Comrades, before you applaud, you do not yet know what I am going to say.

To all the decisions adopted by the Party and the government, we have two amendments, dictated by these comrades (points to the presidium).

The matter comes down to the following: the Party and government have awarded, for the successful construction of the Moscow Metro, some with the Order of Lenin, others with the Order of the Red Star, a third group with the Order of the Red Banner of Labor, and a fourth group with certificates from the Central Executive Committee of Soviets.

And here the question arises — what about the remaining comrades (stir in the hall) who worked no worse than those who were awarded, who to the extent of their abilities gave their blood, labor, and strength to the cause of the Moscow Metro?

What to do with them — that is the question.

We in the presidium are looking at you: the faces are not all the same (stir in the hall, stormy applause).

Some of you seem glad; others look bewildered — what then, the bastards have passed us over (burst of applause).

Well then, we wish to correct this error of the Party and government before all the honest world (applause).

So as not to talk for too long — I am not one for making big speeches — let me go straight to business and read the amendments (stormy applause).

The first amendment:

For the successful struggle in the construction of the Moscow Metro, to declare, on behalf of the Council of People's Commissars and the Central Executive Committee of the USSR, thanks to the shock workers, men and women, and to the entire collective of engineers, technicians, workers, men and women, of Metrostroi (stormy applause, shouts of "Hurrah!"). This is to be enacted by the Council of People's Commissars and the Central Executive Committee of the USSR today and published tomorrow — that thanks are declared to all workers of Metrostroi (stormy applause). Do not applaud me; this is the opinion of the entire presidium.

And the second amendment:

For special services in the mobilization of the glorious Komsomol members, men and women, and for the successful construction of the Moscow Metro, to award the Order of Lenin to the Moscow Komsomol organization (shouts of "Hurrah!").

This is to be enacted today and published tomorrow.

Perhaps all of this is not enough, but we could not think of anything better. If it is not enough, tell us what else to do (stormy, long-continuing applause turning into an ovation, shouts: "Hurrah! Long live Comrade Stalin! Long live Comrade Kaganovich! A Komsomol hurrah for Comrade Stalin! Long live the Communist Party and its leader Comrade Stalin! Long live the Red Banner Leninist Komsomol!").

Are the amendments sufficient, or should we add something else? For the time being, sufficient? (From the floor: "Sufficient." Stormy applause).

RGASPI. F. 558. Op. 11. D. 1077. L. 56–58.

Note: The speech, with minor differences, was published from the text of Pravda in Vol. 14 of Stalin's Works (pp. 64–65). It is cited here as an example of the speaker's direct communication with a workers' audience, as an illustration of the mood among the toilers of the first five-year plans. Notably, it was precisely this speech by Stalin that became the first to be filmed in sound cinema.