![Portrait of Joseph Stalin in military uniform, within a black mourning border.]

FROM THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE

OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF THE SOVIET UNION,

THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS OF THE USSR

AND THE PRESIDIUM OF THE SUPREME SOVIET OF THE USSR

To all members of the Party,
to all working people of the Soviet Union.

Dear comrades and friends!

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, the Council of Ministers of the USSR, and the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, with a feeling of profound sorrow, inform the Party and all working people of the Soviet Union that on March 5, at 9:50 in the evening, after a serious illness, the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR and Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Joseph Vissarionovich STALIN, passed away.

The heart has ceased to beat of the comrade-in-arms and brilliant continuer of Lenin’s cause, the wise leader and teacher of the Communist Party and the Soviet people—Joseph Vissarionovich STALIN.

The name of STALIN is infinitely dear to our Party, to the Soviet people, to the working people of the entire world. Together with Lenin, Comrade STALIN created the mighty party of Communists, educated and tempered it; together with Lenin, Comrade STALIN was the inspirer and leader of the Great October...

of the socialist revolution, the founder of the first socialist state in the world. Continuing the immortal cause of Lenin, Comrade STALIN led the Soviet people to the world-historic victory of socialism in our country. Comrade STALIN led our country to victory over fascism in the Second World War, which fundamentally changed the entire international situation. Comrade STALIN armed the Party and the entire people with a great and clear program for the building of communism in the USSR.

The death of Comrade STALIN, who devoted his entire life to selfless service to the great cause of communism, is a most grievous loss for the Party, for the working people of the Soviet country, and for the whole world.

The news of the passing of Comrade STALIN will resound with deep pain in the hearts of workers, collective farmers, intellectuals, and all working people of our Motherland, in the hearts of the warriors of our valiant Army and Navy, in the hearts of millions of working people in all countries of the world.

In these sorrowful days all the peoples of our country are drawing still more closely together in one great fraternal family under the tried and tested leadership of the Communist Party, created and nurtured by Lenin and Stalin.

The Soviet people cherish boundless trust in, and are imbued with ardent love for, their native Communist Party, because they know that the supreme law of all the Party’s activity is service to the interests of the people.

The workers, collective farmers, Soviet intellectuals, all the working people of our country steadfastly follow the policy worked out by our Party, a policy that corresponds to the vital interests of the working people and is directed toward the further strengthening of the might of our socialist Motherland. The correctness of this policy of the Communist Party has been tested by decades of struggle; it has led the working people of the Soviet country to the historic victories of socialism. Inspired by this policy

the peoples of the Soviet Union, under the leadership of the Party, are confidently advancing toward new successes in communist construction in our country.

The working people of our country know that the further improvement of the material well-being of all strata of the population—workers, collective farmers, intellectuals—the maximum satisfaction of the constantly growing material and cultural needs of the whole of society, has always been and remains the object of special concern for the Communist Party and the Soviet Government.

The Soviet people know that the defense capability and might of the Soviet state are growing and strengthening, that the Party is comprehensively strengthening the Soviet Army, the Navy, and the intelligence agencies in order constantly to increase our readiness to give a crushing rebuff to any aggressor.

The foreign policy of the Communist Party and the Government of the Soviet Union has been and remains an unwavering policy of preserving and strengthening peace, of combating the preparation and unleashing of a new war, a policy of international cooperation and the development of business ties with all countries.

The peoples of the Soviet Union, faithful to the banner of proletarian internationalism, strengthen and develop fraternal friendship with the great Chinese people, with the working people of all the countries of people’s democracy, friendly ties with the working people of the capitalist and colonial countries who are struggling for the cause of peace, democracy, and socialism.

Dear comrades and friends!

The great guiding and leading force of the Soviet people in the struggle to build communism is our Communist Party. The steel unity and monolithic cohesion of the Party’s ranks are the chief condition of its strength and might. Our task is to preserve the unity of the Party as the apple of our eye, to educate Communists as active political

fighters for the implementation in life of the Party’s policy and decisions, to strengthen still further the Party’s ties with all working people—with workers, collective farmers, and the intelligentsia—for in this unbreakable bond with the people lie the strength and invincibility of our Party.

The Party regards as one of its most important tasks the education of Communists and all working people in the spirit of high political vigilance, in the spirit of irreconcilability and firmness in the struggle against internal and external enemies.

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, the Council of Ministers of the USSR, and the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, addressing the Party and the people in these sorrowful days, express their firm confidence that the Party and all the working people of our Motherland will rally even more closely around the Central Committee and the Soviet Government, will mobilize all their forces and creative energy for the great cause of building communism in our country.

The immortal name of STALIN will forever live in the hearts of the Soviet people and of all progressive humanity.

Long live the great, all-conquering teaching of Marx—Engels—Lenin—Stalin!

Long live our mighty socialist Motherland!

Long live our heroic Soviet people!

Long live the great Communist Party of the Soviet Union!

CENTRAL COMMITTEE
OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY
OF THE SOVIET UNION

COUNCIL
OF MINISTERS
OF THE USSR

PRESIDIUM
OF THE SUPREME SOVIET
OF THE USSR

March 5, 1953