Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Eastern Europe; Soviet Union; Eastern Mediterranean, Volume VIII

761.00/9–2154

No. 628
Memorandum by the Special Assistant for Intelligence (Armstrong) to the Acting Secretary of State¹

Official Use Only

[Washington,] September 21, 1954.

Subject:

• Intelligence Note: Soviet Leaders Reduce Atmosphere of Isolation

Soviet leaders for the past year have increasingly endeavored to reduce the appearance of aloofness and isolation that marked their relations with the Soviet public and foreigners in Moscow during Stalin’s later years. This development appears to be part of a program to stress collective leadership, which excludes the Stalinist build-up of any individual as a demigod, rather than part of a calculated campaign to popularize the leadership.

The new approach is evident in three trends:

(1) A marked increase in the public appearances of Presidium members and Central Committee secretaries at Soviet and Diplomatic functions within the USSR. In general, the frequency of such appearances by the Presidium as a group has increased nearly fourfold, e.g., 30 during the past year as compared with an average of 7 or 8 for the postwar period before Stalin’s death. The number of individual appearances of Presidium members and Central Committee secretaries shows an even greater increase; over 300 as compared to a previous high of 60 per year. A more personal approach to foreigners has been evident mainly in the increased attendance by Presidium members at diplomatic functions, including those in Western embassies.

(2) Standardization of dress on the part of the leaders at most public gatherings, with Malenkov’s virtual abandonment of his practice of wearing the traditional Party tunic and visored cap. Until this year Malenkov customarily attended all functions in the Party tunic, but since May 1 he has almost always appeared in a business suit. Western style business suits and fedoras now appear to be standard for all the Presidium members and Central Committee secretaries, with the exception of Bulganin who always wears a military uniform. The standardization of dress may be primarily intended to promote the appearance of collective leadership and to encourage the belief that there has been some sort of break with the Stalinist era.

(3) Frequent use of the Kremlin for public meetings, tours, and entertainment attended by ordinary citizens. Anticipated removal of the bodies of Lenin and Stalin and other foreign and Soviet individuals from Red Square and admittance of the public to the Kremlin presumably will diminish the concept of the Kremlin as a mighty walled fortress behind which the select one or few guide the destiny of the USSR. Rumors that the highest Soviet officials would move out of the Kremlin have been partly confirmed by Khrushchev’s recent statement that the Kremlin was to be opened to the public as a museum.

W. Park Armstong, Jr.

1. Copies of this memorandum were directed to G, C, S/P, EUR, S/MSA, U/OC, E, O, and P. A marginal notation on the source text indicates that this memorandum was not submitted to the Acting Secretary.