Khrushchev, NikitaKhrush‧chev, Ni‧ki‧ta /ˈkrʊstʃɒf $ ˈkrʌstʃef, -tʃɔːf, nɪˈkiːtə/(1894–1971) a Russian politician who was leader of the former Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964. He publicly criticized stalin and his policies after Stalin's death in 1953.