Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (1894–1971) was a Soviet political leader and autocrat who served as the premier of the USSR 1958–64. He was a major force in world politics in the post-Stalin era.
Born in Kalinovka, southern Russia, to a working-class family, Khrushchev became a full-time party official at age 31, beginning as secretary of a district party committee near Yuzovka, today’s Donetsk in Ukraine. After getting trained in industrial administration, he became secretary of a district party committee in Moscow and joined the highest ranks of party officialdom as head of the party organization of the Moscow region. He assumed control of the Soviet Union as premier of the country, five years after the death of Joseph Stalin in 1953.
Khrushchev started to distance the Communist Party from Stalin’s terror of the 1930s (when Stalin killed thousands of his political rivals as well as over 10 million peasants through starvation.) Under Khrushchev, Soviet Union citizens enjoyed conditions more favorable than had been possible under Stalin. The standard of living rose, intellectual and artistic life became somewhat freer, and the authority of the political police reduced. Besides, relations with the outside world were by and large improved, and Soviet standing rose.
Khrushchev’s leadership took a downward turn when some of his ambitious economic projects failed. He not only came close to war with the U.S. over the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 but also clashed with China. His de-Stalinization produced discord in the Communist ranks of other countries. In October 1964, when Khrushchev was away from Moscow, his opponents forced him to retire.
Khrushchev spent his last few years living quietly in Moscow. He published the first volume of his memoirs, Khrushchev Remembers in 1970.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Nikita Khrushchev
Economics is a subject that does not greatly respect one’s wishes.
—Nikita Khrushchev
Topics: Wishes
Comrades! We must abolish the cult of the individual decisively, once and for all.
—Nikita Khrushchev
Topics: Individuality
I want to talk to these people because they stay in power and you change all the time.
—Nikita Khrushchev
Topics: Government
Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build a bridge where there is no river.
—Nikita Khrushchev
Topics: Politics
If one cannot catch a bird of paradise, better take a wet hen.
—Nikita Khrushchev
Topics: Compromise
Revolutions are not made for export.
—Nikita Khrushchev
Topics: Revolutionaries, Revolutions, Revolution
When all the world is socialist, Switzerland will have to remain capitalist, so that it can tell us the price of everything.
—Nikita Khrushchev
Topics: Capitalism
Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build bridges even when there are no rivers.
—Nikita Khrushchev
Topics: Politics, Politicians, Promises
When you are skinning your customers you should leave some skin on to grow again so that you can skin them again.
—Nikita Khrushchev
Topics: Business
He who cannot eat horsemeat need not do so. Let him eat pork. But he who cannot eat pork, let him eat horsemeat. It’s simply a question of taste.
—Nikita Khrushchev
Topics: Eating, Food
Life is short; live it up.
—Nikita Khrushchev
Topics: Life and Living
Politicians are the same all over.
They promise to build a bridge even where there is no river.
—Nikita Khrushchev
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