Khrushchev's speech was sharply critical of the reign of the deceased General Secretary and Premier Joseph Stalin, particularly with respect to the purges which had especially marked the last years of the 1930s.
Pidato Khrushchev tersebut sangat mengkritik pemerintahan almarhum Sekjen dan Perdana Menteri Joseph Stalin, terutama trhadap pembersihan yang secara khusus telah menandai tahun-tahun terakhir 1930an.