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Destroyed
the cult of Stalin and the perception that he was a legend starting with
the secret speech of 25 February 1956 |
|
Stalin’s
statues and portraits were removed from public places |
|
The
secret police were given less power |
|
Abolition
of the death penalty |
|
Laws
of censorship were relaxed so there was more freedom in the media and the
arts |
|
Increased
freedom was given to writers and artists |
|
No
elimination of his rivals, as Stalin had done, they were just given
unimportant jobs instead |
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Indication
of a less brutal control of the party
|
|
Stalingrad
was renamed to Volvograd |
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Also
erased Stalin from history by taking his body from the Red Square where it
was buried and buried it in a grave alongside the walls of the Kremlin
with other Soviet leaders. |
|
Thousands
of political prisoners were released from Gulags which were closed. |
|
Improved
Khrushchev’s image – portraying him as good and Stalin as bad and
disassociated himself from Stalin’s crimes even though he had been
responsible for thousands of deaths himself |
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Other
places and buildings named after Stalin were renamed |
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Nevertheless,
the basic elements of the Soviet system, including the dominance of the
Communist Party, remained intact |