[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.2″ header_text_color=”#0a1766″ header_font_size=”42px” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Top Kremlin Secret<\/h1>\n
<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ text_text_color=”#279b45″ text_line_height=”1em” custom_padding=”|120px||120px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
By Narmin Abido Alakhmad<\/p>\n
Brooklyn, NY, United States<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_margin_tablet=”” custom_margin_phone=”||||false|false” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_padding=”0px||||false|false” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” global_colors_info=”{}” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][et_pb_row column_structure=”3_5,2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.7″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Imagine this: people are standing in the freezing cold just to catch a glimpse of someone they worship. How surprised would you be to learn that this person has been dead for over 150 years? But can we still call it a person if only the preserved shell remains, with no internal organs, and the skin requires regular care to keep it intact?<\/p>\n
This might sound like something from science fiction, but it\u2019s real. The preserved body on display belongs to Vladimir Lenin (1870\u20131924), a key figure in the history of Russia<\/strong>. Lenin was the founder of the Russian Communist Party and the leader of the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917. He became the first ruler of the Soviet Union, serving for seven years until he died in 1924.<\/p>\n New Tradition<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n After Lenin’s death, the Soviet government had to decide what to do with his body. Joseph Stalin, who took power after Lenin, proposed embalming it and placing it in Red Square, the heart of Moscow, for the public to see. However, this idea sparked debate. Among the opposition was Bolshevik leader Leon Trotsky.<\/p>\n Despite the controversy, when crowds of Russians began standing in subzero temperatures to view Lenin\u2019s body, the Kremlin eventually gave in and decided to preserve it for public display. This plan led to the development of a top-secret maintenance process that remained classified for nearly 70 years.<\/p>\n Protection Process<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Ilya Zbarsky, a biochemist, oversaw the care of Lenin\u2019s body from 1934 to 1952. His father had developed the original embalming procedure, which involved injecting and immersing the body in various solutions. Although Zbarsky’s role ended long ago, preservation efforts still continue. Every few days, a team of scientists inspects Lenin\u2019s body in its glass coffin, performing necessary procedures to maintain it as close to its original condition as possible.<\/p>\n This routine maintenance isn\u2019t enough to keep the body fully protected, so every 18 months scientists immerse it in a tub in a research lab for about 45 days. They use a chemical solution that penetrates skin to ensure Lenin\u2019s body remains flexible. Once the process is complete, the body is carefully wrapped in bandages, and Lenin is returned to his sarcophagus.<\/p>\n For over a century, this routine has kept Lenin looking much as he did on the day he died. How to preserve his body was once one of the Kremlin\u2019s most closely guarded secrets.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.7″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”9px” text_line_height=”1.2em” custom_margin=”-40px||||false|false” custom_padding=”||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Adaptation of “Lenin’s Mausoleum<\/a>” by Larry Koester. Licensed under CC BY 2.0<\/a>.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.7″ hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n The Secret Leaks<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Imagine working for the government with the responsibility of preserving a body for decades, knowing that even a small mistake could bring severe consequences. Under Stalin\u2019s rule, the care of Lenin\u2019s corpse was an extremely dangerous job. Zbarsky, who managed the process, worked under constant fear, as any flaw could result in harsh punishment, such as execution or exile to Siberia.<\/p>\n One of Zbarsky\u2019s most dangerous tasks came during World War II, when he was ordered to evacuate Lenin\u2019s body to the Ural Mountains to prevent it from being captured by German forces. Despite his years of dedicated service, Zbarsky was fired in 1952 after authorities arrested his father during Stalin\u2019s purges. For many years, Zbarsky kept the details of his work secret.<\/p>\n Zbarsky\u2019s perilous work on preserving Lenin\u2019s body wasn\u2019t the only task of its kind. After Stalin\u2019s death in 1953, a similar process was undertaken for his body, which was placed next to Lenin\u2019s in the mausoleum. The entrance even bore both dictators’ names. However, during political reforms in 1961, Stalin\u2019s body was moved to the Kremlin Wall Necropolis.<\/p>\n Variety of Opinions<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Later in life, Zbarsky revealed the secrets of the embalming process and the dangers he faced. In a newspaper interview, he also expressed his belief that Lenin\u2019s body should finally be buried. Although Zbarsky had devoted much of his life to maintaining Lenin\u2019s remains, he thought it was time to bury the leader.<\/p>\n Zbarsky wasn\u2019t alone in this sentiment. Boris Yeltsin, Russia\u2019s first president after the collapse of the Soviet Union, repeatedly voiced support for burying Lenin, but political opposition and public division prevented the move during his presidency. Even though a 2017 survey showed that about 63 percent of Russians favored burying Lenin, current president Vladimir Putin has stated that Lenin\u2019s body will remain in its mausoleum.<\/p>\n Have a suggestion for this story? We\u2019d love for you to\u00a0submit it<\/a>!<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/mathkind.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Russia-GMS-Moscow-Lenin-statue-600-x-400-px.png” alt=”Statue of Vladimir Lenin in front of a building with white colums” title_text=”Russia GMS Moscow Lenin statue (600 x 400 px)” align=”center” force_fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/mathkind.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Russia-GMS-Moscow-Lenin-mausoleum-600-x-400-px.png” alt=”View of the upper stories of Lenin’s mausoleum against the sky” title_text=”Russia GMS Moscow Lenin mausoleum (600 x 400 px)” align=”center” force_fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_accordion _builder_version=”4.27.4″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_accordion_item title=”Blank” open=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_css_main_element=”display: none; ” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Blank<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_accordion_item][et_pb_accordion_item title=”Math Resources” open_toggle_text_color=”#0a1766″ _builder_version=”4.27.2″ global_colors_info=”{}” toggle_text_color=”#0a1766″ toggle_font_size=”18px” open=”off”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_accordion_item][et_pb_accordion_item title=”Social Justice Questions” open_toggle_text_color=”#0a1766″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ global_colors_info=”{}” toggle_text_color=”#0a1766″ toggle_font_size=”18px” open=”off”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_accordion_item][et_pb_accordion_item title=”Explore Further” open_toggle_text_color=”#0a1766″ _builder_version=”4.27.2″ global_colors_info=”{}” toggle_text_color=”#0a1766″ toggle_font_size=”18px” open=”off”]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_accordion_item][et_pb_accordion_item title=”Share Your Story” open_toggle_text_color=”#0a1766″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}” toggle_text_color=”#0a1766″ toggle_font_size=”18px” open=”off”]<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mathkind.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Lenin-body-Russia-GMS-photo-Larry-Koester.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/mathkind.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Russia-Moscow-GMS-vertical-image_Stalin-280-x-364px.png\")
<\/p>\n\n
\n
\n