Khrushchev and the Thaw

About the lecture

In this module, we provide an outline of the life and reign of Nikita Khrushchev (1894-1971), focusing in particular on the extraordinary path by which he became supreme leader of the Soviet Union after Stalin's death in 1953, before considering the usefulness of the concept of 'the Thaw' in describing Khrushchev's time in power.

About the lecturer

Dr Miriam Dobson is Senior Lecturer in Modern History at the University of Sheffield. Her research interests lie in the history of the Soviet Union, with a particular emphasis on the social and cultural history of post-war Russia. Her first book explored popular responses to the reforms of the Khrushchev era, in particular the massive exodus of prisoners from the Gulag. Khrushchev's Cold Summer: Gulag Returnees, Crime, and the Fate of Reform After Stalinexamined the impact of these returnees on communities and, more broadly, Soviet attempts to come to terms with the traumatic legacies of Stalin's terror.