Russia to renovate Lenin’s tomb in Red Square

Russia’s Ministry of Culture has signed a 20 million rubles (approx $250,000) contract to restore the mausoleum, where Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin’s embalmed body is on display, as an inspection reported several parts are crumbling and some have mould building up due to inadequate ventilation, RT reported, citing the tender records.

The restoration will address structural damage and update the site for modern use, as per the project documents. Work is expected to be completed by mid-2027

One of the most recognisable landmarks in Russia, the red granite and black labradorite structure, which was built in 1929-30, has undergone regular maintenance and has been closed on several occasions in recent years, including for public events.

As per RT, Lenin remains a divisive figure in Russian history. While some view him as a visionary who led the 1917 October Revolution to establish a fairer society, others regard him as a tyrant responsible for mass repression and death.

The revolution sparked a civil war, after which Lenin’s Bolsheviks consolidated control over much of the Tsarist Russian Empire. These territories were united in 1922 to form the Soviet Union. Lenin died two years later, in 1924, and his body has remained on public display since then.

The RT also cited a 2024 poll by the Russian Public Opinion Research Centre (VCIOM), where one-third of respondents support keeping Lenin in his mausoleum. However, thirty per cent favour an immediate burial, while 27 per cent believe that a reburial should be conducted only if it would not cause controversy.

Debates over the fate of Lenin’s body crop up time to time. While some public figures have called for burial and alternative uses of the site, officials have consistently stated there are no current plans to rebury him.

In 2021, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the regime had no plans to relocate the iconic revolutionary’s remains.