The son of former Soviet Union premier Nikita Khrushchev will speak at Ball State about his father's legacy in terms of Russian and American relations.
"I will cover the nature of the Cold War and how it affected both countries, and transformed both countries," Sergei Khrushchev said.
During his lecture, "Khrushchev's Legacy: Russia and America from the Cold War to Putin," he will discuss his father, why the Soviet Union lost the Cold War, what caused the war and how the relations transformed Russia.
"It's a close-up view of an important time in the Cold War that shaped the world that we still live in, even though the Cold War ended before the memory of most of our students," Kevin Smith, chairperson of the history department, said. "It's an opportunity for a look back."
Nikita Khrushchev was a leader of the Soviet Union from 1955 until 1964, succeeding Joseph Stalin. Nikita Khrushchev's period in office was marked by a series of crises — the shooting down of an American U2 spy-plane over the Soviet Union, the building of the Berlin Wall and the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, which brought the world to the brink of nuclear war.
Sergei Khrushchev has been a senior fellow at the Watson Institute at Brown University since 1996. He was also a fellow at the Institute of Politics at Harvard.
He edited his father's memoirs and has written about him as well. People should come to the lecture to hear the era from the Russian perspective versus the United States, Smith said.
"It's an opportunity to hear how other people see it even if we disagree with how they portray it," he said. "It's useful for us to see how people outside of the United States view that."
The lecture is an opportunity to hear from someone who had a front row seat to history, Smith said.
"He was of age when his father was in charge of the Soviet Union, so he had a ring side seat for some important events, and I'm eager to hear some of his stories of what he saw close up," he said.
Sergei Khrushchev encourages people to come to his lecture to learn more about the era.
"I bring my knowledge and help my listeners and students to better understand the outside world, helping them will help them to be more successful in their future — you can't have a future without history," he said.
Following the lecture, Sergei Khrushchev will answer questions from the audience as well as sign books that will be available for purchase.
Who? Sergei Khrushchev, son of former Soviet Union premier Nikita Khrushchev
What? Lecture on "Khrushchev's Legacy: Russia and America from the Cold War to Putin"
When? 7:30 p.m.
Where? L.A. Pittenger Student Center Ballroom
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
