Sergei Khrushchev, the son of former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, has died in the United States at age 84, his granddaughter told the RBC news website Thursday.
Sergei Khrushchev has held both U.S. and Russian citizenships since 1999, eight years after moving to Providence, Rhode Island, and resided permanently in the U.S.
His granddaughter Nina Khrushcheva told RBC that Khrushchev died in the city of Cranston, R.I., but did not disclose the cause of his death.
Sergei Khrushchev was born to Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev and teacher Nina Kukharchuk in Moscow on July 2, 1935.
He moved to Providence, R.I., in 1991 for an exchange program at Brown University’s Center for Foreign Policy Development and made the first step toward naturalization a year later.
Khrushchev did not view his naturalization as a defection from his homeland, telling the Associated Press in 1992 that “our countries are not enemies any longer. We are on the same side now.”
The noted scientist and author had developed guidance systems for missiles, submarines, spacecraft and moon vehicles as a rocket engineer in Moscow.
Khrushchev is survived by his wife Valentina, also a naturalized U.S. citizen, and son Sergei.
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