Khrushchev's Thaw and De-Stalinization in the Russian SFSR (1953–1964)

1. Stalin dies, collective leadership begins

   Mar 5, 1953Labels: Joseph Stalin, Soviet leadership

   • Britannica

2. Supreme Soviet issues mass amnesty

   Mar 27, 1953Labels: Supreme Soviet

   • Amnesty 1953

3. Beria arrested in leadership power struggle

   Jun 26, 1953Labels: Lavrentiy Beria, Ministry of

   • Beria
   • Britannica

4. Khrushchev becomes First Secretary of CPSU

   Sep 7, 1953Labels: Nikita Khrushchev, CPSU

   • Britannica
   • Khrushchev bio

5. KGB established under Council of Ministers

   Mar 13, 1954Labels: KGB, Council of

   • Britannica
   • KGB date

6. 20th Party Congress launches open de-Stalinization

   Feb 14, 1956Labels: 20th Party, CPSU

   • Britannica
   • 20th Congress

7. Khrushchev delivers the “Secret Speech”

   Feb 25, 1956Labels: Secret Speech, Nikita Khrushchev

   • Speech page
   • Britannica

8. Anti-Party Group attempt defeated

   Jun 29, 1957Labels: Anti-Party Group, CPSU Central

   • Britannica
   • Anti Party

9. Moscow hosts World Youth Festival

   Jul 28, 1957Labels: World Youth, Moscow

   • Festival
   • CIA report

10. Sputnik 1 launched, boosting Khrushchev-era prestige

    Oct 4, 1957Labels: Sputnik 1, Soviet space

    • Sputnik
    • History com

11. Khrushchev becomes Soviet premier

    Mar 27, 1958Labels: Nikita Khrushchev, Council of

    • Khrushchev bio
    • History com

12. Pasternak wins Nobel amid Soviet backlash

    Oct 23, 1958Labels: Boris Pasternak, Soviet Writers'

    • Nobel 1958
    • Britannica

13. Stalin removed from Lenin Mausoleum

    Oct 31, 1961Labels: Stalin, Lenin Mausoleum

    • History com
    • 22nd Congress

14. Novocherkassk massacre exposes limits of liberalization

    Jun 2, 1962Labels: Novocherkassk, Soviet military

    • Novocherkassk

15. Solzhenitsyn’s Gulag novella published in USSR

    Nov 1, 1962Labels: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Novy Mir

    • Britannica
    • Ivan Denisovich

16. Khrushchev removed from power

    Oct 14, 1964Labels: Nikita Khrushchev, CPSU Central

    • Khrushchev bio
    • October 1964