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.

July gestures next to her boyfriend Jason Schaller while they are suspended from hooks pierced through their skins by professional body artist Wei Yilaien at a bar in Shanghai, China September 16, 2018. “I like being unique and I don't like doing things that many people are aware of and would accept”, said Wei, 24, who staged the show of extreme body piercing in China's normally buttoned down financial capital. (Photo by Aly Song/Reuters)

Soap Bubble Structures by Kym Cox. Bubbles optimise space and minimise their surface area for a given volume of air. This phenomenon makes them a useful tool in many areas of research, in particular, materials science and “packing” – how things fit together. Bubble walls drain under gravity, thin at the top, thick at the bottom, which interferes with travelling lightwaves to create bands of colour. Black spots show the wall is too thin for interference colours, indicating the bubble is about to burst. (Photo by Kym Cox/2019 Science Photographer of the Year/RPS)

American singer Demi Lovato unveils her “badass” new wax figure at Madame Tussauds Las Vegas on October 1, 2024. She marveled at the likeness and attention to detail on her tattoos – joking the only thing missing is her new engagement ring. The figure is adorned in the skirt and top from Demi's Alternative Press Magazine photoshoot, with the entire look generously donated by Demi herself. (Photo by Key Lime/Madame Tussauds USA/The Mega Agency)

Mariam Ashraf, a teacher and “natural hair influencer”, speaks before a phone on a tripod and lights during a live-stream at her home in Egypt's capital Cairo on March 22, 2022. “Shaggy”, “messy”, “unprofessional”. Natural curls were once looked down upon in Egypt, where Western beauty standards favoured sleek, straight locks. Now, things are changing. (Photo by Khaled Desouki/AFP Photo)

The 6th Siberian Tattoo Festival at Podzemka Loft Park in Novosibirsk, Russia on August 20, 2017. Tattoo lovers have been showing off their impressive inkings at annual conventions in LA and Russia this weekend. This year marks the sixth Siberian Tattoo Festival in Novosibirsk, Russia, while stateside tattoo fanatics have been celebrating all things body-art at the LA Tattoo Convention in Long Beach, California. (Photo by Kirill Kukhmar/TASS)

A not-so-famous photographer Robert Jahns can do impossible things with common photos. He takes two pictures and joins them into a single composition. Thanks to this creative idea, which is based on the combination of contrasts, ordinary photos become interesting and attractive. Jahns combines several pictures into one seamless scene. A leafless crown of the tree, layered onto deer antlers, creates a real and natural continuation of the deer`s head. Likewise, a rollercoaster with an overview of the city frightens us by being very realistic. (Photo by Robert Jahns A.K.A. Nois7)

Brian Skerry can be called many things – explorer, journalist, conservation advocate – but he is first and foremost a photographer. His journeys to capture amazing underwater photographs have taken him across the world’s oceans. Photo: This Bahamian oceanic whitetip shark, known for the distinctive coloring on its white-tipped, rounded extremities, is part of a globally threatened species due to overfishing demands, primarily for its fins. (Photo by Brian Skerry)