p Lenin held the creative activity of the victorious proletariat to be its main task. But to make a start on construction there was a need to beat back the joint attack of the armed foreign intervention and internal counter-revolution. The 266 workers and peasants of Soviet Russia rallied round Lenin’s Party, while relying on the powerful international support of the working people of other countries, and succeeded in winning their victory. Imperialism suffered a major militarypolitical and moral defeat.

p The young Soviet state born of the revolution—the state of the proletarian dictatorship—withstood the onslaught. Millions of men, inspired by Lenin’s idea of restructuring society on socialist lines, started to build the new life.

p Lenin warned that the road to socialism "will never be straight; it will be incredibly involved".  [266•1  But even in the most difficult conditions, Lenin did not lose faith in the titanic possibilities of the working people, the revolutionary working class and the Communist Party.

p It called for all-penetrating depth of thought, breadth of outlook and boldness of idea to preserve clarity of orientation in a Russia disrupted and ploughed up by war and revolution, in the labyrinthine entanglement of socio- economic tendencies, political forces, and contradictory views and moods, and to find and present in a theoretically faultless form the main, principal lines of advance towards socialism. And that is just what Lenin did.

p The New Economic Policy, industrialisation, collectivisation, the cultural revolution.. . . These are all household words behind which lie a whole period in the history of our country, the destiny of classes and the biographies of men. These concepts are now in the textbooks. They have become the ABC of scientific communism. Lenin’s profound ideas about the ways of creating a new society still serve as a reliable guide for the builders of the new world.

p Lenin’s plan for socialist construction is a model of the scientific, complex and realistic approach to the solution of a task of world historic importance. This plan ranged over all the tiers of the social edifice—the development of the productive forces, the transformation of social relations, and the recasting of man’s spiritual world. Needless to say, it was based on the vast creative potential of the Party, the millions of builders of socialism, on the fact that in practice, in vibrant activity fresh possibilities were bound to open up, and new methods and means found for advancing towards the set goals. Lenin believed that the insuperable 267 strength of the new social system lay in the unity of Marxist science, which determines the Party’s programme propositions, and the initiative and historical creative endeavour of the masses.

p Not everyone understood and accepted Lenin’s idea that it was possible to build socialism in an economically backward, predominantly peasant country in a capitalist encirclement. The Right and the “Left” oppositionists strove to impose either capitulationist or adventurist ideas, and to get the country off the Leninist path. The political struggle, which became especially acute after Lenin’s death, was protracted and intense. But Lenin’s ideas triumphed. ( Applause.}

p The cause of socialist construction generated such a tide of revolutionary enthusiasm and inspired, dedicated labour that it literally swept away all the obstacles on the road to socialism. What was once a plan became reality. That was a world historic victory of the Soviet people, a triumph of Leninism. (Applause}

p In the 1930s, socialism was firmly established in every sphere of life in our country. The world saw a socialist industrial and collective-farm power moving forward in a determined, powerful drive. Conditions were being created for the next great stride along the way mapped out by Lenin.

p This was prevented by the war. The country was subjected to a piratical attack by the fascist invaders. A mortal danger confronted our country. It was then that the Soviet people’s courage, steadfastness and indomitable will to victory, and their cohesion round the Leninist Party were displayed with unprecedented force. (Prolonged applause} In the course of the stern ordeal, the Soviet social and state system demonstrated its unbreakable strength. Those harsh years reaffirmed the profound truth of Lenin’s words when he said that a people defending its own power, and standing up for its just cause and its future can never be vanquished. At the cost of millions of lives of its sons and daughters the Soviet people safeguarded the gains of socialism. (Applause}

p We shall soon be marking the 25th anniversary of the victory over fascist Germany. On the eve of this notable date we pay fresh tribute to the great feat of the Soviet people and its Armed Forces. (Applause} From generation to generation—forever—our people will honour the memory 268 of those who gave their lives for the lieedoin and happiness of the Soviet people, for the sake of their native land. (Applause.)

p Guided by Lenin’s precepts we shall continue to strengthen our country’s defences and equip our Army with the most up-to-date weapons. Our Army was, is and will continue to be an army of peace, and a reliable bulwark of the security of all peoples. (Applause.)

p Everyone is aware of the heavy losses and destruction which the war brought us. Many towns and villages, factories and power stations, schools and hospitals had to be built anew. Thwarting the enemies’ treacherous plans to weaken our state for a long time and healing the wounds of war in the shortest possible time, the Soviet people took a great stride forward. The material and spiritual gains achieved in the postwar years are staggering. Socialism has once again demonstrated its strength and viability. (Applause.)

p Our Party and the Soviet people have accumulated a vast store of experience in the class struggle and social transformation. The innovatory character of these transformations demanded of the Party political and theoretical maturity, efficient organisation and steadfastness, consistency, and a thorough verification of the ways and means of building the new society. And, to use Lenin’s words, this " experience . . . cannot be taken away, no matter how difficult the vicissitudes the Russian revolution and the international socialist revolution may pass through. It has gone down in history as socialism’s gain, and on it the future world revolution will erect its socialist edifice."  [268•1  (Prolonged applause.)

p The novelty, singularity, and the unprecedented scale of social change and economic construction, the lack of experience, and the frenzied resistance of the bourgeoisie—all made the struggle for socialism especially difficult, but immeasurably noble and heroic. "Let ... the bourgeoisie . . . heap imprecations, abuse and derision upon our heads for our reverses and mistakes in the work of building up our Soviet system,” wrote Lenin. "We do not forget for a moment that we have committed and are committing numerous mistakes and are suffering numerous reverses. How can reverses and mistakes be avoided in a matter so new in the history of the world as the building of an unprecedented 269 type of state edifice! We shall work steadfastly to set our reverses and mistakes right and to improve our practical application of Soviet principles, which is still very, very far from being perfect. But we have a right to be and are proud that to us has fallen the good fortune to begin the building of a Soviet state, and thereby to usher in a new era in world history....”  [269•1  (Stormy, prolonged applause.)

p As we look back on the road we have covered, we can say: indeed, our people and our Party have many things to take pride in. Many difficulties and adversities have fallen to the lot of the Soviet people. On their shoulders they have borne a tremendous historical responsibility. But courageously and steadfastly they have overcome all the trials, fulfilling their noble mission with dignity. Everywhere and always, in times of stern trial and fierce battle, in times of joyous victories and grievous setbacks, our people have remained loyal to the Leninist banner, loyal to their Party and to the cause of the revolution. (Stormy applause.) On this momentous day, comrades, we can say that we have some achievements to report in honouring Lenin’s memory. For the first time in the history of world civilisation, socialism has scored a full and final victory, a developed socialist society has been built and the conditions have been created for the successful construction of communism. (Prolonged applause.)

p Soviet society today is powerful socialist industry and developed agriculture. Comparison is the best way to realise the scale of the modern economy. In five days our industry turns out more goods than the whole of industry in tsarist Russia produced in a year. The Soviet Union’s national wealth has grown to great proportions—it is 15 times as much as before the revolution. Its value can no longer be expressed in ten figures: it now amounts to more than a million million rubles. Behind these figures lie the heroic labour of Soviet people, the construction of thousands of enterprises, and the development of new natural resources and economic areas.

p Soviet society today is friendship and co-operation between all classes and social groups, all nations and nationalities, all generations; it is socialist democracy, which actually assures the working people of a part in the administration 270 of all the affairs of state and society; it is advanced socialist science and culture, which belong to the mass of the people.

p Soviet society today is the real embodiment of the ideas of proletarian, socialist humanism. It has placed the production of material values and the achievements of spiritual culture, the whole system of social relations, at the service of the man of labour. The Soviet people have already come to accept as a fact that the growth of production and the development of culture in our country lead to better conditions of life for the working people, for the whole people. This appears to be quite natural, it is not given too much thought, it is sometimes even forgotten. But, after all, it is, essentially, one of the basic distinctions between our system and capitalism, under which production is expanded to enrich the property owner and not to improve the life of the working man.

p One of the greatest achievements of socialism is that every Soviet man is assured of his future. He is aware that his work, his abilities and his energy will always find a fitting use and appreciation. He is sure that his children will be given a free education and the opportunity of developing their talents. He knows that society will never abandon him in misfortune, that in the event of illness he will be given free medical treatment, a pension in the event of permanent disability, and security in old age.

p Everything we have, everything we live by and take pride in is the result of the struggle and working endeavour of our working class, peasantry and intelligentsia, of the whole Soviet people. (Prolonged applause.)

p The entire history of our society bears out the great truth of the Marxist-Leninist teaching about the working class being the leading revolutionary and creative force. The Soviet working class has brilliantly demonstrated its capacity to direct society, and build socialism and communism. (Stormy applause.) It is the working class, above all, that has laboured to create all the country’s industrial and defence might, the technical basis for the transformation of agriculture and the other branches of the economy. It has produced from its ranks thousands of statesmen and public leaders, commanders of production, scientists and military leaders, writers and artists. The working class, the most numerous and the best organised class, continues to play the leading role in our society. (Applause.)

p Its goal—communism—has become the goal of the whole people.

p Its ideology—Marxism-Leninism—has become the dominant ideology.

p Its Party—the Communist Party—has become the party of the whole people. (Prolonged applause.)

p The collective-farm peasantry is a reliable ally of the working class in struggle and in labour. Socialism has put an end once and for all to the poverty, deprivation and ignorance of the peasants, and has helped them to escape from the narrow world of individualism. Collective labour on socialised land has transformed the everyday life and spiritual atmosphere in the countryside. More than three million farm-machine operators, hundreds of thousands of agronomists, livestock experts, engineers, teachers and doctors work in the villages. Our collective-farm peasantry is a new socialist class and an active builder of communist society. (Prolonged applause.)

p At every stage of the socialist revolution, in the course of socialist construction, and today, when the Soviet people are building communism, the alliance of the working class and the peasantry has always constituted the solid foundation of our system and the pledge of fresh victories on the way to communism! (Applause.)

p Lenin’s prediction of a future alliance of the working class and the representatives of science and technology, which "no dark force can withstand”, as Lenin put it, has come true. Today, we pay a great tribute of respect and gratitude to Soviet scientists, whose role is especially great in this age of the most profound social, scientific and technical change. In the ranks of our fine Soviet intelligentsia are millions of engineers, technicians, teachers, workers in public health, workers in the arts, and functionaries of the administrative apparatus. The great intellectual potential, which our country has built up, is a major source of the progress of Soviet society.

p Men of different generations march shoulder to shoulder in the ranks of the builders of communism under a common Leninist banner. Among them are those who laid the first stones in the foundation of the socialist edifice, those who arms in hand fearlessly defended the gains of socialism, those who rebuilt our towns and villages from the ruins and 272 ashes, and those who are still young, and are just setting foot on life’s highway.

p The older generation of the fighters for socialism has brought up a generation fit to take over, passing on to the latter its experience and knowledge, handing on its victorious Leninist baton. The Party is quite sure that Soviet youth and its vanguard, the Leninist Komsomol, in whose ranks more than 100 million Soviet people have already had a political schooling, will bring glory to their country by fresh remarkable achievements. (Prolonged applause.}

The Soviet people have traversed a great and glorious road. Lenin’s revolutionary words first rang out on our soil. His revolutionary cause was started and is being continued with success on our soil. Lenin’s ideals permeate all our achievements and plans. By building the socialist society, the Soviet people have erected a majestic monument to their teacher and leader. (Applause.)