much grain as in the best prewar years, although the grain
area and the amount of machinery available are as yet
considerably less than before the war. This achievement is
due to the socialist competition that has developed so
widely between republic and republic, territory and ter-
ritory, region and region, and especially to the active part
taken in the competition by the entire body of collective
farmers, by the many millions of men and women on the
collective farms.
We had a hard time of it in the early period of the
war, until we reconstructed all our work to adapt it to
the new conditions. The devotion of our workers in the
rear and the heroism of our army at the front, which are
without parallel in world history, were a manifestation
of a lofty Soviet patriotism—and this ensured our vic-
tory over the enemy. (Applause.) The current upsurge
of Soviet patriotism serves as a notable expression of the
present ideological and spiritual development of our So-
viet people.
It cannot be denied that the survivals of capitalism
in the minds of men are very tenacious. That is why the
Party is constantly reminding the Soviet people of the
need for all-round criticism and self-criticism aiming at
the elimination of these pernicious survivals of the past.
On the other hand, it cannot be denied that we now have
vast opportunities to conduct the struggle for the elimina-
tion of these survivals with success.
The cultural level of our people has risen in all re-
spects. The number of students, the number of books pub-
lished, educational work among the masses, have long
ago attained proportions unequaled in any other country.
Our intellectuals, the workers in the field of culture, our
scientists and artists, are imbued with Soviet patriotism as
never before. It is by no means fortuitous, that nowadays
495