Photo: Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (1870 – 1924) lying in state in the Kremlin. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images). 1924

Important! For the same article in Russian language click here.

Something quite intriguing is happening within Russian-speaking internet during the last few – should you type a fully academic inquiry (at least, according to Russian academic requirements) in national search engines for "Lenin's mausoleum" – the first thing you get (even in top 10 searches) is website pages talking about black magic and occult. Website authors view this construction differently, but unconditionally agree on one thing: the mausoleum of the "leader of the world proletariat” – the essence of a magical artifact, a sort of “energy vampire”. It was built with a certain purpose: to drain the energy out of miserable Soviet citizens on one hand; and to poison the anthroposphere of one-sixth part of the earth with its vibes (the exact territory that was occupied by the former Soviet Union), depriving the Russian people of will to resist on the other hand. Complete nonsense? No doubt. Nevertheless, an intriguing one. Well, probably because some oddities do exist in mausoleum's history. These oddities are the thing we are going to discuss this time. First, let me refresh you memory on the subject.

Cordwood construction is a method of natural building that originated roughly one thousand years ago in Greece and Siberia. This method involves using pieces of wood that slightly protrude from the mortar, giving the walls an attractive appearance. Usually, the walls are made 12 to 24 inches thick. However, in some parts of Canada, the walls can be as thick as 36 inches. This method appeals to many people due to its ease of construction economy of resources. Cordwood Construction can be separated into two main types: mortar-insulation-mortar (M-I-M) and Throughwall. M-I-M is a more preferable and widely used choice as it allows for better insulating properties.

Here’s a closer look at the official The Simpsons LEGO set that we previewed earlier here. In celebration of the animated sitcom series’ 25th anniversary, LEGO has paired up with Matt Groening‘s cartoon creation for a two-part collaboration that features arguably two of the largest entities in popular culture. The limited-edition LEGO set depicts the Simpson family’s home, alongside mini-figures of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, Maggie and Ned Flanders. The painstakingly recreated LEGO brick house can be reconfigured and opened up to reveal the inside of the four-bedroom residence. The release of the scaled set will be accompanied by a LEGO-themed episode of The Simpsons, which is set to air on FOX in May. Longtime Simpsons fans can purchase the set for $200 USD at select LEGO stores early next month.

“Pantsir-S1 (NATO reporting name SA-22 Greyhound) is a combined short to medium range surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery weapon system produced by KBP of Tula, Russia. The system is a further development of SA-19/SA-N-11 and represents the latest air defence technology by using phased-array radars for both target acquisition and tracking”. – Wikipedia

Photo: Test of the surface-to-air missile Pantsir-S rocket and gun system in the conditions of the Polar region on the range “Pemba” near Vorkuta, approximately on October 20 2012. According to the statement of military, during doctrines five cruise missiles from five were destroyed. (Photo by Alexey Reznichenko)

Figure skater Alexandra Trusova of Team ROC practices during a training session at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, at the Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing, China on February 19, 2022. (Photo by Valery Sharifulin/TASS)

Photographer Henry Hargreaves and artist Caitlin Levin have been working together for about decade. Their shared love for “food, photography, travel, and art” has found an outlet in a series of maps that they have illustrated with food.

FC Barcelona's Catalina Coll and Lucy Bronze in action with Olympique Lyonnais' Lindsey Horan during their women's Champions League final in Bilbao, Spain on May 25, 2024. (Photo by Violeta Santos Moura/Reuters)