Did the sowjets ever try to go to the moon?

On 1st August 1964 was divided by a decree of the Council of Ministers (655-268), the Soviet manned lunar program in two projects. With the designation SC-1  (UR-500/LK-1) and later L-1 (or Zond UR-500/L1) ran in the OKB-52 of one Tschelomei Umfliegungsprogramm. The OKB-1 from Korolev got his project N1-L3 the contract for the moon landing. With effect from 25th December 1965, the project was UR-500/LK-1 UR-500/L1 transferred into the project and took it over in Korolev's OKB-1. Nevertheless, the program continued to be divided into two largely independent projects that benefited only slightly from each other. Used together, ultimately, only the D block, largely different versions of the command module of the Soyuz spacecraft and rescue the SAS system. The originally planned but never completed spacecraft LK-1 even provided a completely independent development Tschelomeis OKB-52 dar. After the start should the spaceship LOC and ferry LK together with the special drive blocks G and D (Block D is still in the Proton rocket used) fly to the moon and then swinging into orbit. The land of cosmonaut would be replaced by an outboard maneuvers in the SC and had it disconnected along with the block D, which would have applied for the bulk of the required landing deceleration. 2.6 miles above the lunar surface should be dropped and the Block D lunar module would, with its own propulsion system (block E) decelerated further to touchdown.

After a stay of 24 hours and a moon walk for six hours would be the SC with its own propulsion system to a low lunar orbit and should have started there, coupled with the orbital ship. After the transition of land cosmonauts should be made to crash the LOC and then return to earth with two cosmonauts.

Some cosmonauts groups were selected to train for the flight to the moon. Because of the difficulties with the N1 rocket was a moon landing to think but the earliest 1972nd After the successful landing of Apollo 11 in 1969, the USSR, however, focused entirely on the development of the Salyut space stations, at least here the Americans, the Skylab program was already known to forestall. The cosmonauts trainer until 1973 but actually never officially tried getting to the moon.