students of Spanish in the twenty-first century.