Great speeches of the 20th century

The cult of the individual

   This speech was delivered to the 20th congress of the Communist party
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   Great speeches of the 20th century

The cult of the individual

   This speech was delivered to the 20th congress of the Communist party
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   Comrades! In the party central committee's report at the 20th congress
   and in a number of speeches by delegates to the congress a lot has been
   said about the cult of the individual. After Stalin's death, the
   central committee began explaining that it is foreign to the spirit of
   Marxism-Leninism to elevate one person, to transform him into a
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   Lenin, is known. Lenin always stressed the role of the people as the
   creator of history. Lenin mercilessly stigmatised every manifestation
   of the cult of the individual. Lenin never imposed his views by force.
   He tried to convince. He patiently explained his opinions to others.

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   On the whole, the only proof of guilt actually used was the
   "confession" of the accused himself. "Confessions" were acquired
   through physical pressures. Innocent individuals - who in the past had
   defended the party line - became victims. Mass arrests and deportations
   of many thousands of people, execution without trial and without normal
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   millennia in the memory of thankful humanity.

   Comrades! The cult of the individual acquired such monstrous size
   chiefly because Stalin himself supported the glorification of his own
   person. The edition of his short biography, which was published in
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   self-adulation." Where and when could a leader so praise himself?

   Comrades! The cult of the individual brought about rude violation of
   party democracy, sterile administration, deviations of all sorts,
   cover-ups of shortcomings, and varnishings of reality. Our nation bore
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   Some comrades may ask us: Where were the members of the politburo? Why
   did they not assert themselves against the cult of the individual in
   time? And why is this being done only now? First of all, members of the
   politburo viewed these matters in a different way at different times.
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   Comrades! So as not to repeat errors of the past, the central committee
   has declared itself resolutely against the cult of the individual. We
   consider that Stalin was extolled to excess. However, in the past
   Stalin undoubtedly performed great services to the party, to the
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   their eyes.

   Comrades! We must abolish the cult of the individual once and for all.
   We must correct the views connected with the cult in history,
   philosophy and sciences, and continue systematically the work done by
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   accomplish the great task of building communism. And the fact that we
   present in all their ramifications the basic problems of overcoming the
   cult of the individual is evidence of the great moral and political
   strength of our party. We are absolutely certain that our party, armed
   with the historical resolutions of the 20th congress, will lead the