Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev is one of the most controversial Soviet politicians of the middle of the last century. The faithful "Leninist" who led the country in 1953, after the death of the "leader of the peoples", he literally blew up the world with a report at the XX Party Congress and debunking the "personality cult". But this, of course, is not the only thing for which Khrushchev is remembered 50 years after his not entirely voluntary resignation in October 1964.
1953: first year of reign
This year went down in history not only with the death of Generalissimo Stalin, but also with the end of the “bloody” era of Lawrence Beria.
Nikita Khrushchev and Marshals Nikolai Bulganin and Georgy Zhukov, who headed the Defense Ministry, were the key figures in the conspiracy against the seemingly omnipotent Interior Minister.
1954: acute Crimea
One of the most "strange" decisions of Khrushchev was the transfer of Crimea, which was legally part of the RSFSR, in the form of a gift to the Ukrainian SSR.
60 years later, this political act played the role of a detonator of grandiose political events. Moreover, both in the Crimean autonomy and in Ukraine, which has already gained its sovereignty.
1955: childbirth cannot be prohibited
On November 23, the Soviet leadership made the women of the country happy. The taboo on voluntary termination of pregnancy - abortion - was abolished.
1956: the effect of the exploding bomb
On February 25, the XX Congress of the CPSU ended, which created a real sensation. More precisely, not even the congress itself, but a closed plenum of the Central Committee. On it, Khrushchev read the instantly famous report "On the cult of the individual and its consequences," containing previously impossible criticism of Stalin and his policies.
It was after this plenum, even though its decisions were not published in open sources, that the release of millions of repressed from camps and exile began. And later - and rehabilitation. For many, unfortunately, posthumously. This is also the year of the beginning of the development of virgin lands and the suppression of the Hungarian uprising by Soviet tanks.
1957: Long Live the Cold War
For some, this year, in connection with the World Festival of Youth and Students held in Moscow, was the beginning of the “Khrushchev thaw”. And for others, after the successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile, it was the start of the Cold War.
In October, again on the initiative of Khrushchev, Georgy Zhukov was forever "released" from the post of Minister of Defense and removed from the Presidium of the Central Committee.
The disgrace of "Marshal of Victory" Georgy Zhukov is a painful reaction of the head of the USSR to the information he received from the state security authorities about a possible conspiracy of the military.
1958: scorer Streltsov
The USSR national football team took part in the World Cup for the first time. But the best player of the team, Eduard Streltsov, did not go to Sweden, shortly before the start of the tournament, deprived of freedom, at the direction of Khrushchev.
1959: Khrushchev's visit to the "lair of the enemy"
In September, Nikita Khrushchev was the first leader of the Soviet state to not only make an official visit to the United States, but also to hold talks there with President Dwight Eisenhower.
1961: "Let's Go!"
The world remembered the first year of the decade thanks to two outstanding events. Khrushchev had something to do with both.
On April 22, the first man went into space - Yuri Gagarin. And on August 13, the Berlin Wall was built, dividing Germany into two zones.
1962: rockets for Cuba
Year of the "Caribbean Crisis". The Cuban Revolution and military aid to this country from the Soviet Union could have ended in World War III. Indeed, in October 62, Soviet submarines had already aimed missiles with nuclear warheads at the United States and were just waiting for Nikita Khrushchev's command.
Approximately the same, by the way, the commands received by the soldiers of the North Caucasian Military District, who shot the demonstration of the townspeople in Novocherkassk
The reason for the deployment of submarines, ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads and military units in Cuba was Khrushchev's indignation at the appearance of American missiles near the Soviet border - in Turkey.
1963: no longer friends
In just a few months, the Soviet leadership managed to quarrel with two recent allies at once. But if the conflict with Albania can be considered local, then the scandalous break in relations with the PRC, which began to gain its power, turned out to be, as they say, seriously and for a long time.
1964: the last Hero
One of the final acts of Nikita Khrushchev as the first secretary and chairman of the Council of Ministers with the status of "strange" is to award him with the Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union, President of Algeria Ahmed bin Bell.
Just a year later, the African president shared the fate of the one who awarded him, losing his post and power.
