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In 1955, Soviet leaders Khrushchev and Bulganin toured India in a historic visit that included a surprise stop in Ooty—where a humble local barber left a lasting impression on the visiting dignitaries.
In 2025, as Russian President Vladimir Putin prepares to visit India at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s invitation extended on a phone call today, May 5, the deep friendship between the two countries is once again in the spotlight.
Amid global tensions and shifting alliances, India and Russia continue to share a strong and time-tested relationship. While many know of their cooperation in defence, atomic energy, and space, few are aware of a heartwarming episode from 1955—when two of the Soviet Union’s top leaders visited India and ended up being charmed by a barber in the hills of Ooty.
This is the little-known story of how a humble hairdresser named N. Varadhan from the Nilgiris gave Soviet leaders Nikita Khrushchev and Nikolai Bulganin a memory they would never forget.
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The first Soviet visit after Independence
In November 1955, India played host to its most high-profile foreign guests yet: Soviet Prime Minister Nikolai Bulganin and Communist Party Secretary Nikita Khrushchev. It was the first time since India’s Independence—and the beginning of the Cold War—that leaders from the USSR visited a developing, non-socialist country.
Their arrival in Delhi was met with huge crowds, but it was in Kolkata where the Soviet leaders witnessed something truly extraordinary. Prime Minister Nehru himself described the crowd of two million people gathered at the maidan as the “largest anywhere in the world.” The situation grew tense when the open car carrying the guests broke down, and the panicked KGB chief, General Serov, even suggested calling in the military. Fortunately, the leaders were safely escorted to the Raj Bhawan.
But the journey was far from over.
A journey across Indian heartlands
The Soviet duo travelled to several Indian cities—Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Kashmir, Bengaluru—and their presence was welcomed with warmth and celebration. Yet, it was their visits to smaller towns and villages that revealed the true depth of India’s hospitality and the extent of people-to-people connection.
In Tamil Nadu, they stopped at a village near Coimbatore called Vadamadurai. Here, Bulganin sipped tender coconut water at a local farm. The experience was so memorable that the farm is still called Bulganin thottam (Bulganin’s farm) by the locals to this day.
The Ooty barber who impressed the Soviets
Perhaps the most heartwarming chapter of their journey unfolded in the misty hills of Ooty in the Nilgiris. Here, they encountered N. Varadhan, a local barber known for his skill, charm, and famous head massages.
According to a 2003 report in The Hindu, Varadhan was brought in a car to the Raj Bhawan in Ooty to attend to the “tonsorial needs” of the visiting Soviet leaders. Not only did he cut their hair, but he also served seven other members of the Soviet delegation—all to their great satisfaction. For his services, Varadhan was paid ₹100—a princely sum back then—and earned their admiration.
Locals fondly remember Varadhan as someone who did his job with the flair of an artist. His salon was so well known that it was even part of picnic tours offered to tourists visiting Ooty. Over time, he also became popular among Indian celebrities like MGR, Sheikh Abdullah, and Dilip Kumar.
Lasting impact on local culture
The Soviet leaders’ visit to the Nilgiris was brief, but the mark they left behind was lasting. In the years that followed, there was a surge of interest in Russian literature in the region. Tamil translations of Chekhov and Pushkin became popular, and by the 1980s, locals even associated the famous Boney M song Rasputin with Khrushchev and Bulganin.
According to former Tamil Nadu bureaucrat V. Raghavan, the visit was not just about politics—it was a genuine effort to reach out to India’s people. The leaders spent time understanding Indian culture, and their willingness to travel into smaller towns made a strong impression that lasted for decades.
A bond that withstood the test of time
This episode from 1955 serves as a reminder that diplomacy is not just conducted in conference rooms. Sometimes, it happens in village farms, hill stations, and humble salons. The relationship between India and Russia has evolved over time, but its foundation lies in mutual respect and meaningful connection.
Today, as India and Russia continue to deepen their strategic cooperation, it is worth remembering the quieter, more personal moments that helped build this bond—like the time when two powerful Soviet leaders placed their trust in the skilled hands of an Ooty barber.
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