(Student and corporate secondary members can view these films in our Student Zone)

Khrushchev came to power in the Soviet Union at a time when the whole region was used to living on a knife's edge. He appeared to usher in a more relaxed calm era as though that had been his intention all along. However, in these films Dr Alexander Titov explains how this man of many identities sought out his leadership style and rode high on the successes of the era as much as on his ability.

Born into poverty at the end of the 19th century, Nikita Khrushchev rose through the ranks of the Bolshevik Party to carve out a career mixed with a balanced degree of functionary and opportunist. As a survivor of Civil War, Stalinist Purges and two World Wars Khrushchev knew how to play the political game and to win. He oversaw some of the key moments of the Cold War, made friends abroad but ultimately lost them at home. He made decisions that have affected the very world order of today and has left a legacy that often overlooked and in need of re-examination. Dr Alexander Titov does just that – he attempts to create a clear image of a man who was able to play some of the most powerful political games of the twentieth century and still see out his retirement at home, while not underselling the strength or complexity of Khrushchev the family man.

The HA has made these films to help us all explore the history and leaders of the Soviet Union and its lead protagonist – Russia, a country that remains key to international affairs today.  

1. Khrushchev - Background (open access)

2. Khrushchev - After Stalin

3. Khrushchev - De-Stalinization

4. Khrushchev - Foreign policy

5. Khrushchev - Downfall and Legacy  

See also our recent films about Joseph Stalin, Boris Yeltsin and Mikhail Gorbachev, as part of our film series on Power and authority in Russia and the Soviet Union.