[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 216 (Saturday, December 19, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S7846]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO SERGEI KHRUSCHEV

  Mr. REED. Mr. President, today I pay tribute to the life and 
contributions of a prominent Rhode Islander, Sergei Khruschev.
  You may recognize his last name. His father, Nikita Khruschev, came 
to power after the death of Joseph Stalin and led the Soviet Union 
during some of the darkest days of the Cold War. Sergei Khruschev's 
life is necessarily intertwined with that of his father. Yet Sergei was 
his own man and achieved much in his own right.
  Sergei Khruschev was born in Moscow in July 1935. Naturally gifted 
and with a keen mind, he received a doctorate from Moscow Technical 
University. He would become an accomplished rocket and computer 
scientist, working on guidance systems for missiles and in the Soviet 
space program. In 1964, his father was removed from power and relegated 
to obscurity. During this time, Sergei helped his father write his 
memoirs.
  At the end of the Cold War, Sergei came to America with his wife 
Valentina and joined Brown University as a visiting scholar. He became 
a senior fellow at the Watson Institute for International and Public 
Affairs and taught there until his retirement in 2012. Sergei used his 
considerable talents to benefit students, colleagues, and fellow Rhode 
Islanders. He gave generously of his time, taught at other 
institutions, and gave lectures across the country.
  Sergei sought to increase knowledge and understanding, particularly 
between Americans and Russians. In 1991, he was quoted in The 
Providence Journal stating, ``I think it is important for everyone to 
understand that many of the mistakes made during the Cold War that led 
to dangerous conflicts were based on misconceptions and 
misunderstandings . . . ''
  Fully embracing their new life in America, Sergei and Valentina 
received their green cards in 1993 and became citizens in 1999. Sergei 
was proud to become a citizen. Sergei and Valentina were proud members 
of their Cranston community. Sergei owned a large Buick for years as it 
reminded him of the cars he saw when he first visited America as a 
young man with his father.
  After his death, one of his colleagues described Sergei as `` . . . 
very passionate about the subjects he taught'' who ``managed to infect 
the students with his genuine enthusiasm and curiosity.'' The colleague 
also said that even years after leaving Sergei's class, students `` . . 
. recall [his] amazing combination of open-mindedness, thorough 
knowledge of the subjects . . . and unassuming manner of discussion and 
debate.''
  It is clear that Sergei lived an impactful life, a life that broke 
down walls and built bridges. I offer my heartfelt condolences to 
Sergei's wife Valentina, their family, and Sergei's many friends, 
neighbors, colleagues, and students.

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