20th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union

Indeed, proceedings were opened by First Secretary Khruschev's call for all to stand in memory of the Communist leaders who had died since the previous Congress, in which he mentioned Stalin in the same breath as Klement Gottwald.

First Secretary Khrushchev's morning speech began with vague references to the harmful consequences of elevating a single individual so high that he took on the "supernatural characteristics akin to those of a god".

The speech shocked delegates to the Congress, as it flew in the face of years of Soviet propaganda, which had claimed that Stalin was a wise, peaceful, and fair leader.

[4] A "softened" version of the report was published as a resolution of the Presidium of the CPSU Central Committee on June 30, 1956, entitled "On overcoming the cult of personality and its consequences", which set the framework for acceptable criticism of Stalinism.

According to one journalist of the American newspaper The Washington Post, Anne Applebaum: The purpose of Khrushchev's report was not only the liberation of his compatriots, but also the consolidation of personal power and intimidation of party opponents, who all also took part [in the repressions] with great enthusiasm.