The full text of Gomlka's roport—back spoech of the 22nd Congress is now available. In addition tc tho support given to Khrushchov in his speech, careful reading shows that Gomlka wont somo way to noot some criticisms of the explana tions given of the 'cult of tho individual.' fo0mo oxtracts will illustrate thiss
1. eeeeTho question how it was possible for tho cult of the individual to originate, and why this side of the question has not boon fully clarificd is boing widoly asked.
‘Our Party should also voice its opinion on these matters, define its standpoint. Let us tako first the question of the cult of the individual. There is no doubt that our Soviot comrados have tho most to say hore. If Svorything has boon said as yot in the subject of the origin of the cult of tho individual, it is probably still too carly for that.
'In our opinion, in order to understand the causes of tho cult of the individual it is sufficient to realise the conditions undor which the Soviet Union wes building socialism and to tako into account the traits in Stalin's character. Lonin himsclf had pointed out Stalin's charactor and warnod against leaving him in tho post of the Party's Secrotary—Gnoral.
'The Sovivt Union started out for socialism from the oxtromoly narrow economic base left behind by Tsarist Russia. “iquivalent to it was the soGial base a working class small in numbors in relation to tho total population, but militant and conscious of its aims, and tho massos of peasantis who were tho docisivoe majoriy of the population of that ml1ti-national country.
Tsarist absolutism, tho persecutor of tho Russian revolutionarios, the prolonged civil war against the counter-rovolutionary gonorals and the war against imporialist intervention produced the sovore mien of the Russian Coiminists. Tho Soviet Union was tho first country which was forging tho idoas of socialism into matorial and social reality...!