Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev is one of the most controversial Soviet politicians in the middle of the last century. The faithful "Leninist" who headed the country in 1953, after the death of the "leader of the peoples", he literally blew up the world with a report at the Twentieth Party Congress and the debunking of the "personality cult." But this, of course, is not the only reason why 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.
The key figures in the conspiracy against the seemingly omnipotent Minister of the Interior were Nikita Khrushchev and the heads of the Ministry of Defense, Marshals Nikolai Bulganin and George Zhukov.
1954: acute Crimea
One of the “strangest” decisions of Khrushchev turned out to be the transfer of Crimea, which was part of the RSFSR on a completely legal basis, as a gift from the Ukrainian SSR.
After 60 years, 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: giving birth cannot be forbidden
On November 23, the Soviet leadership pleased the women of the country. The taboo on voluntary termination of pregnancy - abortion was lifted.
1956: the effect of an exploding bomb
February 25 ended the XX Congress of the CPSU, which made a splash. More precisely, not even the congress itself, but the closed plenum of the Central Committee. On it, Khrushchev read the instantly famous report "On the cult of personality and its consequences, " containing previously impossible criticism of Stalin and his politics.
It was after this plenum, even if its decisions were not published in open sources, that the release of millions of repressed from the camps and exiles began. And later - and rehabilitation. For many, unfortunately, posthumously. This year also began 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 Youth and Student Festival held in Moscow, was the beginning of the Khrushchev thaw. And for others, after a successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile, the start of the Cold War.
In October, again at the initiative of Khrushchev, Georgy Zhukov was permanently "released" from the post of Minister of Defense and removed from the Presidium of the Central Committee.
Opal "Victory Marshal" George Zhukov - a painful reaction of the head of the USSR to the information received by him from the state security agencies about a possible military conspiracy.
1958: Sagittarius scorer
The USSR national football team for the first time took part in the World Cup. But the best player of the team Eduard Streltsov did not go to Sweden, shortly before the start of the tournament he was deprived of freedom, as instructed by Khrushchev.
1959: Khrushchev's visit to the "lair of the enemy"
In September, Nikita Khrushchev turned out to be the first leader of the Soviet state, who not only made an official visit to the United States, but also held talks with President Dwight Eisenhower there.
1961: "Let's go!"
The world remembered the first year of the decade thanks to two extraordinary events. Khrushchev was related to both.
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: missiles for Cuba
Year of the Caribbean Crisis. The Cuban revolution and military assistance to this country from the Soviet Union could end with the Third World War. Indeed, in October of the 62nd, Soviet submarines had already aimed nuclear missiles at the United States and were only waiting for the command of Nikita Khrushchev.
Approximately the same, by the way, the command that received the soldiers of the North Caucasian military district, who shot the demonstration of citizens 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 immediately with two recent allies. But if the conflict with Albania can be considered local, then the scandalous severance of relations with the PRC, which began to gain its strength, turned out to be, so to speak, seriously and for a long time.
