Dr. Nina Khrushcheva: History, Evolution, and a View from Inside Russia

About this episode

Dr. Nina Khrushcheva discusses her insights on Russian culture and politics, drawing from her personal experiences and her new book on Nikita Khrushchev.

Max and Maria sit down with Dr. Nina Khrushcheva, Professor of International Affairs at the New School and one of the world’s leading experts on Russia, to discuss her new Russian‑language book Nikita Khrushchev: Vozhd vne sistemy (“Nikita Khrushchev: An Outlier of the System”) and her experience as one of the few scholars still traveling to and from Russia. As Nikita Khrushchev’s great‑granddaughter and adoptive granddaughter, she offers a rare, personal view of how Russian culture, politics, and society are evolving. Mentioned: No Exit from Stalin | by Nina L. Khrushcheva in Project Syndicate (April 2026) Russia’s Descent Into Tyranny: How Four Years of War Have Remade Society | by Nina L. Khrushcheva in Foreign Affairs (Dec. 2025) Nikita Khrushchev: Vozhd vne sistemy (Nikita Khrushchev: An Outlier of the System) | Book by Nina L. Khrushcheva Feedback? Suggestions? Ideas to help us improve? Email us at erep@csis.org. If you love Russian Roulette, let us know by subscribing and leaving a review wherever you get your podcasts. Listen to our sister podcast, covering all things Europe through a Washington lens: CSIS Podcasts | The Eurofile

People in this episode

Hosts: Max, Maria

Guest: Dr. Nina Khrushcheva

Topics covered

• Russian politics
• Khrushchev family
• Russian culture
• International affairs
• Current events in Russia

Keywords

• Russia
• Khrushchev
• politics
• culture
• international affairs
• Nina Khrushcheva
• society
• war

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: CSIS | Center for Strategic and International Studies, Project Syndicate, Foreign Affairs

Books & works: Nikita Khrushchev: Vozhd vne sistemy, No Exit from Stalin, Russia’s Descent Into Tyranny: How Four Years of War Have Remade Society

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