Adonis Diaries

The story of Khrushchev’s 4-hour speech in 1956...

On February 25, 1956, at midnight, the delegates of all the communist States in the 20th convention were asked to vacate the hall.

Khrushchev, Secretary General, delivered a 4-hour speech to 1,400 delegates from the Soviet Union.

Khrushchev confirmed the atrocities and genocide of Joseph Stalin, revered and adored by communists even after the facts were put to light. (see note 2)

In 1936-37, Stalin undertook a “mass purification” of the Soviet communists:

1. 1.5 million communists were detained and 680,000 executed

2. Out of 1,966 delegates to the 17th convention, 848 were executed

3. Out of 138 candidates to the Central Committee, 98 were put to death.

4. The third of the Soviet army officers were charged of treason and executed…

The speech was to be kept secret. A month later, Khrushchev decided to send a copy to the secretary generals of the Communist States. The western States were feverish to obtain a copy and all the spies failed to procure a single genuine copy.

There was this Lucia Baranovsky, secretary to the Polish general secretary Edward Oshab, and she had the copy on her desk, waiting to lock it in the safe box at 4 pm.

There was this polish Jewish communist and journalist Victor Shpielman who changed his name to Victor Gravesky in order to have a better odd for higher levels in the public functions and become a successful reporter…

Victor’s family immigrated to Israel in 1949, and he visited them in 1955.

Victor paid a visit to his lover Lucia at her office and noticed the speech, and “borrowed “it for a couple of hours, with the total consent of Lucia.

Victor read Khrushchev’s speech and hopped to Israel Embassy in Warsaw. The first secretary at the Embassy, Yacob Barmour made a copy and the original was returned on time at 4 pm.

On April 13, 1956, Ziligh Katz, personal assistant to Shabak chief Amos Manour, gave his boss the copy. Israel delivered the copy to the CIA chief Alan Dulles.  The CIA sneaked the copy to The New York Times…

What were the consequences of providing a copy of the speech to be made public?

1. The lukewarm connection of Israel with the CIA was enhanced after this feat.

2. Poland and Hungary started their upheavals, to be squelched by military force

3. After Victor immigrated to Israel in 1957, he was offered two jobs: Expert of Eastern Europe at the Foreign ministry, and reporter to the public radio station “Kol Israel”

4. The Soviet hired Victor to be their agent in Israel. Israel encouraged Victor to quickly accept this double agent position. Victor served the Soviet Union for 14 years. He was to receive “Lenin Medal” at his first visit to Russia, but Victor never traveled there.

5. Victor was awarded Israel secret service medal, the first ever in 2007.

He died at the age of 81. He had said: “Khrushchev changed history. I met with history for a few hours and our paths departed”

Note 1: Extracted from the Arabic version. “Mossad” by Michael Bar Zohar and Nassim Michaal.

Note 2: https://adonis49.wordpress.com/2011/03/22/worst-traitor-to-communism-who-is-joseph-stalin/