Lenin's Mausoleum Winter Closing

If you're planning an early winter holiday in Moscow you might miss out on viewing Lenin's body at his mausoleum on Red Square.

Lenin might've died in 1924 but that doesn't stop you visiting him. On my first trip to Moscow about four years ago, it wasn't so much viewing his body that interested me - at the time, Red Square was closed to tourists except for those visiting Lenin's Mausoleum, so I got in the long line to pay my respects, and to step foot on Krasnaya Ploschad.

Each year, careful maintenance is carried out on Lenin's body to ensure its preservation, and this work can vary from a matter of days to a couple of months. This year, more serious work is called for and Lenin's Mausoleum will be closed from 10 November to 26 December 2006.

Considering that Lenin's wish was in fact to be buried next to his mother in St Petersburg, I'm really in two minds about the whole body preservation issue. Maria Fyodorovna got her wish to be buried in St Petes granted this week: but it doesn't really look like Lenin is next.