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p Comrades, all our Party, all the Soviet people live for a single cause. It is the cause of building a communist society. The ways leading to this great goal are defined in the Programme of the CPSU, and in the decisions of Party Congresses and CC Plenums, which have met with the approval of the whole people. The greater the tasks the Soviet people set themselves, the more responsible the Party’s work becomes, and the greater the need to look to Lenin for advice. Lenin’s ideas, his great practical experience as fighter and creator, are of invaluable assistance to us in solving the most important problems in the Soviet country’s present-day development.

p Since Lenin’s death, life has gone a long way forward, much has changed, producing a great number of new phenomena and problems which it was hard even to imagine in his lifetime. But today, too, the key to their understanding and solution is provided by the laws of socialist development discovered by Lenin. That is why Lenin continues to be a living participant in our endeavour, and our sage and reliable teacher. (Stormy applause?)

p Just as every building is started from its foundations, so the creation of the material and technical basis occupies 273 first place in the gigantic and many-faceted effort of communist construction.

p The more than half a century of experience in socialist economic endeavour provides convincing confirmation that the direction of the economy is perhaps the most challenging and the most creative task of all those which arise after a revolution. Here, as in other spheres of social life, let us add, there are virtually no cut-and-dried solutions which one could adopt and get rid of all cares. The economy is a complex and dynamic organism whose development in itself continuously produces new problems.

p The justice of this truth is especially evident today, when the Soviet economy is entering a new important stage. Our socialist production has grown to vast proportions, the interconnections in our national economy have become more complex, and the scientific and technical revolution is advancing at a headlong pace. In view of all this the Party’s Central Committee and the Government have arrived at the conclusion that it is necessary to work out an economic policy, methods of conducting economic operations, and forms of organisation and administration that will meet the present stage of the country’s development. As we look back we feel justified in saying that the 23rd Congress of the CPSU and the Central Committee plenary meetings, from those of March and September of 1965 to the December plenary meeting of last year, have enabled us to make a serious advance in this direction.

p The 24th Congress of the Party is now at hand. Preparation of the plan for the next five years is nearing completion. In other words, we are to take new major decisions to determine the ways for developing the Soviet economy over a considerable period ahead.

p We aim at a Leninist approach to this great undertaking, bringing out from the whole diversity, the whole range of economic tasks the main and principal link. It is to enhance the effectiveness of social production, and bring about a considerable increase in labour productivity in every sphere. Lenin pointed to the decisive importance of this aspect of our endeavour in the early years of the Soviet power. With our present level of socialist economic development, we have real possibilities of ensuring rapid economic growth, primarily by intensifying development in every branch.

p The most important thing that this requires is 274 acceleration of scientific and technical progress. That is what Lenin taught us. In his entire work to direct economic construction, his idea was to rise to the highest levels in science and technology.

p The whole world is aware of our country’s outstanding successes on this path. But the development of science and technology does not stop. It calls for a further raising of the level and efficiency of scientific research and for rapid use to be made of scientific and technical achievements in the national economy.

p The task of improving the organisation of labour and the style of work of all those taking part in social production has also become quite pressing. The main thing here is greater self-exactingness.

p Exceptional importance now attaches to the correct organisation of planning. There is no denying, comrades, that many of the complexities we now have to face in the sphere of the economy have their roots in this or that defect in planning, in the imperfection of plans or in their inadequate implementation. That is why one of the most important tasks is continuously to perfect planning methods, and to enhance the scientific, technical and economic validity of current and long-term plans.

p May I give a reminder of a call made by Lenin: "Do not be afraid of long-term plans."  [274•1  He himself gave the classic example of such an approach to planning when working on the State Plan for the Electrification of Russia, in which all the calculations and technical grounds were geared to a single goal—the establishment of an advanced power and technical base for the country’s economic revival and socialist transformation.

p Especially great importance now attaches to improving long-term planning, within the framework of which the available resources and foreseeable requirements are taken into account. Our long-term plans, designed for the solution of fundamental economic and social tasks, must also include our targets and outline the best ways of attaining them, arriving at these by comparing different variants. That is the basis on which it is also possible correctly to determine the concrete tasks which are to be tackled the following year and over the five-year period ahead.

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p Another important task is planning the allocation of the productive forces in our country, something to which Lenin attached much importance. This involves the most rational, economically efficient development of every area in the light of its concrete conditions.

p Long-term plans for the individual branches of our national economy, plans for the solution of major socioeconomic problems, consolidated into a single whole, will constitute a general programme for the country’s development over a long term. There is no doubt that this approach to planning will produce a considerable effect and will help to accelerate our advance to communism. (Applause.)

p Comrades, Lenin saw the construction of a communist economy not only as the concern of economic leaders, and the organisers and commanders of production. He said that "creative activity at the grass roots is the basic factor of the new public life. ... Living, creative socialism is the product of the masses themselves."  [275•1  Accordingly, the Party’s course is to ensure the further extension of the working people’s participation in running industrial enterprises and state and collective farms, in working for greater efficiency of production, higher labour productivity, the maximum use of the available facilities and the raising of labour discipline.

p The Leninist slogan of a regime of economies is not a stopgap but a constant demand on every member of our socialist society. Our country will become even stronger and richer, and our advance towards communism faster, if we learn to save every minute of our working time, every gramme of raw materials and fuel, every machine part, every hard-earned kopek.

p In response to the Party’s call, and with the active participation of the trade unions and other social organisations, a country-wide popular movement has now been started to improve the use of reserves in production and tighten the regime of economies in the country. The initiatives of workers, collective farmers, engineers, technicians and administrative personnel and the numerous proposals and concrete obligations being undertaken by the working people are striking evidence of the fact that the working people of town and country, the whole Soviet people are 276 truly aware of being masters of their country, and that they show a personal concern for the interests of production and for the preservation and multiplication of the national wealth. (Applause.) This means, comrades, that we are on the right course. It means that the Soviet people are confidently advancing along the way indicated by Lenin! (Applause.)

p It is well known that for our society the fulfilment of economic tasks is not an end in itself but a means. The main purpose and the main meaning of the policy which our Party has been consistently implementing is to create for the working man the most favourable conditions for work, study, leisure and the development and best application of his abilities.

p In the last few years we have achieved a great deal in this sphere and have solved a number of major social problems. In that period special attention was devoted to raising the living standards of working people in the lower and middle income brackets in town and country. But we are aware that more big tasks lie ahead of us. Men’s needs increase constantly as society and culture develop. Lenin was very well aware of this. He wrote: ".. .When we are showered with new demands from all sides, we say: that is as it should be, that is just what socialism means, when each wants to improve his condition and all want to enjoy the benefits of life."  [276•1 

p The task today is not only further to raise remuneration for work but also to expand production of the goods needed by the population, to improve the quality of services, to continue extensive housing construction, and to take fresh measures to protect the health of the working people. Understandably, all these tasks cannot be solved at one go, by the adoption of a resolution, however good. This calls for insistent efforts by the whole Party, by the whole people.

p The main thing, comrades, is how much we produce and how, and the attitude we take to work, the main source of our social wealth. There is no need, I think, to argue that one can consume and use only what has been produced, what has been created by man’s hands and brain. It is up to the Soviet people themselves to raise their living standards. 277 Today we live as well as we worked yesterday, and tomorrow we shall live as well as we work today.

p While devoting maximum attention to economic problems, the Party directs the people’s energy to the solution of the whole complex of tasks in communist construction.

p We are on the way to gradually overcoming the distinctions between classes and social groups, for which it is necessary, Lenin emphasised, "to abolish . .. the distinction between town and country, as well as the distinction between manual workers and brain workers".  [277•1  It goes without saying that these tasks will be fully solved only in a communist society. But much is already being done to advance in this direction.

p The social policy of the Party and the Soviet state is, on the basis of modern science and technology, to more closely approximate the character of the labour of the peasant and that of the worker, to improve living conditions in the countryside and to raise the cultural level of village life. All this in practice results in a gradual eradication of the socio-economic and cultural-welfare distinctions between town and country, between the working class and the peasantry.

p At the same time we are gradually overcoming the distinction between workers by hand and by brain. This requires many more steps forward in the development of the economy and culture, an improvement of working conditions and a change in the character of labour, and the further raising of the cultural and professional-technical level of the whole people.

p Lenin said that anyone who undertakes the great endeavour of communist construction must understand this: "he can create it only on the basis of modern education, and if he does not acquire this education communism will remain merely a pious wish."  [277•2  We have already done much in the sphere of public education. Almost 80 million, that is, a third of the population, is studying.

p However, life does not stand still. We need to go forward, improving the whole system of education in every way. Within a few short years those who are now at school or college will move into production, into science and culture. 278 The progress of our society in the future largely depends on how and what we teach them today. The ancients used to say that the pupil is not a vessel to be filled but a torch to be lit. The task is to teach the young people to think creatively, to prepare them for life, for practical effort.

p Comrades, a great achievement of Lenin’s is that he worked out the programme for a socialist solution of the national question. This programme has been implemented. The triumph of Lenin’s policy on the national question, the Soviet Union’s solution of the problem—one of the most acute and most difficult in social life—is an undertaking of tremendous importance, and a major stride forward in mankind’s social development.

p Communist construction in our multinational country implies the consistent pursuit of the line of bringing the nations together in every way, and strengthening their cooperation and mutual assistance. The way to this is by the further development of the economy and culture in all our Republics, an improvement of mutual exchanges of achievements in material and spiritual culture and, of course, persistent effort to overcome the survivals of nationalism and chauvinism.

p Lenin demanded the continuous and tireless education of the working people in the spirit of internationalism, rejecting both Great-Power chauvinistic and narrowly nationalistic tendencies. He said that "one must not think only of one’s own nation, but place above it the interests of all nations, their common liberty and equality, ... fight against smallnation narrow-mindedness, seclusion and isolation, consider the whole and the general, subordinate the particular to the general interest".  [278•1  (Applause.} The multinational Soviet state founded by Lenin is this whole and this general. Lenin’s precept was that we should protect the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as the apple of our eye. ( Applause} This great precept of Lenin’s is being faithfully fulfilled by the Party and the people. (Prolonged applause}

p The Soviet socialist state of the whole people is our main instrument in building communism. That is why there is need to constantly strengthen this state and improve the whole system of social administration.

p Lenin considered the possibility of involving the working 279 people in the day-to-day administration of the state the greatest advantage of socialism. He set the task of teaching "the people the art of administration".  [279•1  For that purpose we are working and shall continue to work to enhance the role of the Soviets, of social organisations and working people’s collectives in the life and development of society, and to improve socialist legislation.

p In developing the Soviet state system and socialist democracy, the Party and the Government have been persistently following the Leninist line in improving the state apparatus and making it more efficient. Every stage in the development of the productive forces and of culture, wrote Lenin, must be accompanied by an improvement of our Soviet system.

p Lenin wrote that "there can be no victorious socialism that does not practise full democracy".  [279•2  Nor can this be otherwise. The Party has been working steadily and purposefully to develop socialist democracy, which serves above all as a means of drawing millions of working people into the process of conscious historical creative effort and into running the affairs of society and the state.

p Our democracy in action is the right of every citizen, every collective and every Republic to take part in deciding questions of social life, combating any departures from the rules and principles of socialist community living, criticising shortcomings and taking an active part in eliminating them. To enable Soviet citizens to enjoy their rights to the fullest, the Party has shown constant concern to improve the forms of popular representation and people’s control over the activity of the organs of power and administration.

p The broad rights extended by socialist democracy to the working people in various spheres of social life are organically combined with their civic duties. This combination, like the very content of their rights and duties, is determined by the interests of the whole people, the interests of building a communist society.

p We regard the development of the Soviet state and socialist democracy above all as a powerful means of attaining our main aim—the building of communism. We shall never agree to the "development of democracy" which is 280 being strongly urged upon us by bourgeois ideologists and their Right-wing opportunist assistants, who show such zeal in trying to recast socialism in their own, bourgeois mould. We have our own, truly democratic traditions, which have stood the test of time. (Applause.} We shall safeguard, preserve, develop and improve these traditions. (Applause.)

p No matter how our “adversaries” may wring their hands over the “imperfection” of socialism, no matter what touching concern they may display for its “improvement” and “humanisation”, we repeat with pride Lenin’s words about proletarian, socialist democracy being a million times more democratic than any bourgeois democracy. (Prolonged applause.) Our state was, is and will continue to be a state of the working people, a state for the working people, a state which is governed by the working people. (Applause.)

p Following Lenin’s path, the Soviet people have created a new, socialist way of life, a new socialist civilisation.

p The creative power of socialism, the mobilising power of Lenin’s ideas was clearly manifested in the period of preparation for the Lenin centenary. The emulation movement for the fulfilment of the five-year plan ahead of schedule, launched to mark the Lenin anniversary, really has become a movement involving the whole people.

p The labour enthusiasm of the people reached its peak in the All-Union Lenin Subbotnik of April 11, which was an unforgettable nationwide festival of inspired labour. Soviet people went to that subbotnik with their thoughts on Lenin, on the historical first subbotnik which Lenin saw as the Great Beginning of the new, communist attitude to work.

p The Central Committee of the CPSU, the Council of Ministers of the USSR and the All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions have taken note of the excellent organisation and high level of activity displayed by all the working people during the All-Union Communist Subbotnik on April 11, and express their deep, heartfelt gratitude to all its participants for their patriotic, selfless and freely given labour effort for the benefit of our socialist country. (Stormy applause.)

It would be impossible to list the labour achievements of the thousands of collectives and of the millions of working people in town and countryside marking the great anniversary. The personnel of many factories and organisations that distinguished themselves in the emulation movement were 281 awarded Lenin centenary diplomas. In honour of the centenary of Lenin’s birth workers, collective farmers, brain workers and servicemen were decorated with the jubilee medals "For Meritorious Work" and "For Military Valour”. (Applause.) The Central Committee of the Party, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and the Soviet Government warmly congratulate the valiant working people and servicemen on the award of these high decorations and express the confidence that they will always be in the forefront of the builders of communism. (Prolonged applause.) Allow me, furthermore, to extend heartfelt congratulations to the Lenin Prize winners and all who have been decorated with our country’s highest order, which bears the name of Lenin. (Applause.) Honour and glory to them and I wish them further outstanding achievements in promoting the economy, science, technology and culture of our great socialist Motherland. (Prolonged applause.)