N.S. Khrushchev and the new energy policy (late 1950s - early 1960s): power, reforms,ideology

The article examines a theme insufficientlyexplored in the historiography of participation of N.S. Khrushchev as the party and government leader in formulating and implementingdevelopment programs and projects of the fuel and energy complex (FEC). The urgency of this perspective of the research isdue to the close relationship of the issues of forming a new energy policy in the USSR with Khrushchevs struggle for political power,his initiatives to reform the management of the economy, ideas about achieving the objectives of the communist Soviet society. Documentsof the Presidium of the CPSU Central Committee, memoranda addressed to N.S. Khrushchev, materials reports, transcripts ofmeetings, memoirs clearly confirm N.S. Khrushchevs self-interest to various fields of development of the FEC. High concentration ofefforts on development of oil and gas and electricity were sanctioned by N.S. Khrushchev, who personally supervised the most importantstrategic programs and projects in the area of FEC. During 1955-1957 issues of fuel and energy sector were woven into N.S. Khrushchevspolitical struggle for power and economic reforms. The defeat of the anti-Party group became a factor speeding up the processof forming the new energy policy. Management of fuel and energy sector became one of the most complicated questions in the discussionof governance reforms in industry and construction in 1957. N.S. Khrushchev, and members of the Presidium of the CPSU CentralCommittee supporting him, for example, A.I. Kirichenko, believed that either there is a need in full decentralization of the managementof industry and construction, or in general economic councils should not be created. In general, management reform in the energysector led to its decentralization. N.S. Khrushchev attached great importance to the development of electric power. Under him a longtermprogram was created of development of the nuclear industry for 1956-1960. At meetings of the Presidium of the CPSU CentralCommittee plans were regularly discussed for building nuclear power plants. N.S. Khrushchev said that modernization of the economyis ... electrification of the whole country, i.e. economic development, equipping of our nation with energy resources in order to createconditions where we could produce as much as our society needs. That is what communism is. Progress in technologically advancedsectors of energy - oil and gas industry, the construction of nuclear and hydroelectric plants were considered as an achievement and anadvantage of socialism. At the XXII Congress of the CPSU, N.S. Khrushchev put forward a comprehensive program of energy sectordevelopment. General perspective envisaged the implementation of major projects in the electricity and gas industry. The decision of theXXII Congress of the CPSU fixed new priorities in energy policy brought them under ideological justification in the form of constructionmaterial and technical base of communism. Nevertheless, the formation of the new energy policy in the second half of 1950s - thefirst half of 1960s did not eliminate the energy imbalance in the Soviet economy. Tensions in providing the economy with fuel and energyexisted throughout the period of N.S. Khrushchevs leadership as a current economic problem of the Soviet government.

Keywords

Authors

References