Cold War Roadshow

In 1959, Nikita Khrushchev became the first Soviet premier to visit the United States. Both Khrushchev and President Dwight Eisenhower hoped the visit would ease Cold War tensions between their two nations. "Cold War Roadshow" premieres November 18, 2014 on American Experience PBS.

In 1959, Nikita Khrushchev was the first Soviet leader to visit the United States. This archival film from the United States Information Service details Khrushchev's twelve day tour from Washington DC to New York, California, Iowa, and Pennsylvania.

In this silent film clip, Sergei Khrushchev collects butterflies during his 1959 trip to the US with his father Nikita. Sergei explained, “The secret service came to me and told, ‘We will accompany you.’ And they brought me to the outskirts of DC... So I run around. I came there with my butterfly net and all other equipment trying to find some place and time to catch American butterflies."

Sergei Khrushchev documented his father's 1959 American visit from behind the lens of his camera. This silent clip provides a first-person view of what it was like to ride in Khrushchev’s motorcade.

Sergei Khrushchev documented his father's 1959 American visit from behind the lens of his camera. In this silent film clip, the Soviet premier visits the Agricultural Experiment Station in Beltsville, Maryland, where he was unimpressed with the small turkeys. “In Russia,” he says, “we try to make our turkeys bigger and bigger.” The press was out in full force that day as well.

Sergei Khrushchev documented his father's 1959 American visit from behind the lens of his camera. In this silent film clip, Khrushchev and his entourage tour the monuments and landmarks of Washington, DC.

Sergei Khrushchev documented his father's 1959 American visit from behind the lens of his camera. This silent film clip shows the towns and landscape as their train passes through en route to New York. Sergei later remarked, “It was some shock because when I look from the window from the train I found…that Americans mostly live like any other people.”

Sergei Khrushchev documented his father's 1959 American visit from behind the lens of his camera. Take a tour of 1950s New York City through the eyes of a 22-year-old Soviet visitor in this silent film clip.

When Nikita Khrushchev became the first Soviet Premier ever to visit the U.S., celebrations ran high. So did tensions. "Cold War Roadshow" premieres November 18 on PBS.

Arriving in New York City in 1959, a hotbed of American capitalism, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev did not face a warm welcome.

On his 1959 visit to the US, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev requests to mingle with the common people. "Cold War Roadshow" premieres November 18 on American Experience PBS.

Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev tries his first American Hot dog during on his 1959 visit to the US, and the American public sees him as a more lovable, huggable type of guy. "Cold War Roadshow" premieres November 18 on American Experience PBS.