> Khrushchev commented on the excellent IBM plant, but said that computers were very highly developed in the Soviet Union too; such things as A-bombs or the H-bomb could have never been developed in the Soviet Union if it hadn't had highly complicated and sophisticated computers.

LOL that's such B.S. Cybernetics was considered a capitalist anti-science in the Soviet Union up until the 60's, and it was waaay behind western world. In the 1970's and early 80's, my parents' worked in scientific institutes with the most advanced computer technologies in the country. They used tech that was long ago obsolete in the west (punch cards). IMHO, that was one of many reasons for the collapse of USSR's economy.

Also, another anecdode I've heard about Khruschev's visit to USA (not sure how true this is) is that he arranged to bring Pepsi back to USSR for a trial, and people travelled thousands of kilometers to taste it, from Syberia to Moscow, and brought it back all the way in little plastic cups.

Unfortunately, all the "thawing" efforts got turned 180 degrees as soon as Kruschev's rule ended and Brezhnev came to power.