Office of the Historian

861.9111 RR/12–2149: Telegram

The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Kirk) to the Secretary of State

Moscow, December 21, 1949.

3158. Twelve page December 21, Stalin’s birthday, Pravda front-page carries photo; Announcement Award Order of Lenin to Stalin, Council of Ministers and Central Committee CPSU letter to Stalin.1 Page two carries decree presidium supreme Soviet regarding establishment international Stalin prize “for strengthening peace between peoples.” Translation follows:

  • [“]1) Establish international Stalin prizes for strengthening peace between peoples. Prizes awarded citizens any country without regard political, religious or racial differences for outstanding services in struggle against warmongers and for strengthening peace.
  • 2) Establish that person awarded international Stalin prize will receive: (a) Diploma of laureat international Stalin prize; (b) gold chest medal bearing portrait I. V. Stalin; (c) money prize 1,000 rubles.
  • 3) Establish that from 5 to 10 international Stalin prizes ‘for strengthening peace between peoples’ will be awarded yearly by special committee on international Stalin prizes created by presidium supreme Soviet USSR from representatives democratic forces various countries of world.
  • 4) Award prizes will be made Stalin’s birthday December 21 each year. First prizes will be awarded 1950.”

[The remainder of this telegram contained a summary index of the contents of the remaining pages of this issue of Pravda, listing the many eulogistic articles written by the highest personages in tribute to Stalin. In the following telegram 3159 of December 21, 6 p. m., not printed, brief comments were expressed on the nature of most of the articles. It was here pointed out that Malenkov’s article came ahead of Molotov’s, which might be a “possible indication former now outranking latter”, and that his article “presents Stalin as leader peace movement vs new pretenders world mastery, and as party leader.” The telegram closed with this judgment: “In general, Stalin personally credited with all important domestic triumphs since death Lenin and hailed as leader Soviet Union, peoples democracies, all ‘progressive’ working and oppressed peoples whole world.” (891.9111 RR/12–2149)]

Kirk
  1. The Department was kept informed in telegrams from the Embassy, none printed, of the festivities held in honor of Stalin’s birthday. A large gathering was present at the Bolshoy Theater on December 21, and Foreign Minister Vyshinsky was the host at a reception for the diplomatic corps that evening, at which Ambassador Kirk later commented in telegram 3185 of December 26 upon Vyshinsky’s “greater friendliness … than at a similar reception November 7” on the anniversary of the October revolution. (711.61/12–2649) A gala ceremony at the Georgiyevsky Hall inside the Kremlin on December 22 closed the celebrations.↩