Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev was a man of strong character, great will and great love of life. All his life he sincerely believed in the ideals of communism and in the bright future of the Soviet people. Khrushchev pulled out a happy lottery ticket, fate more than once led him away from political death. All the time he tried to improve the fate of the common population, embodying the most daring ideas, which often led to economic disasters. Not everything that was conceived bore fruit, but nevertheless, Khrushchev's contribution to the development of the state is enormous! However, this did not save him from overthrow, conspiracy and imprisonment. He spent the last 7 years of his life in the village of Petrovo-Dalnee thirty kilometers from Moscow. There, he began to dictate his memoirs on the recorder, which would later bring him to the grave. 1964 - the year of the death of Khrushchev, he will live 77 years.
Biography of N. S. Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev was born in 1894 in a poor peasant family. He did not like to recall his childhood. Water, potatoes and salt, this is how the daily dinner of the future party leader looked like.
He received his primary education at a parish school, where he was taught the basics of arithmetic and algebra. Throughout his life, he will never graduate from school or college and will always write with errors.
To earn at least some money, his father takes fourteen-year-old Nikita and they go to the city of Yuzovka to work at the mine. At this time, father and son live in a hut for 100 people. Poverty and disease reigned all around. In 1910, cholera raged at the mine; a separate hut was allocated for patients. Getting into it, no one was returning back. And then Nikita realized that he had to get out of the mine, study, become a locksmith.
Studying was given to young Khrushchev easily, naturally hardworking, “golden hands”, he had a phenomenal memory. After studying, he is taken as an assistant locksmith to the factory. Nikita did not drink, did not smoke, was a convinced atheist, which contributed to his enthusiasm for communism. The slogan "happy life for ordinary people" very accurately reflected his vision of the world at that time. He knew life without embellishment, and wanted to believe that everything can be changed.
The October Revolution was a harbinger of change in the world. The ensuing Civil War began a "historical breakdown." Khrushchev joins the Red Army and spends 4 years in battles for a "brighter future." “They don’t do a revolution with white gloves” - these words of Lenin justified everything: bloodshed, robberies, devastation. Nothing was left of the rapidly developing industrial power.
After the Bolsheviks came to power, the active restoration of the destroyed factories and enterprises began. Hunger and calamity reigned everywhere. Khrushchev enthusiastically takes up the restoration of the Donbass mines that have already become home. After the revolution, they were almost completely destroyed, plundered and flooded.
Khrushchev worked hard. Quickly, he becomes deputy director of the mine, and he is noticed at the top. In 1925, Nikita Sergeevich received his first party position. And he is invited to the annual congress of the Communist Party in Moscow. Until his death, Khrushchev will be devoted to the ideas of communism.
Big politics
So in 1925 Khrushchev first goes to Moscow. The capital makes a strong impression on a simple village peasant. A huge city, the heyday of the NEP, new opportunities. Seeing Stalin for the first time, Nikita Sergeyevich falls under his charm and unconditionally believes every word. He listens to his speeches as if spellbound. This gives him new strength and confidence in the correctness of his choice.
With these thoughts and dreams, he returns to Ukraine, where he goes headlong to work. And in 1929, at the age of 35, he decided to go to Moscow to study. Khrushchev’s ambitions have no limits. He enters the Moscow Industrial Academy, where he meets with Nadezhda Alliluyeva, who later played an important role in his life.
At this time, Khrushchev will be an involuntary puppet in the hands of a skilled Stalin. Holy party believer in communism, a native of the people of Khrushchev called "up" for an important conversation. The next purge in the ranks of the academy was being prepared, a letter had already been drawn up - a denunciation of new "pests." It was only necessary to sign the anonymous. For this mission, Stalin chose the executive and active Khrushchev, who without any questions signs all that he is offered. Stalin liked this act, and Khrushchev soars up the party ladder, leaving the institute, he is torn to the heights of power.
However, no one takes Khrushchev seriously. A jester from the people, a simple peasant who Stalin likes so much and so believes in his patron in everything. When Khrushchev’s table was filled with folders containing the files of "enemies of the peoples", he signed everything unconditionally. As he later admitted, he put his signature with hatred, sincerely believing that they were all to blame, and prevented the building of a new society. After the death of Stalin, Khrushchev will try to correct his blind faith by rehabilitating millions of prisoners.
The veil fell from the eyes of Khrushchev only in 1938, after his appointment to the post of first secretary of Ukraine. Khrushchev leaves for Ukraine for 11 years, where communication with ordinary people and the ability to make decisions himself make him think. Is it really impossible to build communism without blood? Khrushchev begins to realize that a huge number of innocent people are dying, and he plays an important role in this. With enthusiasm overfulfilling plans to identify "enemies of the people", he himself turns into a killer.
During the war, Khrushchev was admitted to important military missions. Which he fails miserably. Stalin sends him to defend Kiev. The city is taken by the Nazis. During the Kharkov operation, 250,000 soldiers die immediately, 200,000 are captured. All this is due to the impossibility of non-compliance with Stalin's orders. Stalin is dissatisfied with Khrushchev, and after the liberation of Kiev, the war for Nikita Sergeevich ends. Stalin sends him to restore the broken city.
After the war, the terrible famine of 1946 falls on Ukraine. Moscow takes the entire crop, and Ukraine is left without bread. Khrushchev, as he can try to solve this situation, begs Stalin to give Ukraine at least a little grain, but the leader is not averse. To save Ukraine, Khrushchev is trying to influence Stalin through his closest associates, Beria and Malenkov. But when the owner finds out about this, he furiously removes Khrushchev from all posts.
However, after a while, Stalin again had mercy on the unfortunate Khrushchev, who, after his resignation, became seriously ill. Khrushchev will later say that this disease saved him from execution.
The leader returns the negligent politician to Moscow, where Khrushchev is still not taken seriously by anyone. This will play into his hands, after the death of Stalin, Khrushchev will be able to get around his rivals.
The death of Stalin
Stalin died on March 5, 1953 in the Middle Cottage. After there will be many versions of the causes of his death, one of which is a deliberate murder, which Khrushchev and Beria are accused of. However, many historians claim that Khrushchev could not have killed the leader. Despite the contradictory attitude towards the leader of the peoples, Khrushchev sincerely mourned. He later confesses in his memoirs that he felt sorry for Stalin.
Stalin did not have receivers as such, and the further fate of the country was not determined. Everyone understood that it was necessary to choose a new leader, there were few options: Malenkov and Beria as the closest associates. As usual, no one took Khrushchev seriously. But in vain, because in his head the plan of rising to the pedestal was already ripe.
Power struggle
On March 9, Stalin was buried, and Khrushchev was appointed chairman of the funeral committee. It was he who was later accused of a crush on Trubetskaya Square, in which several thousand people would die.
Khrushchev is experiencing a difficult death. The party members made long speeches, praising their leader, and thanked for everything he had done for the people.
The opponents of Khrushchev after the death of Stalin, Beria and Malenkov, actively began to gather associates around him. In this matter, Beria lost much, from which everyone had long wanted to get rid of. To put it mildly, they were afraid of him. And this was played by Khrushchev. He carries out an operation to eliminate Beria, based on the fear of the entire party environment. Beria is arrested, and later shot as an enemy of the people.
The post of head of the Country of Soviets goes to Georgy Maksimovich Malenkov. But in fact, he does not lead the country. Soft-skinned and indecisive, he will then be sent to exile, deprived of all public posts. Khrushchev was underestimated. In 1955, he became the new leader of the USSR.
In power
Khrushchev came to power after the death of Stalin through conspiracy and intrigue. It was a difficult time for the country, in the midst of a cold war. Khrushchev, with his perseverance and enthusiasm, is embarking on new responsibilities. He bluffs, manipulates, saves Egypt from war and makes friendship with the Middle East.
Nikita Sergeevich travels a lot around the country and around the world. For 10 years he visits about 50 countries. What he sees is shocking, he understands that the USSR is far behind in development in almost all areas.
The restless Khrushchev is trying to improve the situation in the country, to solve the main economic problems. He begins the development of virgin lands - the bread situation is improving. It gives confidence. Relying on agriculture, in an attempt to feed the poor citizens of the Soviet Union, he significantly reduces army spending. All the money goes to the needs of citizens. The army is reduced by 3 million people, which will not play in his favor in the future.
“Oil instead of guns” - ships and guns go to the scrap, military equipment is re-melted.
Active construction of housing for the population begins. People who previously lived in barracks and communal apartments get their own apartments. Over 5 years, more than 30 million Soviet citizens will receive their housing. Small apartments will later be called Khrushchev. Constructed in a hurry with minimal cost, they will have their flaws, which will outrage many citizens. And here Nikita Sergeevich did not please.
Khrushchev also releases more than 20 million people from exile and camps. Later, grateful former exiles will bring flowers to his grave.
This period will go down in history as the "Khrushchev thaw." The iron curtain will partially open, and people will see a completely different world. American musicals, exhibitions, theatrical productions will come to the country, previously forbidden poets and writers will be published.
Another dubious decision would be Khrushchev's exposure to the cult of Stalin. Later, the old Communists will not be able to forgive him for this daring step. At the Twentieth Congress of the Communist Party, Khrushchev in his five-hour speech will expose the activities of Joseph Vissarionovich. This will divide the country into two camps. One thing will be inevitable - the foundation on which communism stood will give a crack.
Protests will take place in Warsaw and other allied cities, which will be brutally suppressed. The report is published abroad, and faith in the Soviet Union, faith in freedom and justice, is gradually beginning to crumble throughout the world.
All these events in 1957 will be prerequisites for an attempt to overthrow a bold politician. Kaganovich, Malenkov, Voroshilov could not forgive Khrushchev's anti-Stalinist company. But the conspiracy failed, Georgy Zhukov, the USSR Minister of Defense at that time, was saving his comrade and friend by taking his side.
Khrushchev, after the death of Stalin, is trying to "redraw" the entire state system. He destroys the usual ideals and does not even shoot the conspirators, which in Stalin's times would not even have been discussed. However, such humanity does not save him from another conspiracy in 1964.
A series of bold antics of Nikita Sergeevich became the cause of a new conspiracy, already led by the ambitious Brezhnev. Caribbean crisis, "corn failure" - people are tired of the tricks of this "tyrant". The head of state could be hated, and he was hated! Military - for staff reduction and deprivation of a part of monetary allowances. Political - for the abolition of benefits, the elimination of Stalin's "money packages" and political privileges. The intelligentsia - for the lack of understanding, contempt and ridicule by Khrushchev of the new trends of modern art.
As a result, in 1964 at a general vote after a flurry of accusations, all members were watered. bureaus vote in favor. On October 15, N. S. Khrushchev signed the last official paper in his life: "In connection with old age and health problems, I ask you to release me from my post."
Death
Life begins in captivity. For seven years under guard, 30 kilometers from Moscow, an old pensioner reads a lot, plants a garden, builds greenhouses and a greenhouse himself. He is surrounded by a loving family, children and grandchildren. But thoughts about what has been done and not done are haunting. Nikita Sergeyevich begins to dictate his memoirs on the recorder. Realizing that the records will never be allowed to be published in Russia, he passes them to his son Sergei, who, in turn, with the help of his friend, journalist Victor Louis, takes them to England. When the pensioner's memories become known to a wide foreign audience, Khrushchev is urgently summoned to Moscow.
Nikita Sergeyevich is offered to refute the plausibility of the memories published in England. What Khrushchev brings down on his former colleagues a stream of foul language. He screams and is indignant, everything that has accumulated over these years of alienation spills over to the politicians he hates. At this moment, Khrushchev Nikita Sergeevich called for his death. He shouted that he was ready to die, that he wanted to die, that he had no strength to live like that anymore.
Upon returning to the cottage, he has a heart attack. Then, after a year, a heart attack. The death of Khrushchev was not a surprise to his family. After two heart attacks and a heart attack at the age of 77, Nikita Sergeyevich died. He died on September 11, 1970 at the Kuntsevo hospital in Moscow.
Causes of Khrushchev's death
N. S. Khrushchev lived a long life. Having come to power late, he could not get enough of its gifts. He was lucky, he believed in his work, in communism, in Stalin. After his removal from business, as he believed, undeservedly, life lost all meaning for him. This was the cause of the death of Nikita Khrushchev. He sincerely tried to improve the life of the common people by trial and error, he tried for the good of his country.
After Khrushchev was removed from business, Brezhnev did everything to erase the memory of his predecessor. The name of Nikita Sergeyevich was removed from all textbooks, his photographs were not printed, even newsreels were mounted, and Gagarina had already met Brezhnev, and not Khrushchev, from the first flight. They wanted to erase the pensioner from the history of the Soviet Union, depersonalize and forget about its achievements, leaving only the failures and funny jokes about the failures of the Secretary General. All this caused the death of Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev. He was gradually destroyed morally. They even deprived him of their own memories, leading to a heart attack.
The date of Khrushchev's death, October 11, 1964, will also be erased from the memory of Soviet citizens. The little obituary in the newspaper will be released only on October 13th. He will not be buried near the Kremlin wall, like all state leaders, he will not be organized a farewell rally. Almost secretly under enormous protection, not letting the "superfluous", Khrushchev will be taken to the Novodevichy cemetery. From their colleagues in the workshop one small wreath will be handed over, and not a single official at the funeral. The crowds were afraid, so it was impossible to get to the cemetery on the day of the funeral. It was taken in two rings by the military, they checked everyone. The nearest metro stations were closed, and trolleybuses and buses drove past the Novodevichye stop. They made a secret rally out of the funeral of the former leader of the party; he was not taken along the main streets, but by some back streets. There was no shooting. The random footage of a foreign correspondent who secretly went to a funeral is all that remains for contemporaries.
After the death of Khrushchev
So the one who once tried to erase the memory of Stalin sank into oblivion. After the death of Khrushchev comes the calmest Brezhnev time. No one is rushing anyone, no reforms - this is a time of stagnation. The country is inexorably rolling into the abyss. The progress that Nikita Khrushchev so dreamed about and aspired to will be more remote than ever for Soviet citizens. The death of Khrushchev put an end to everything that Nikita Sergeevich tried to revive with such difficulty. Communism is slowly but surely approaching its sunset.
Memory
Now we again remember Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev. Documentary films are being shot about him, even monuments are erected to him, avenues are called by his name. His contribution to the development of the country was appreciated. Millions of citizens to this day live in his Khrushchev and with irony remember his “Kuzkin’s mother”.
In the year of Khrushchev's death, a monument was erected on his grave, the author of which was Ernst Unknown. Ironically, the Russian peasant who was ridiculed once far from art by Nikita Sergeevich. This contradictory memorial in the form of two bases of black and white marble with a bronze head of Khrushchev, like nothing else, reflects the dual nature of the former leader.
The death of Nikita Khrushchev was not loud, but the memory of him thunders to this day, not only in Russia, but also abroad.
Conclusion
After the death of N. S. Khrushchev, his relatives were not allowed into the house for three hours, they carried out the entire archive of the former secretary general. But, much to their disappointment, they did not find anything. Dictaphone recordings were prudently hidden by his son Sergei, only a few years ago they were partially voiced in Russia.
The most controversial Soviet leader played a difficult role for his country. Khrushchev’s death closed another round of the tragic stage of the Stalinist regime. He was his faithful servant, but it was he who forever ended Stalinism, leaving his country in better shape than he found.