The name of L.P. Beria in Russian historical literature is traditionally associated with the policy of terror of the late 1930s - early 1950s. While the name of N.S. Khrushchev is inextricably linked with the concept of "thaw," which laid the foundation for the democratization of the Soviet regime. However, acquaintance with the documents makes one doubt the unambiguity of such assessments of these personalities. This is also evidenced by a quantitative analysis of the victims of terror and achievements in the national economic sphere.