deStalinize

De-Stalinization refers to the process of denouncing and removing the personality cult of Joseph Stalin, his policies, and his legacy from the Soviet Union and communist movements. This movement began after Stalin's death in 1953, but it gained significant momentum with the "Secret Speech" delivered by Nikita Khrushchev at the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1956.

In this speech, Khrushchev condemned Stalin's dictatorial rule, his purges, and the cult of personality that had surrounded him. He acknowledged the crimes committed under Stalin's leadership, including the repression of political opponents and the excesses of the Great Purge. Following Khrushchev's speech, efforts were made to rebury Stalin's body, which had been interred next to Lenin in the Mausoleum, and to rename places that bore his name, such as Stalingrad.

De-Stalinization also involved releasing many political prisoners from the Gulag labor camps and rehabilitating some of those who had been executed. The process was not absolute, and some aspects of Stalinism persisted. Furthermore, the extent and pace of de-Stalinization varied across different Eastern Bloc countries, often influenced by the political climate within the Soviet Union and the specific circumstances of each nation. The process had a profound impact on the Soviet Union and the global communist movement, leading to a re-evaluation of Soviet history and ideology.