Lenin’s Mausoleum

Lenin’s Mausoleum

Lenin’s Mausoleum is one of Red Square’s most macabre but most popular attractions that you may visit during your tour to Russia. Since his death in January 1924, the leader of the October Revolution has lay embalmed in Russia’s capital and can be visited to this day, offering a glimpse of the revered place that he held in Soviet politics and society.

Photo by DIMSFIKAS on Wikipedia

History of Lenin’s Mausoleum

Lenin’s Mausoleum During Soviet Russia

A cult of personality surrounded Vladimir Lenin, which practically evolved into a new religion for the proletariat. As Lenin fell gravely ill in 1922, efforts were increased to cement the mythical image of the Father of the October Revolution, and a new term, ‘Leninism’ was introduced in 1923 to place Lenin at the centre of Soviet ideology.
Vladimir Lenin died on 21st January 1924, and nationwide mourning began immediately. His body was temporarily embalmed before his funeral on 27th January, so that people could pay their respects. Although Lenin wanted to be buried, the Soviet government received 10,000 telegrams begging for his body to be preserved for posterity, almost as a relic to accompany his quasi-religious image. The embalming of Lenin’s body was the will of his successors too. The physical presence of Lenin in the very heart of the USSR would represent the eternality of Soviet power, and until the collapse of the Soviet Union, adaptations of the doctrines of Leninism allowed Soviet leaders to justify their decisions and condemn those who opposed them. Lenin’s body was placed in the mausoleum later that year.

The first mausoleum was constructed for the day of Lenin’s funeral by Alexei Shushchev, in the form of a wooden cube crowned with a three-tier pyramid. The second version was built in the spring of 1924, and a sarcophagus designed by Konstantin Melnikov was added. The third and final mausoleum, constructed between 1929 and 1930 by Shushchev, was made from concrete with brick walls, a granite façade, and decorated with labradorite, marble and raspberry quartzite.

Photo by image1.org on Wikipedia

With the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War in July 1941, Lenin’s body was evacuated to Tyumen in Siberia, and the mausoleum was disguised as a mansion to protect it from German bombers. From 1945 until 1995, members of the Soviet government used Lenin’s Mausoleum as a stage to observe the 9th May Victory Day Parade on Red Square. Following his death in 1953, Stalin was interred in the mausoleum, which was renamed ‘The Mausoleum of Lenin and Stalin’. His body was removed in 1961 as part of the process of Destalinisation, and placed in the Kremlin Wall Necropolis.

Lenin’s Mausoleum in Post-Soviet Russia

Photo by Thomas Münter on Wikipedia

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the image of Lenin as the canonical symbol of the country was no more. Funding to the mausoleum was cut, and the post of the honorary guard which stood by the tomb was abolished. Discussions took place over whether Lenin’s body should be removed and reburied, an opinion expressed by President Boris Yeltsin and the mayors of St Petersburg and Moscow, Anatoly Sobchak and Yuri Luzhkov. This was not carried out, as Red Square and its ensemble had been recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990, and Lenin’s Mausoleum remained a significant historical and cultural monument despite the ideological and political changes which had taken place.
The divisive debate continues to this day. In 2012, Vladimir Putin expressed that there was no plan to remove Lenin from the mausoleum. However, in April 2017, a number of Duma Deputies proposed to the State Duma that Lenin’s reburial should be reconsidered and his mausoleum relocated, as Lenin is not a symbol of modern Russia. At the same time, a survey conducted by the All-Russian Centre for the Study of Public Opinion revealed that 60% of Russians approved of Lenin’s reburial, although 24% of them believed that this should not be carried out until the last Soviet generation has passed.

Visiting Lenin’s Mausoleum today

Photo by Zinneke on Wikipedia

Lenin’s Mausoleum remains one of Red Square’s most popular sites, attracting over 2.5 million visitors annually. To enter the mausoleum, visitors must assemble near the Kremlin’s Nikolskaya Tower before passing through the security checkpoint and metal detector. Photo and video equipment, mobile telephones, large bags, and bottles must be stored in a locker.

After descending a wide staircase you will enter the mourning hall, a 10x10-metre cube decorated with labradorite, red porphyry, and red smalt. The mausoleum is kept at a constant temperature of 16°C. Inside a bulletproof glass sarcophagus lies Lenin, dressed in a dark suit. Visitors have only a few minutes inside, and must continuously move through the hall under the watchful eyes of the mausoleum guards. The mausoleum retains its reverent atmosphere: talking, wearing hats, and putting your hands in your pockets is forbidden, as is photography; if you take photos, the staff have the right to examine your camera and delete them.

What’s nearby?

• Moscow Kremlin - A unique monument of Russian culture and a symbol of Russian statehood for centuries, home to cathedrals and churches, 20 towers, and opulent palaces.
• St Basil’s Cathedral – An astounding achievement of ancient Russian architecture, famous throughout the world for its colourful onion domes, comprising eleven different churches under one roof.
• GUM Department Store - Moscow’s most famous department store and luxury shopping destination, renowned for its fabulous architecture.

Why not take one of Express to Russia’s Moscow city tours, where our expert and informative guides will show you the best of what Moscow has to offer, including tours of Red Square and its surrounding attractions.