Monday, November 2, 2009

TMI Tuesday.......





Hi Everybody....
Remember the last TMI Tuesday I suggested that I might give you an embalming post? Well hehehe...Are you ready?
In 1924 when Vladimir Lenin died, he didn't want any fancy burials or monuments erected in his honor. But Stalin decided that since religion was being supressed, they needed some sort of 'Shrine' to the Soviet Union. So Dead Lenin was just that attraction!
Preserving the dead body was the first task at hand, and since refrigeration was not that advanced in The Soviet Union, and the body was already starting to deteriorate, Plan B was put into effect...Chemically embalming him!
First thing...Remove all the internal organs. His 'twigs and berries' were left in place though.
Second thing...Address the issue of drying. His body was already starting to turn ashy and shriveling, so they immersed him in a solution of glycerine and other preservative chemicals that infused his body and gave him a plump moist look.
The only problem with this was keeping the body from turning yellow and drying out.
It required regular upkeep! In spite of having a glass covered coffin built for him, every two weeks or so his hands and face are soaked in a glycerine solution to keep from shriveling. Every so often Lenin sprouts little patches of fungus, and he has to be dabbed with Hydrogen Peroxide.
Once a year the tomb is closed and his body is removed to the back room for a once over to spot overall fungus. He gets a dip in the Glycerine solution to keep him looking his best, and he is given a fresh new suit for his adoring public...
Under his new suit, plastic bandages are wrapped around his body to keep any juicy fluids from leaking out.
The tomb remains open daily from 9am to 1pm, and visitors still shuffle by his body.
The lighting is very soft and warm which makes his discolored hair and yellow skin less noticable. Lenin is said to look like he is peacefully sleeping...Others say he looks like he escaped from Madame Tussauds!
Peace...!!!

16 comments:

Serena said...

Yuck! What an awful way to end up. If he's not haunting the people who did that to him, he should be!:)

Anonymous said...

Well that's full of a lot of something I tell ya :) LOL

snowelf said...

Galen, really...I'm starting to worry about you.

Put the knowledge down. Step away from the knowledge.

LOL--you know I love you. ;)

--snow

the walking man said...

It is one of the oddest shrines I had ever read about. Stupid people and our stupid past kept around to remind us how stupid we really can be.

big Jenn said...

Nice. jeNN

Nessa said...

Well, that put me off breakfast :)

Tuesday's Tales #1 - John

Dulçe ♥ said...

Nice yet macabre!!!

buffalodick said...

I thought the glass vault/tomb/coffin thing was air tight, and he was in an airless environment...

Brian Miller said...

glad i ate the bacon already...to keep anything juicy from leaking out...shivers.

lime said...

yuck, sounds like an awful thing to be on display like that forever and what a yucky job to have, freshening lenin. (good name for a rock band though...freshening lenin)

me? dig a hole, don't embalm me, white shroud or my best tie dye, pine box, throw the dirt over me. no fuss, no muss.

Akelamalu said...

I've been to see the Body Works exhibition and that's nowhere near as macabre as this :0

Susan at Stony River said...

OMG. This was just nasty. I wonder what he's cost the Soviet Union/Russian Federation over the years?

But hey, now I know how to get back at my kids after I'm gone... where'd I put that will... heheheheh

Susan at Stony River said...

OMG. This was just nasty. I wonder what he's cost the Soviet Union/Russian Federation over the years?

But hey, now I know how to get back at my kids after I'm gone... where'd I put that will... heheheheh

clean and crazy said...

my daughter is going to love this!!! She want to be a forensic some kind of scientist that pays with dead people!! yuck but she will love this!!

inappropriatesue said...

Great TMI, LOL. G-Man. I wan to start a 55 for Friday. How do I get involved? Come to my blog and tell me how please :)

Brother Frankie said...

i want my kids to do that to me.... lol