Destroyed the cult of Stalin and the perception that he was a legend starting with the secret speech of 25 February 1956

Stalin’s statues and portraits were removed from public places

The secret police were given less power

Abolition of the death penalty

Laws of censorship were relaxed so there was more freedom in the media and the arts

Increased freedom was given to writers and artists

No elimination of his rivals, as Stalin had done, they were just given unimportant jobs instead

Indication of a less brutal control of the party      

Stalingrad was renamed to Volvograd

Also erased Stalin from history by taking his body from the Red Square where it was buried and buried it in a grave alongside the walls of the Kremlin with other Soviet leaders.

Thousands of political prisoners were released from Gulags which were closed.

Improved Khrushchev’s image – portraying him as good and Stalin as bad and disassociated himself from Stalin’s crimes even though he had been responsible for thousands of deaths himself

Other places and buildings named after Stalin were renamed

Nevertheless, the basic elements of the Soviet system, including the dominance of the Communist Party, remained intact