Lenin's embalmed corpse good for another century

The embalmed corpse of ex-Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin could remain on view in his tomb on Red Square for another 100 years, if no decision to remove it is taken, one of its curators said on Friday.

One of the experts who cares for the corpse, Yuri Denisov-Nikolsky, said that if the body "receives proper care it could remain in the mausoleum for another 100 years."

The mausoleum's continuing presence in the heart of Moscow has been a source of considerable controversy since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Demands to transfer the body of the architect of the 1917 Russian Revolution to a regular cemetery have been countered by Russian Communists, who insist that the tomb in Red Square remain the Soviet leader's final resting place.

Lenin's mausoleum, a major tourist attraction in Moscow, closes every year and a half for restoration work, which usually last for some six weeks. This year the work will be carried out from February 18 until April 15.

[Smetana]

I personally think this is disgusting. First, he never wanted to be put on display like this, his last wishes were to be cremated. It is an insult not only to his last wishes but also to decency. I've seen Ho Chi Min in Vietnam and found it revolting. I've aslo seen the monks in the Lavra in Kyiv and although they are revered the only visable parts of the body were at most a hand.

Secondly, the Soviet Union ended in 1991, why keep his body on display? Why not put bury the past (literally) and move on? Respect the man's dying wish and put him in the ground.

[coolncrazy]

Why do you think we should respect this man and his last wish? Do you think he was so good man that we should think about such things? It was his closest friends who decided to embalm his corpse and display it to the public. I think, if they did it, that means it was what he deserved. It also provided the inspiration for the Mausoleums of Mao Zedong, Ho Chi Minh and Kim Il Sung, violating their wishes to be cremated. Interesting world history phenomenon.

Egyptians have Tutankhamun mummy and they don't want to cremate or bury it. They have their mummy, we have our embalmed corpse. Nothing ideological, just a corpse of significant figure of our and world history and, in the same time, the first example of the best embalming technology of the age, interesting development of Russian scientists, which was later used in other most famous cases of embalming. Lenin's corpse remain in good condition for more then 80 years. That's a very interesting experiment, I think we can't just break it after so many years. And we can't forget that Lenin's mausoleum is well known place in the Red Square, it attract very many tourists.

But that's only my opinion. Surely, you can oppose it and said that it's indecent and so on...

[Smetana]

coolncrazy wrote:

Why do you think we should respect this man and his last wish? Do you think he was so good man that we should think about such things? It was his closest friends who decided to embalm his corpse and display it to the public. I think, if they did it, that means it was what he deserved. It also provided the inspiration for the Mausoleums of Mao Zedong, Ho Chi Minh and Kim Il Sung, violating their wishes to be cremated. Interesting world history phenomenon.
Egyptians have Tutankhamun mummy and they don't want to cremate or bury it. They have their mummy, we have our embalmed corpse. Nothing ideological, just a corpse of significant figure of our and world history and, in the same time, the first example of the best embalming technology of the age, interesting development of Russian scientists, which was later used in other most famous cases of embalming. Lenin's corpse remain in good condition for more then 80 years. That's a very interesting experiment, I think we can't just break it after so many years. And we can't forget that Lenin's mausoleum is well known place in the Red Square, it attract very many tourists.
But that's only my opinion. Surely, you can oppose it and said that it's indecent and so on...

I see your point cool, I just think it is time to move on. I don't think his body is being preserved out of spite of his last wishes, rather it was used and is continued to be used as a political tool to appease the older generation of Russians. I think, and this is purely my opinion, that burying Lenin would be the final phycological blow that the Soviet Union, and any greatness that is associated with it, is gone forever. Of course I could be looking too deep into it.

[Robespierre]

Lenin's body and Lenin's mausoleum are part of Moscow, regardless of politics.

Lenin was an historical figure and will be considered as such for ever. He was a social innovator, who inspired not only Russians but many people worldwide. His legacy hasn't stopped in 1991 and still lives on under another form.

Maybe in 100 years time, when all survivors of the Socialist experiment would have disappeared, removing it without offending will be possible. But Moscow will loose a famous landmark.

[Krishnamurty]

Russia worships its emperors of which Lenin, the genocidal mass murderer, was one.

[tarmo]

Been there, seen that. Not much to comment. It is a myth, a curiosity, statue of a false god, etc. I don't really care...

[Robespierre]

tarmo wrote:

Been there, seen that. Not much to comment. It is a myth, a curiosity, statue of a false god, etc. I don't really care...

Why did you go to see it if you don't really care?

I saw it too, but I wanted to go on top of the maussoleum; I was not allowed.

[Matti]

As long as Lenin stays in mausoleum Russians will not condemn their past crimes during the communist era.
Lenin should be dismatled of his present glory immediately, as soon all those people, who know what really happened, are in graveyard.
The Soviet history was written as it was planned to be remembered by the future generations, who did not self experience Lenin's or Stalin's time.
Already Putin belongs to this generation, who has only "the official soviet information" or he will actively forget any other information if he has got it.

[coolncrazy]

Matti wrote:

As long as Lenin stays in mausoleum Russians will not condemn their past crimes during the communist era.

What crimes? We all know about Soviet government crimes, most of them wasn't Russians, and this crimes was against Russians too, but what uncondemned crimes of Russians are you talking about? Are talking mainly about the crimes of Georgian power age (Stalin & Beria)? And you blame Russians for this crimes of powerful Georgians? Do you know how many Russians was killed by them?

[Observer]

coolncrazy wrote:

<quoted text>
What crimes? We all know about Soviet government crimes, most of them wasn't Russians, and this crimes was against Russians too, but what uncondemned crimes of Russians are you talking about? Are talking mainly about the crimes of Georgian power age (Stalin & Beria)? And you blame Russians for this crimes of powerful Georgians? Do you know how many Russians was killed by them?

The kind of post you have just made illustrate perfectly the problem that you Russians have. You want respect from the rest of the world but comments like yours only earn Russia ridicule. If you can't acknowledge the crimes of the past then you have no reason to expect a better future and no reason to deserve any respect from other countries. It seems you, like most Russians, have crawled back into the shell you emerged from in the early 1990s.
Using your pathetic argument to absolve yourselves of any responsibility for Stalin's crimes are we then to assume that contemporary Russians have absolutely equally no right to claim any credit for beating the Nazis in WWII? I mean if Stalin wasn't the leader of Russia then you have no claim whatsoever regarding any actions in WWII. In fact perhaps the world should acknowledge Georgia as beating the Nazis as this seems more accurately to fit your twisted logic! Your reasoning is as sick as that presented by Putin who, incidentally, does not hesitate to take credit for what the Soviet Union did in WWII. That being clearly the case he and Russia should also take responsibility for all the crimes committed by Stalin's regime. You know the issue is very clear when you think it through!!

[coolncrazy]

Observer wrote:

<quoted text>
Using your pathetic argument to absolve yourselves of any responsibility for Stalin's crimes are we then to assume that contemporary Russians have absolutely equally no right to claim any credit for beating the Nazis in WWII? I mean if Stalin wasn't the leader of Russia then you have no claim whatsoever regarding any actions in WWII. In fact perhaps the world should acknowledge Georgia as beating the Nazis as this seems more accurately to fit your twisted logic! Your reasoning is as sick as that presented by Putin who, incidentally, does not hesitate to take credit for what the Soviet Union did in WWII. That being clearly the case he and Russia should also take responsibility for all the crimes committed by Stalin's regime. You know the issue is very clear when you think it through!!

Don't be so stupid. It was not Soviet government or NKVD who fights the Nazis. It was millions of Soviet people of many nations. But those who had make that crimes - that was the government and special organization (NKVD).

[Russy]

He should be buried in the ground as it is necessary under normal human laws.
It will be a good sign, that Russia begins a new era.
It is impossible to live on memoirs constantly.

[Russy]

Observer wrote:

That being clearly the case he and Russia should also take responsibility for all the crimes committed by Stalin's regime. You know the issue is very clear when you think it through!!

From WHAT time Russia should apologize.
I think that since Ivan's THE Terrible time it woild nice.

I hope that Poland has already apologized for the crimes against Ukraine.
IS not it ?

It would be very strange also , that such democratic country as Poland still has not apologized that it attacked Moscow and Smalensk in 1611.
HAVE NOT YOU ?

LOL.

It is very strange, that NOBODY demands apologies from Mongolia (LOL) for crimes of
Genghis Khan against humanity.

:)

[coolncrazy]

Russy wrote:

<quoted text>
From WHAT time Russia should apologize.

The most interesting that in 90th president Yeltsin already had apologized and even kneel to Katyn memorial in Poland. Russia built huge memorial in Katyn and Putin officially unveiled it.

[Observer]

coolncrazy wrote:

<quoted text>
Don't be so stupid. It was not Soviet government or NKVD who fights the Nazis. It was millions of Soviet people of many nations. But those who had make that crimes - that was the government and special organization (NKVD).

Blahh...blah...blah...yawn...

[Observer]

Russy wrote:

He should be buried in the ground as it is necessary under normal human laws.
It will be a good sign, that Russia begins a new era.
It is impossible to live on memoirs constantly.

For once I agree with you.

[Observer]

Russy wrote:

<quoted text>
From WHAT time Russia should apologize.
I think that since Ivan's THE Terrible time it woild nice.
I hope that Poland has already apologized for the crimes against Ukraine.
IS not it ?
It would be very strange also , that such democratic country as Poland still has not apologized that it attacked Moscow and Smalensk in 1611.
HAVE NOT YOU ?
LOL.
It is very strange, that NOBODY demands apologies from Mongolia (LOL) for crimes of
Genghis Khan against humanity.
:)

Worst thing the Poles ever did was leave Moscow when they did. Perhaps you guys would be civilised now if they had stayed longer. On the other hand...perhaps it wouldn't.

[Observer]

Russy wrote:

<quoted text>
From WHAT time Russia should apologize.
I think that since Ivan's THE Terrible time it woild nice.
I hope that Poland has already apologized for the crimes against Ukraine.
IS not it ?
It would be very strange also , that such democratic country as Poland still has not apologized that it attacked Moscow and Smalensk in 1611.
HAVE NOT YOU ?
LOL.
It is very strange, that NOBODY demands apologies from Mongolia (LOL) for crimes of
Genghis Khan against humanity.
:)

Hey dumbo - read my last post. All will be revealled.....

[coolncrazy]

Observer wrote:

<quoted text>
Worst thing the Poles ever did was leave Moscow when they did. Perhaps you guys would be civilised now if they had stayed longer. On the other hand...perhaps it wouldn't.

Their only choice was to leave or to die. Poles in Kremlin begins to eat each other, because of no food and the siege by Russian insurgent army, who was get tired with that Polish bloody tyrants.

[Russy]

Observer wrote:

<quoted text>
Worst thing the Poles ever did was leave Moscow when they did.

LOL.
So , you ve made a big mistake , then ...