At Cold War-era expo, one enterprising capitalist shared Pepsi with Premier Khrushchev and three million visitors; A half-century later, Donald Kendall is returning to celebrate

MOSCOW, July 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- When Presidents Medvedev and Obama meet in Moscow next week, their summit will coincide with another historic milestone in U.S.-Russia relations: the 50th anniversary of the American National Exhibition in Moscow.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090701/NY40858 )

Opened in July 1959, the exhibition provided an extraordinary six-week interlude in the Cold War. Nearly three million visitors had a rare chance to see a remarkable display of American culture, science, technology and consumer goods -- and, thanks to one enterprising capitalist, to sample an iconic American brand, Pepsi-Cola.

For Donald M. Kendall, then the 38-year-old head of Pepsi-Cola International and today a former PepsiCo chairman and CEO, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to sample his product in the Soviet Union, which did not allow the sale of American consumer brands. It was the first step in a 15-year effort by Kendall to establish Pepsi as the first Western consumer product made and sold in the Soviet Union. It also was the start of a lifelong engagement with Russia.

'I came prepared, with Russian-speaking college students and a full complement of cola syrup and carbonating machines,' Kendall said. 'It was a major undertaking.'

While many remember the exhibition for the spirited 'Kitchen Debate' between Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev and U.S. Vice President Richard Nixon, Kendall, now 88, was focused on raising the profile of his brand. So focused, in fact, that he encouraged his friend Nixon to bring Khrushchev to his Pepsi kiosk as the Soviet leader toured the exhibit.

'When Vice President Nixon brought Premier Khrushchev to our booth, I wanted to show the Russian leader that Pepsi can be made just as well in Moscow as it is in the United States, so I offered him a cupful of each and he accepted,' Kendall said. 'After sampling both, he advised the nearby dignitaries and reporters: 'Drink the Pepsi-Cola made in Moscow.