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On the Cult of Personality and Its Consequences: The “Secret Speech”
At the Twentieth Congress of the CPSU February 24-25 1956, Khrushchev delivered a report in which he denounced Stalin’s crimes and the ‘cult of personality’ surrounding Stalin. This speech would ultimately trigger a world-wide split among communist countries;
The speech became known as the "Secret Speech" and was sharply critical of the rule of the deceased General Secretary and Premier Joseph Stalin, particularly with respect to the purges which had especially marked the last years of the 1930s.
The speech was shocking in its day. There are reports that some of those present suffered heart attacks and others later took their own lives due to shock at the revelations of Stalin's use of terror.
The speech became known as the "Secret Speech" and was sharply critical of the rule of the deceased General Secretary and Premier Joseph Stalin, particularly with respect to the purges which had especially marked the last years of the 1930s.
The speech was shocking in its day. There are reports that some of those present suffered heart attacks and others later took their own lives due to shock at the revelations of Stalin's use of terror.
84 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 8, 2024
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About the author
Nikita Khrushchev
203 books14 followersSoviet politician Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev served from 1953 as first secretary of the Communist party, denounced Joseph Stalin in 1956, thwarted the Hungarian revolution, and from 1958 as premier improved image of his country abroad, but for his perceived weakness in dealing with the west and his failure to the economy, people deposed him in 1964.
Nikita Khrushchev initiated a vast agricultural project, centered at Astana, a small mining town until the 1950s.
He led union during part of the Cold War. He stood as chairman of the council of ministers of the union. Khrushchev responsibly partially changed the union, backed the progress of the early space program, and made several relatively liberal reforms in domestic affairs. From power, colleagues removed him and replaced him Leonid Brezhnev and Alexei Kosygin.
People employed him as a metalworker in his youth and as a commissar during the Russian civil war. With the help of Lazar Kaganovich, he worked his way up the hierarchy. He supported purges and approved thousands of arrests. In 1939, sent to govern Ukraine, he continued the purges. During the known great patriotic war in the union or the eastern front, Khrushchev, again a commissar, provided an intermediary with generals. Khrushchev took great dignity in fact of his presence at the bloody defense of Stalingrad throughout his life. After the war, he returned to Ukraine before people recalled him to Moscow as close adviser.
Death in 1953 triggered the power, and after several years, victorious Khrushchev emerged. On 25 February 1956 at the twentieth congress, he delivered the "Secret Speech" on purges and ushered in a less repressive era in the union. He aimed often ineffectively at bettering the domestic lives of ordinary citizens, especially in agriculture. Khrushchev expected eventually to rely on missiles for national defense and ordered major cuts in conventional forces. Despite the cuts, rule of Khrushchev saw the tensest years of the Cold War and culminated in the Cuban missile crisis.
Emerging rivals particularly saw somewhat erratic Khrushchev and quietly rose in strength in October 1964. He, however, suffered not the deadly fate of some previous losers of power struggles but received a pension, an apartment in Moscow, and a dacha in the side. People smuggled his lengthy memoirs and published part in 1970. Khrushchev died of heart disease.
Nikita Khrushchev initiated a vast agricultural project, centered at Astana, a small mining town until the 1950s.
He led union during part of the Cold War. He stood as chairman of the council of ministers of the union. Khrushchev responsibly partially changed the union, backed the progress of the early space program, and made several relatively liberal reforms in domestic affairs. From power, colleagues removed him and replaced him Leonid Brezhnev and Alexei Kosygin.
People employed him as a metalworker in his youth and as a commissar during the Russian civil war. With the help of Lazar Kaganovich, he worked his way up the hierarchy. He supported purges and approved thousands of arrests. In 1939, sent to govern Ukraine, he continued the purges. During the known great patriotic war in the union or the eastern front, Khrushchev, again a commissar, provided an intermediary with generals. Khrushchev took great dignity in fact of his presence at the bloody defense of Stalingrad throughout his life. After the war, he returned to Ukraine before people recalled him to Moscow as close adviser.
Death in 1953 triggered the power, and after several years, victorious Khrushchev emerged. On 25 February 1956 at the twentieth congress, he delivered the "Secret Speech" on purges and ushered in a less repressive era in the union. He aimed often ineffectively at bettering the domestic lives of ordinary citizens, especially in agriculture. Khrushchev expected eventually to rely on missiles for national defense and ordered major cuts in conventional forces. Despite the cuts, rule of Khrushchev saw the tensest years of the Cold War and culminated in the Cuban missile crisis.
Emerging rivals particularly saw somewhat erratic Khrushchev and quietly rose in strength in October 1964. He, however, suffered not the deadly fate of some previous losers of power struggles but received a pension, an apartment in Moscow, and a dacha in the side. People smuggled his lengthy memoirs and published part in 1970. Khrushchev died of heart disease.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 29, 2025
the lenin worship in the speech about stalins cult of personality is genuinely one of the funniest things i’ve ever read
December 14, 2025
Accidental dictatorshp?
Khrushchev gives a somewhat scathing review of the activities and eccentricities of Joseph Stalin. He started out as a loyalist to Lenin and the party but somehow was able to appoint himself to the ultimate leader. Many of his decisions should have been scrutinized at the time but that didn't happen until after his death. I'm sure fear and reprisals were good motivators for those who even dared question what Stalin was up to. The purges and repressions kept many a mouth silenced because if Stalin caught wind of it, you and anyone around you could be caught up in it.
Khrushchev gives a somewhat scathing review of the activities and eccentricities of Joseph Stalin. He started out as a loyalist to Lenin and the party but somehow was able to appoint himself to the ultimate leader. Many of his decisions should have been scrutinized at the time but that didn't happen until after his death. I'm sure fear and reprisals were good motivators for those who even dared question what Stalin was up to. The purges and repressions kept many a mouth silenced because if Stalin caught wind of it, you and anyone around you could be caught up in it.
February 19, 2025
History-defining document. Wow… never realised how tough Kruschev was against Stalin.. he really went all out.
I read the document with annotations about the room’s reactions. And to see how by the end, everyone was laughing at the sarcastic comment done against Stalin when a few years prior, they were probably all cowering in fear in front of him, really makes you realise that the USSR was never going to last, in the end. Not enough checks on power and not enough people with a willingness to speak up.
I read the document with annotations about the room’s reactions. And to see how by the end, everyone was laughing at the sarcastic comment done against Stalin when a few years prior, they were probably all cowering in fear in front of him, really makes you realise that the USSR was never going to last, in the end. Not enough checks on power and not enough people with a willingness to speak up.
August 28, 2024
what a document. interesting to see what he doesn't concede; Bukharinism, Trotkyism and Zinovievism are all represented as clear dangers, actions against which were proportional and correct, his target is more of a strawman portrait of Stalin as an omnipotent superman rather than getting into the politics underneath. in this vein he draws a lot from individual testimonies and smaller-scale miscarriages of justice during the Purges, v effective
July 26, 2025
Một tài liệu tương đối về việc sùng bái cá nhân, nhưng có lẽ Khruschyov đã "quên" đi rất nhiều chi tiết. Hơn nữa, chớ bỏ qua rằng đây là biểu hiện của chủ nghĩa xét lại, và là nguồn cơn cho sự sụp đổ của Liên bang Xô-viết.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews