We will bury you

N. S. Khrushchev, May 1961

“We will bury you” - the famous phrase of Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev , addressed to Western ambassadors at a reception at the Polish embassy in Moscow on November 18, 1956 . The interpreter at the meeting was Viktor Sukhodrev . The phrase, taken out of context by the Western media , made a terrifying impression on the inhabitants of the West. In fact, it completely sounded like this: “Whether you like it or not, but the story is on our side. We will bury you ”, that is, socialism (and subsequently communism ) is more effective, and therefore capitalism will survive. This refers to the well-known thesis of Marx that the proletariat is the grave digger of capitalism. Due to the reverse translation into Russian, the statement spread in the form of "We will bury you."

Mikhail Gorbachev wrote in the book “ Perestroika and new thinking for our country and for the whole world ” that the image used by Khrushchev was inspired by the discussions of agricultural scientists in the thirties that were called “who will bury whom” disputes.

Later, speaking several years later with a keynote speech in Yugoslavia , Khrushchev explained that he "did not mean literally digging up the grave with a shovel, but only that capitalism would destroy its own working class ." In addition, he spoke about the inevitability of the transition of capitalism to socialism , just as capitalism once replaced feudalism . He wanted to say the thesis of Marx that the proletariat is the grave digger of capitalism, but instead issued the phrase “We will bury you”, which he repeated at a meeting with journalists in the United States in September 1959 .

According to another version, the phrase was voiced at a meeting of the UN General Assembly on October 12, 1960 when discussing a draft resolution submitted by the USSR delegation on granting independence to colonial countries and peoples, as a tip to the Philippine delegate who opposed this resolution “to take a step and bury imperialism deeper” ^[1] . More full version:

I protest against the unequal treatment of representatives of the states sitting here. Why is this lackey of American imperialism advocating? He touches on a question, he does not touch on a procedural question! And the Chairman, who sympathizes with this colonial rule, does not stop him! Is this fair? Lord! Mr. Chairman! We live on earth not by the grace of God and not by your grace, but by the strength and mind of our great people of the Soviet Union and all peoples who are fighting for their independence.

Do not drown you the voice of the people, the voice of truth, which sounds and will sound. The end, the grave of colonial slavery! Down with him and bury him, the deeper the better!

- Natalia Terekhova. How Khrushchev at the UN raised the authority of the USSR among the colonial peoples (neopr.) . UN Radio (August 2005).