Khrushchev's words and his shoe banging

[Osinskaya, Elena]

1) The George Mason University's History News Network:
http://hnn.us/roundup/entries/11827.html

2) History Channel (Spring 05 or Fall 05) -- Documentary Film about Cold
War or Cuban Crisis (sorry don't remember the name) -- Nikita Khrushchev
banged the table with the shoe.

Best,
Elena Osinsky

-----Original Message-----
From: Slavic & East European Languages and Literature list
[mailto:SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU] On Behalf Of John Dunn
Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2006 5:56 AM
To: SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU
Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] Khrushchev's words and his shoe banging

When we last discussed this topic, I seem to remember concluding that
the various accounts left a number of areas of uncertainty.  These
included: (i) what type of footwear was involved; (ii) whether Krushchev
banged the table with it or merely waved it above his head while banging
the table with his other hand; (iii) how the offending article came to
be in his hand.  On this last point there were three possibilities: that
Khrushchev removed one of his shoes while sitting at his desk (held by
some to be unlikely if only because of the Soviet leader's generous
girth); that the shoe had become dislodged earlier as a result of
someone treading on Khrushchev's heel; that it was one of a pair bought
that day and brought along, so to speak, in the hand luggage.  I have
read nothing to suggest that the incident was not a spontaneous gesture.

It does, I suppose, make a fascinating case study into the nature of
historical evidence (well, that's my excuse, anyway).

John Dunn.  

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