60 years ago last week the second of two ‘Cultural exchanges’ between the U.S.A. and the U.S.S.R. was held just outside Moscow. It prompted some heated dialogue between then American President Richard Nixon and his Russian counterpart Nikita Khrushchev. Click below to read in magazine format about ‘The Great Kitchen Debate’ or keep scrolling for a text only version.
The Great Kitchen Debate – Text only version:
The Cold War that was being waged over decades between America and the Soviet Union took many forms. There were space races, arms races and there was fierce competition to secure global allies in order to secure strategic advantages. But perhaps the most surprising conflict of the cold war took place in a mocked up kitchen.
In late 1958 and after much negotiation, the US and the USSR agreed to host cultural exchange events in each others’ countries. These exhibitions were being described as a critical step in understanding each others’ ideals and aspirations. The first exhibition of the Soviet Cultural Agreement opened in New York in June 1959, with the second event taking place in Moscow the following month.
The American National Exhibition was installed in a 30,000 square foot centre at Sokolniki Park outside Moscow. There were a wide range of products by almost 500 American companies on display. Many companies like Pepsi had flown in teams of models to hand out free drinks to the Russian visitors who were amazed by the rows of shiny cars and the mock-up of a typical American ranch house.
But the centrepiece of the exhibition turned out to be a kitchen. The display formed part of an average house, but the kitchen was specially designed and included every conceivable labour saving device. In a crude propaganda exercise, the whole house was advertised as being unremarkable. According to the exhibition the lifestyle that this house promised was being enjoyed by every ’Average Joe’.
On the 24th July 1959 the Soviet First Secretary, Nikita Khrushchev, was being given a guided tour of the exhibition by the then Vice President, Richard Nixon. When Nixon began to describe the various labour saving devices Khrushchev is reported to have sarcastically asked which was the machine that ’puts food into the mouth and pushes it down.’
What had started as a cultural exchange would soon escalate into a heated debate as each man praised their own way of life and government.
When Nixon began to demonstrate other gadgets like colour televisions he claimed that America was quick to adapt and to take advantage of emerging techniques. Khrushchev responded that the Soviet Union was more concerned with building for future generations. On American technology, Khrushchev stated, “This is what America is capable of, and how long has she existed? 300 years? 150 years of independence and this is her level. We haven’t quite reached 42 years, and in another 7 years, we’ll be at the level of America, and after that we will go farther.” The world’s press were taken aback as the debate became increasingly heated, with neither leader afraid to speak their mind.
Khrushchev also went on to criticise a recent US Congress resolution which had declared that Russia was exerting control over its ‘captive’ population and the people across the bulk of Eastern Europe.
The debate continued through interpreters at a TV studio the following day but both men moderated their tone and there was no mention made of their nuclear arsenals. When Nixon suggested that the Russian shouldn’t be ‘afraid of new ideas. After all you don’t know everything’, Khrushchev replied, ‘and you know nothing about communism – except fear of it.’ Coverage of the debate spread across the world, and while journalists regarded it as a blatant publicity stunt, the public lapped it up.
While there was no outright winner of the debate itself, Nixon won many new admirers throughout the USA and the debate certainly helped him to secure the Republican Party’s nomination for the Presidency in 1960 – however, another debate against JFK was arguably to be his downfall.
