Sergei Khrushchev | |
|---|---|
| Сергей Хрущёв | |
 Khrushchev in 2010 | |
| Born | (1935-07-02)2 July 1935 |
| Died | 18 June 2020(2020-06-18) (aged 84) Cranston, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Education | Moscow Power Engineering Institute Bauman Moscow State Technical University (DSc) National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (PhD) |
| Spouse(s) | Galina Mikhailovna Valentina Golenko |
| Children | 3 |
| Parents |
|
Sergei Nikitich Khrushchev (Russian:Сергей Никитич Хрущёв; 2 July 1935 – 18 June 2020) was a Soviet-born American engineer and the second son of theCold War-eraSoviet PremierNikita Khrushchev with his wifeNina Petrovna Khrushcheva. He moved to the United States in 1991 and became anaturalizedAmerican citizen.[1]
He was a jury member of theRainer Hildebrandt international human rights award.[2]
Khrushchev held several advanced engineering degrees. From theBauman Moscow State Technical University he earned hisdoctoral degree, and he earned aPh.D. from theNational Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. In addition, he earned anM.S. degree with distinction from theMoscow Power Engineering Institute. He also held an "occasional" professorship at theNaval War College inNewport, Rhode Island, meaning he was not a full-time professor (though he was for some time), but did teach there fairly often.
Prior to emigrating from theSoviet Union to the United States in 1991, Khrushchev worked in various high-levelengineering positions. From 1968 to 1991, he served at the Control Computer Institute in Moscow, where he rose from section head to first deputy director in charge of research. From the years 1958 to 1968, Dr. Khrushchev worked as anengineer, then later as a deputy section head in charge ofguidance systems for missile and space design. In this capacity, he worked oncruise missiles for submarine craft, military and researchspacecraft,Moonvehicles, and theProtonspace booster.
He often spoke to American audiences to share his memories of the "other" side of theCold War. He toldScientific American that he had tried to see theApollo 11 Moon landing through a telescope from Ukraine with aKGB officer.[3] Khrushchev served as an advisor toThe Cold War Museum.[4] He was a Senior Fellow at theWatson Institute for International and Public Affairs atBrown University.
Khrushchev moved to the United States with his wife Valentina from the Soviet Union in 1991, to teach atBrown University inProvidence, Rhode Island.
On 12 July 1999, Khrushchev and his wife, Valentina, became citizens of the United States through naturalization.[5] Pronouncing ''This is a great country and it's an honor to live here.' at the citizenship ceremony. He retained his Russian citizenship, becoming adual citizen.[6] Khrushchev waited more than the required five years of living in the U.S, fearful his U.S Citizenship would restrict visits to see his extended family. His three sons and three grandchildren still live in Moscow.
His son from a previous marriage, Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev, a Russian journalist, died on 22 February 2007, aged 47, from a stroke.[7]
Khrushchev died on 18 June 2020, at his home inCranston, Rhode Island, at age 84, by suicide. The cause of death, as certified by the Rhode Island medical examiner's office, was a gunshot wound to the head.Cranston, Rhode Island police MajorTodd Patalano said there were no signs of foul play, and the investigation by the police into his death was closed with no criminal charges filed.[8]
