Destalinization

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The process of dismantling the political, cultural and institutional legacy of Joseph Stalin and his repressive system in the Soviet Union
2. The undoing of Stalinist methods, ideology and personality cults in a country that had once been governed under Stalin's rule
3. Reversing the Stalinist order by rolling back its harsh policies, purges and glorification of the leader in Soviet-era politics

Etymology: Destalinization is a plain formation from three parts: the prefix "de-", meaning undoing or reversing, the name of the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, and the suffix "-ization", which turns a name or noun into a process of making or changing something. Put together, the word describes the process of dismantling the policies, personality cult and institutions associated with Stalin's rule. The pattern is typical of modern political vocabulary, where a leader's name becomes the base for a term describing the reversal of his legacy. Other examples in the same mould include "de-Nazification" and "de-Bolshevization," which follow the same logic of attaching "de-" to a figure's name to mean the removal of their influence.

Antonyms: stalinization