This master thesis studies the international political scandal caused by the publication of the novel Doctor Zhivago. The novel is written by Boris Pasternak and its publication was forbidden in The Soviet Union, as well as abroad. Despite direct instructions from The Communist Party, Pasternak decided to pursue his goal and published his novel in Italy. The main hypothesis of this research suggests that the CIA had a key role regarding the publication of the novel, and the main objective is to investigate the CIA's spheres of influence, as well as KGB's. Thus, the thesis shows the importance and controversy behind the book. This research had partially confirmed the main hypothesis because it turned out that, for the first publication, all credits go to Pasternak and Italian publisher, while the CIA had a major role preparing the first Russian edition of the novel, presented at the Bruxelles fair. Doctor Zhivago was considered anti-soviet by both conflicting poles, which trivialized the artistic value of the book. By the analysis of the actions of the USA and the USSR, the thesis concludes that the two conflicting regimes are, in fact, more similar than the usual cold-war propaganda acknowledges.