N.S. Khrushchev and the new energy policy (late 1950s - early 1960s): power, reforms, ideology
The article examines a theme insufficiently explored in the historiography of participation of N.S. Khrushchev as the party and government leader in formulating and implementing development programs and projects of the fuel and energy complex (FEC). The urgency of this perspective of the research is due 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. Documents of the Presidium of the CPSU Central Committee, memoranda addressed to N.S. Khrushchev, materials reports, transcripts of meetings, memoirs clearly confirm N.S. Khrushchevs self-interest to various fields of development of the FEC. High concentration of efforts on development of oil and gas and electricity were sanctioned by N.S. Khrushchev, who personally supervised the most important strategic programs and projects in the area of FEC. During 1955-1957 issues of fuel and energy sector were woven into N.S. Khrushchevs political struggle for power and economic reforms. The defeat of the anti-Party group became a factor speeding up the process of forming the new energy policy. Management of fuel and energy sector became one of the most complicated questions in the discussion of governance reforms in industry and construction in 1957. N.S. Khrushchev, and members of the Presidium of the CPSU Central Committee supporting him, for example, A.I. Kirichenko, believed that either there is a need in full decentralization of the management of industry and construction, or in general economic councils should not be created. In general, management reform in the energy sector led to its decentralization. N.S. Khrushchev attached great importance to the development of electric power. Under him a longterm program was created of development of the nuclear industry for 1956-1960. At meetings of the Presidium of the CPSU Central Committee plans were regularly discussed for building nuclear power plants. N.S. Khrushchev said that modernization of the economy is... electrification of the whole country, i.e. economic development, equipping of our nation with energy resources in order to create conditions where we could produce as much as our society needs. That is what communism is. Progress in technologically advanced sectors of energy - oil and gas industry, the construction of nuclear and hydroelectric plants were considered as an achievement and an advantage of socialism. At the XXII Congress of the CPSU, N.S. Khrushchev put forward a comprehensive program of energy sector development. General perspective envisaged the implementation of major projects in the electricity and gas industry. The decision of the XXII Congress of the CPSU fixed new priorities in energy policy brought them under ideological justification in the form of construction material and technical base of communism. Nevertheless, the formation of the new energy policy in the second half of 1950s - the first half of 1960s did not eliminate the energy imbalance in the Soviet economy. Tensions in providing the economy with fuel and energy existed throughout the period of N.S. Khrushchevs leadership as a current economic problem of the Soviet government.