Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev was a Soviet politician and statesman who served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964 and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers from 1958 to 1964. Coming to power after Stalin's death, his career was marked by the process of "de-Stalinization," initiated with the famous "Secret Speech" at the 20th Congress of the CPSU in 1956, in which he denounced the cult of personality and Stalinist crimes. He promoted a policy of "peaceful coexistence" with the West, although his tenure coincided with acute crises such as the Cuban Missile Crisis and the construction of the Berlin Wall. Under his leadership, the USSR achieved pioneering successes in its space program, including the launch of Sputnik. His honors include the titles of Hero of the Soviet Union and, on three occasions, Hero of Socialist Labour, as well as numerous Orders of Lenin. He was removed from all his posts in October 1964.