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.

It is curious that precisely this Stalin speech proved to be the first to be filmed in sound cinema. This is what B.Z. Shumyatsky, who in 1934 was head of the Main Directorate of the Film Industry and deputy chairman of the Committee for Arts Affairs under the USSR Council of People's Commissars, recorded about it in his diary:

"Viewed on May 16, 1935.

Present: Koba, Kl. Efr. (Voroshilov), Sergo, and Lazar Mois. (Kaganovich).

At first I showed the sound newsreel of Laval's arrival (before his visit to Comrades Stalin and Molotov). Then episodes of the visit (silent)...

After this I turned to Kl. Efr. and Lazar Mois. and told them that on our own responsibility we had made, on May 14 of this year in the Column Hall of the House of Unions, the first sound recording of Comrade Stalin's speech, and that I would like to show it.

Kl. Efr. and L. Mois. were surprised, but immediately approved the idea and advised showing it without hesitation.

Koba. At that time he was distracted by a conversation with Sergo, but, sensing a long pause, asked: what shall we watch next, should we perhaps watch 'Airborne Landing' again?

B.Sh. First I ask you to watch another film.

Koba. If it is good, I agree.

B.Sh. I immediately switched on the projection, and the transmission of Comrade Stalin's speech and image began.

Koba. At first, when the departure from the rostrum of the Metrostroi delegation was being shown, he did not understand what was happening on the screen and began asking questions, but as soon as his speech began sounding from the screen, he started moving in his chair and asking: what is this?

B.Sh. This is the first recording of your speech.

Koba began listening intently to the speech, experiencing the familiar feeling of a person hearing a transmission of his own voice for the first time.

At that time all those present at the viewing listened and reacted strongly (with applause and laughter) to most of the speech, and in this way Koba, yielding to the general mood of the viewing room, began to smile. He clearly liked the recording. He began questioning me (B.Sh.) and making individual remarks about the possibility of preserving certain passages.

An animated exchange of opinions arose among those present. Everyone agreed that the speech should be preserved in the recording in full, for individual words in it are metaphors and their removal would deprive the speech of many vivid, characteristic, and intimate features.

Koba agreed with this.

It was decided to release this filming on Moscow screens that very evening, and from the next day on the screens of the Union.

The comrades expressed thanks for this filming" (RGASPI. F. 558. Op. 11. D. 829. L. 32–35).

On May 17, 1935, Pravda published a note, "Stalin on the Screen," which gave information on the imminent appearance of this film in the country's film distribution.