What were the key social policies under Khrushchev?

Khrushchev's key social policies included housing reform, education reform, and a focus on consumer goods production.

Nikita Khrushchev, who led the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, implemented several significant social policies. One of the most notable was his housing reform. Khrushchev recognised the severe housing shortage in the Soviet Union and launched a massive construction programme to build new homes. These were often prefabricated, multi-storey buildings known as Khrushchyovkas. While they were not luxurious, they did provide many Soviet citizens with their own apartments for the first time.

Another key social policy under Khrushchev was education reform. He believed that the Soviet Union needed a more educated workforce to compete with the West and to further the goals of socialism. Therefore, he introduced a policy of universal secondary education, which significantly increased the number of students in secondary schools. He also expanded higher education and vocational training, making it more accessible to the working class.

Khrushchev also shifted the Soviet economy's focus towards the production of consumer goods. This was a departure from Stalin's emphasis on heavy industry and was intended to improve the standard of living for ordinary Soviet citizens. Khrushchev wanted to prove that socialism could provide a high standard of living, and so he increased the production of goods like cars, televisions, and other household items.

Furthermore, Khrushchev attempted to reform agriculture with the introduction of the Virgin Lands Campaign. This policy aimed to increase agricultural production by bringing uncultivated land in the Kazakh SSR and the Russian SFSR into production. However, this policy had mixed results, with initial increases in production followed by declines due to poor planning and environmental issues.

Lastly, Khrushchev tried to de-Stalinise Soviet society. He criticised Stalin's cult of personality and attempted to moderate the repressive policies of his predecessor. This included releasing many political prisoners and easing censorship, although the Soviet Union remained a one-party state with limited political freedoms. These policies marked a significant shift in Soviet society and had a lasting impact on the country.