Tom Burkindine
News Editor

Last week marked the 40-year anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis and Wednesday, Drury was visited by Dr. Sergei Khruschev, son of former Soviet leader Nikita Khruschev.

Assistant Professor of History Maxim Matusevich said Khruschev was a close aide and confidant to his father during the Cuban conflict. He brought a unique insight of those events to Drury.

He began his career as a rocket scientist involved in the Soviet missile and space programs. His father was ousted from power in 1964, but Khruschev was unable to edit his memoirs until the Perestroika reforms released Soviet information in 1986. Since then he has authored over 250 books and articles dealing with history, economy, engineering and computer science.

Khruschev now holds dual citizenship with Russia and the United States and is a regular commentator for media outlets in both, as well as Europe. A prominent historian and economist, Khruschev is currently a Senior Fellow at the Watson Institute for International Studies at Brown University in Rhode Island.

Matusevich said the visit was a chance for the Drury community to see an important part of history.

"His whole life reflects change, from arguably the most dangerous events of the twentieth century to now,” Matusevich said.

Khruschev spoke with Dr. Harvey Asher’s Russian history class at 10 a.m. According to Tristan Davies, director of University Communications, the class is usually held in Burnham 313, but had to be moved to Burnham 301 to accommodate more visitors to the open discussion.

Dr. Rick Maxson, associate professor of communication, invited his class to attend Asher’s and said it was a good experience for them.

"It’s a privilege for us to have access to someone like Dr. Khruschev. His experience, perspective and ability to communicate across culture makes this a great opportunity," Maxson said.

Later, Khruschev attended a news conference in O’Bannon Hall before presenting "The Soviet Perspective on the Cuban Missile Crisis: The Insider’s View" in Clara Thompson Hall at 7 p.m. Khruschev discussed the events leading up to and following the conflict, focusing on political tensions.

“The United States and Russia were like two bulls fighting. They may hurt one another from time to time, but there is never the intention to kill,” Khruschev said.

He said the two letters that were sent to President John F. Kennedy from Nikita Khruschev were often misinterpreted. It has often been a point of confusion that the second letter took a more hard-line approach to the negotiations, while the two came in rapid succession.

According to Khruschev, it hasbeen recently revealed that the second letter should have been sent first, as a negotiation ploy. The first letter would then have softened the Soviet position, allowing bargaining to end quickly.

“The only way to protect Cuba was to give a very strong message. They were too far away from Russia to protect with missiles,” Khruschev said.

The Student Government Association, the University Honors Program, the Department of Historical and Political Science, the Phi Alpha Theta Fraternity, and the Interdisciplinary Studies Center sponsored Khruschev’s visit.