Editing Bolesław Bierut (section)

===Death and funeral===

[[File:Funeral of Bierut.jpg|thumb|left|251px|Bierut's funeral bier attended by [[Józef Cyrankiewicz]], [[Edward Ochab]] and [[Aleksander Zawadzki]]]]

The [[20th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union]] deliberated on 14–25 February 1956. Afterwards, Bierut did not return to Poland with the rest of the Polish delegation, but remained in Moscow, hospitalized with bad [[influenza]], which turned into [[pneumonia]] and heart complications.<ref name="Eisler siedmiu 88–93">Jerzy Eisler, ''Siedmiu wspaniałych. Poczet pierwszych sekretarzy KC PZPR'' [The Magnificent Seven: first secretaries of the PZPR], pp. 88–93.</ref>

On 3 March, during a conference of PZPR activists in Warsaw, [[Stefan Staszewski]] and others severely criticized the contemporary party leadership, including the absent Bierut.<ref name="Eisler siedmiu 88–93"/>

Bierut died of a [[myocardial infarction|heart attack]] on 12 March 1956, having read the text of [[Nikita Khrushchev]]'s "[[On the Cult of Personality and Its Consequences|Secret Speech]]", in which Khrushchev criticized Stalin's [[cult of personality]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Fitzpatrick |first1=Sheila |title=On Stalin's Team: The Years of Living Dangerously in Soviet Politics |date=2015 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=9781400874217 |page=246 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HAIACQAAQBAJ&pg=PA246 |language=en}}</ref>

Bierut, however, would not die until sixteen days after that speech and four members of the delegation of Polish students who studied in Moscow, who met him on 25 February 1956, told Eisler that the first secretary showed signs of physical distress already at that time.<ref name="Eisler siedmiu 88–93"/>
[[File:Powazki Bierut.JPG|thumb|right|Bierut's tomb at [[Powązki Military Cemetery]]]]
The deceased leader was given a splendid funeral in Warsaw. A period of national mourning was declared. Catholic bishops conceded to the demand that church bells ring all over the country on the day of the funeral.<ref name="Eisler siedmiu 88–93"/>

In a radio address on 14 March, Helena Jaworska, chairperson of the board of the [[Union of Polish Youth]], eulogized Bierut on behalf of the Polish youth. She recalled Bierut's war and post-war activities and declared that "the beloved friend of the youth has departed". She spoke of the "great son of the Polish nation" and "a beautiful, loved person".<ref name="Eisler siedmiu 88–93"/>

The funeral, which took place on 16 March, was transmitted by the Polish Radio over many hours. Warsaw residents were given a day-off from work to be able to participate. Large crowds of people gathered and joined the funeral procession, which began at the [[Palace of Culture and Science]] and proceeded toward the [[Powązki Military Cemetery]], where the burial took place and where, for logistic reasons, only invited guests and delegations could enter.<ref name="Eisler siedmiu 88–93"/>