In this Thursday, October 18, 2018 photo, contestants wait for their performance backstage during the National Amateur Body Builders' Association competition in Tel Aviv, Israel. Dozens of glistening competitors took the stage for the annual body building and fitness competition last week. But behind the scenes, machismo makes way for cooperation. (Photo by Oded Balilty/AP Photo)

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.

Russian artist Maria Gasanova adjusts her make-up as she finishes “The Siberian Beauty” body art work from her “The Alive Painting” series before the opening ceremony of the Cultural Universiade as part of preparation for the 2019 Winter Universiade Krasnoyarsk, in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, December 9, 2016. (Photo by Ilya Naymushin/Reuters)

Belarussian rhythmic gymnast Melitina Staniouta takes a selfie as she has her make-up done in Minsk, May 29, 2016. Photos show her training and competing, as well as trying on her official Olympic uniform and getting ready for a photo shoot. (Photo by Vasily Fedosenko/Reuters)

Have you ever heard of a phenomenon called the Uncanny Valley? Illustrations created by Swiss illustrator Christo Dagorov show how horrible something may look when it’s a hair’s breadth away from looking human. In his illustrations he combined the shape of human lips with trees, buildings, and even human bodies, making it look from a distance as if the lips were horribly deformed by some unknown disease. However, after a while you make out the shapes, yet the feeling of uneasiness remains, making you shiver from unsuppressable disgust. (Photo by Christo Dagorov)

A woman with a Japanese style full back body tattoo at the 12th London International Tattoo Convention, which opened today in Tobacco Dock, east London on September 23, 2016. The show features over 400 of the world's finest, most prestigious and elite tattoo artists as well as a showcasing alternative culture in the form of piercing, burlesque and the Miss Pin Up UK competition. Around 20,000 people will attend over the weekend. (Photo by Michael Preston/Alamy Live News)

A general view of a beauty salon on July 8, 2023 in Kabul, Afghanistan. This week, a Taliban spokesman said the group, which regained control of Afghanistan in 2021, was ordering the closure of beauty salons because they offered services forbidden by Islam. (Photo by Nava Jamshidi/Getty Images)

Heesco, Windsor. Born and raised in Mongolia and now living and working in Melbourne, Heesco is well known for his skill in rendering photo-realistic portraits. They speak to the viewer in a way that the subtext is enjoyable to decipher. Just what is the Blue Lady’s message? The sunglasses might mask the confronting gaze but her body language fills in the gaps. Heesco’s characters often wear traditional jewellery and clothing that remind us of his Mongolian cultural heritage. (Photo by Lou Chamberlin/The Guardian)