‘My Meeting with Khrushchev’ by Julian Reder, PhD Candidate
Driving through Rhode Island and getting closer to Brown University made me think about how
important this interview is. Dr. Sergei Khrushchev, the renowned Cold War historian and son of late
Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, had granted me an interview for my doctoral dissertation on Russian
foreign policy. My family originated from the former Soviet Union and this meeting held a deep
resonance within me. I thought about the lives of my grandparents and great-grandparents whose lives
were indelibly shaped by the Kremlin. I was approaching his door when all these thoughts swirled in my
mind. Dr. Khrushchev and his wife, Valentina, welcomed us into their home. Dr. Khrushchev resembled
his father, except he was tall and lean with clear blue eyes.
Dr. Khrushchev spoke at great length about the various power struggles he had observed within the
Kremlin, as well as the personal dynamics characterizing the current Russian leadership. Dr. Khrushchev
confidently remarked that the bureaucratic debates and policy formulations are always controlled by
the most dominant personalities. Dr. Khrushchev discussed how some Cold War myths still persist.
These include those such as Nikita Khrushchev reacting to the Cuban Missile Crisis by sitting in a room
isolated by himself: the tale of Khrushchev banging his shoe on a table during a meeting at the United
Nations, or the fact that his father disliked John F. Kennedy. As Dr Khrushchev pithily noted: ‘You read
history books that were written by dead people who were alive when these events occurred but were
not there to actually witness them’.
He explained in detail that Nikita Khrushchev, far from being isolated had a full range of diplomats,
generals, and policy advisors during the crisis of 1962. Dr. Khrushchev cited Anastas Mikoyan as one of
his father’s most important advisors during the nuclear crisis. He went on to discuss the ‘shoe myth’ and
asserted that his father had lightly tapped his fist on the table to get the attention of the moderator
during a meeting at the United Nations. He claimed the shoe was brought to him after an employee
cleaned it when Nikita Khrushchev asked someone to do this. Lastly, Nikita Khrushchev did not possess
an antipathy toward John F. Kennedy. “My father liked him. He said a man in his 40’s is the perfect age
to be president because a man in his 60’s only has time to worry about the hospital.” Dr. Khrushchev
smiled and said that it was in the interests of those who were perpetuating the spirit of the Cold War to
‘vilify’ the opposing side.
Dr. Khrushchev and I spent some more time discussing contemporary foreign policy issues related to
Russia and he proved himself as knowledgeable in current events as he was in historical detail. As the
interview ended and we took photos together, Dr. Khrushchev showed me photos and portraits from
the past. Many of them were of Nikita Khrushchev, but one caught my attention. It was a photo of a
young Sergei Khrushchev when he was a nuclear engineer being given a medal for producing nuclear
missiles. The medal was given to him by a middle-aged Leonid Brezhnev during the years Nikita
Khrushchev held the reins of power. It was ironic and symbolic of the many bureaucratic struggles within
the Soviet Union’s leadership. Leonid Brezhnev was a primary force in ending Nikita Khrushchev’s tenure
as leader of the Soviet Union, and the photo was a testament to the interwoven symphony of personal
and political relations within the Kremlin. It was truly an honor to have had the chance to interview Dr.
Sergei Khrushchev and I will always be grateful for the opportunity.