Lenin's Mausoleum

Welcome to Red Square, the historic and symbolic heart of Russia, and we are standing before one of its most enigmatic structures: Lenin's Mausoleum. This granite and labradorite monument serves as the final resting place for…

The mausoleum we see today was preceded by two temporary wooden structures. The first was built in just three days following Lenin's death in January 1924. …

To visit the mausoleum, one must navigate a process that feels part military operation and part religious pilgrimage. The entrance is not through the grand doors facing Red Square, but through a 'secret' side entrance located…

Before entering the mausoleum itself, the path leads you along the Kremlin Wall Necropolis. This is the most prestigious burial site in Russia, containing the remains of those who shaped the Soviet century. …

Step inside the mausoleum, and you are immediately enveloped in a cold, dim environment. You descend a flight of stairs into the central mourning hall. …

While millions have visited the mourning hall, very few are aware of the 'secret room' hidden within the mausoleum's thick granite walls. Located near the central hall, behind a door hidden by a stone relief of the Soviet coat of…

As you exit the mausoleum area and return to the main square, you are treading on ground that is currently the subject of intense debate. Since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, there have been frequent calls to finally bury…

As our scholarly exploration of Lenin’s Mausoleum comes to an end, take a moment to look back at the dark, silent pyramid set against the ancient red walls of the Kremlin. We have traveled from the desperate, frozen construction…