Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev was the most controversial politician in the Soviet Union. His political activities under Stalin did not differ in his cruelty from the activities of the leader he adored. However, the actions of Khrushchev after the death of the leader and the debunking of his cult were adopted by society in two ways.
All his life Khrushchev fought against Stalinism by his own methods, removed the “iron” curtain and criticized what he saw. A vibrant political career turned into seven years of imprisonment. Even Khrushchev’s grave is not in the Kremlin wall, like all the iconic political leaders, but in the Novodevichy cemetery.
Biography of Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev was born into a poor peasant family. From childhood, he worked, first as a simple miner in the Donbass, then as a locksmith, and later as deputy director of the plant. His ability to work, vitality and active life position did not go unnoticed.
He came to power quite late, at the age of 35 he went to study at the Industrial Academy in Moscow. The ambitious simple man liked the leader of the peoples, the friendship with Stalin's wife, Nadezhda, became a kind of political elevator for him. Khrushchev was a faithful communist, with unconditional determination he went to all that was proposed by Stalin’s policies in those years.
In the role of a simple Soviet hard worker, he unexpectedly turned out to be very close to unlimited power for everyone. After the death of Stalin, he also unexpectedly became the new leader of the Country of Soviets. Stupid Khrushchev turned out to be a strong political opponent, a bold manipulator and a cunning politician.
Controversial personality
The policy of the new party chairman was controversial. He tried to build communism, but not by communist methods. He released the repressed, but continued to arrest the innocent. He fought for agriculture, planting corn in unsuitable places for cultivation. He tried to provide the entire population with apartments, having started a large-scale construction, but did not calculate the financial costs of the quality of these apartments. Engaged in a fight with America, recognizing its strength. He built the "Berlin Wall", and in politics, he destroyed the walls between Russia and the West. Despised the capitalists and sought to give his people the opportunity to live like them. He was evil and merciful, a jester and a cunning manipulator. No one took him seriously, but he took it and for 11 years became the unlimited leader of a huge country.
Tombstone over the grave of N.S. Khrushchev very accurately expresses this contradictory nature of its owner.
The funeral
The death of Khrushchev, like his life after the reign, was shrouded in mystery. He died on September 11, 1971 at the Kuntsevo hospital. Two days later, he will be secretly buried in the Novodevichy cemetery. Khrushchev’s grave will be surrounded by soldiers who do not let anyone "superfluous" say goodbye to the former leader. Not a single official will be at the funeral, only relatives and close friends. There will also be no rally in Moscow, which had previously been honored by all Soviet and party leaders. A small obituary in the newspaper, without a photograph and unnecessary words, without the signatures of members of the Politburo, few will notice.
Grave of Khrushchev
They buried the former leader of the Soviet Union at the Novodevichy cemetery by decree of Brezhnev. The organization of the funeral was undertaken by a special commission in the Kremlin. Despite the fact that the death and funeral of the former secretary general tried not to advertise, and the cemetery was cordoned off by soldiers, there were many who wanted to attend the event.
Khrushchev’s grave has been desecrated more than once. There were many opponents of his political decisions. After the cemetery was made closed. Then the flowers were carried to the grave of Khrushchev by former victims of the Stalinist repressions, whom he freed as soon as he received a high post. His many relatives will never forget about him. Nikita Sergeyevich has four children left.
Khrushchev’s grave (photo below) is located on site 7, on the right side at the entrance to the newest part. Today, everyone can come and honor the ambiguous leader.
Monument to E. Unknown
The monument on the grave of Khrushchev was installed only in 1975. Although the sketch of the memorial at the request of the son of Khrushchev Sergey was made by the Soviet sculptor Ernst Unknown much earlier. Authorities did not allow it to be installed. And only after numerous requests and calls to high-ranking officials did relatives finally succeed in obtaining permission to erect it.
The monument itself is made of two marble slabs of non-standard shape. Slabs of white and black marble on the grave of Khrushchev are opposite each other. They personify the black Stalinist time and the bright future Khrushchev thaw. But the composition can also be considered as two sides of the contradictory personality of Nikita Sergeevich. In the center, a good-natured bronze head of Khrushchev looks at us.
Near the grave of Khrushchev is also the grave of his son, Khrushchev Leonid, who died during the Great Patriotic War.
Conclusion
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev lived a long and generally happy life. He went through a difficult political path and saw life from different angles. Having grown up in poverty and tasted all the fruits of unlimited power, he remained faithful to his ideals and always tried to help a simple Russian peasant. Surviving the Stalinist black era, he believed that he could create a bright communist future, where all people would be full, there would always be plenty of food on the table, and each family would have its own home.
Monument at the grave of N.S. Khrushchev fully reflects these two sides of the ambiguous leader. E. Unknown, like no one, managed to discern in the violent adversary of the modern avant-garde the very real innovator of bold ideas. Once having crushed the exhibition of E. Unknown to the smallest extent, Khrushchev did not even imagine that he would be able to forever accurately capture his ambiguous offender in marble and bronze.