Lenin's Tomb....

[Humous]

Whilst fully expecting the usual bluster from the forces of reaction , to anyone interested in an alternative left perspective- Lenin'sTomb . Always interesting , Richard Seymour's blog .

 

http://www.leninology.com/

 

Bookmark for future reference .......

[Ke1t]

Whilst fully expecting the usual bluster from the forces of reaction , to anyone interested in an alternative left perspective- Lenin'sTomb . Always interesting , Richard Seymour's blog .

 

http://www.leninology.com/

 

Bookmark for future reference .......

 

Was at the real Lenin's Tomb a few years back.

 

The wife drags me over to see some dude with a bunch of monkeys.... "10 dollars for a picture of you with monkey" he tells us.

 

"Fucking hell," I say. and hand the guy the equivalent of ten buck.

 

He then loads the wife up with monkeys and demands an additional 10 bucks per monkey.

 

"You can fuck off." I tell the villain. "You're not getting 50 bucks for a picture of fucking monkeys."

 

"10 dollar each monkey!" he demands

 

"Awa' n fuck." I rationalise with him.

 

We argue back in forth, him in broken English and me increasingly in Doric... until the wife, by now covered in climbing, pulling, and biting, semi-feral monkeys, screams at me to just give him the money so she can get the fucking monkeys off her.

 

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, if you're at Lenin's Tomb, and you see a guy with a bunch of monkeys, give him a wide berth. Better still, steam up to him, kick him square in the balls, and relieve him of approximately 50 buck American. Then PM me here, and we'll arrange the return of my cash.

[muttondressedaslamb]

Always thought it was weird that Lenin can still be seen. Do many Ruskies still see him as some sort of hero? I would have thought many folk would have wanted him buried.

 

Been to a lot of eastern Europe and in every country any statue of Lenin is either in the basement of an unkempt museum or in a field miles away from cities.

[The Boofon]

Always thought it was weird that Lenin can still be seen. Do many Ruskies still see him as some sort of hero? I would have thought many folk would have wanted him buried.

 

Been to a lot of eastern Europe and in every country any statue of Lenin is either in the basement of an unkempt museum or in a field miles away from cities.

 

 

Me too.

 

Ringo Starr was my favourite Beatle anyway.

[muttondressedaslamb]

 

 

Me too.

 

Ringo Starr was my favourite Beatle anyway.

 

The Boofon still continues with the shit jokes from his predecessor's years.

[The Boofon]

The Boofon still continues with the shit jokes from his predecessor's years.

 

 

 

Sorry. That one was a golden oldie too difficult to turn down.

 

I'll try harder.

[Ke1t]

Always thought it was weird that Lenin can still be seen. Do many Ruskies still see him as some sort of hero? I would have thought many folk would have wanted him buried.

 

Been to a lot of eastern Europe and in every country any statue of Lenin is either in the basement of an unkempt museum or in a field miles away from cities.

 

The statue of him in Volgograd, the standard 'Hailing a taxi' pose, is right out there on the main street. In Moscow it's right next to St Basil's and Red Square, St Petersburg has a massive statue of him in the middle of a big plaza, so presumably the Russians still like him.

 

Mind you, there's still Soviet era facades and monuments all over the shop, so it's equally as likely that they just can't be bothered removing them.

 

Wanted to buy a little statue of him, but the auld dear selling them in the market sized me up, identified me as a western tourist, and tried to jam me for 80 bucks.

 

"Awa n fuck" I countered.

 

So all I have are memories instead of a little Lenin in my display cabinet.

[The Boofon]

The statue of him in Volgograd, the standard 'Hailing a taxi' pose, is right out there on the main street. In Moscow it's right next to St Basil's and Red Square, St Petersburg has a massive statue of him in the middle of a big plaza, so presumably the Russians still like him.

 

Mind you, there's still Soviet era facades and monuments all over the shop, so it's equally as likely that they just can't be bothered removing them.

 

Wanted to buy a little statue of him, but the auld dear selling them in the market sized me up, identified me as a western tourist, and tried to jam me for 80 bucks.

 

"Awa n fuck" I countered.

 

So all I have are memories instead of a little Lenin in my display cabinet.

 

 

There is a Lenin Square in Yuzhno (Sakhalin Island) as well with a massive statue of him overlooking the government building and the train station.

 

I don't know enough about the fella but I'm led to believe it was deliberately put that way so he could always keep an eye on the politics and the workers.

 

Does that make sense to people who know his complete historical background?

[360]

Was at the real Lenin's Tomb a few years back.

 

The wife drags me over to see some dude with a bunch of monkeys.... "10 dollars for a picture of you with monkey" he tells us.

 

"Fucking hell," I say. and hand the guy the equivalent of ten buck.

 

He then loads the wife up with monkeys and demands an additional 10 bucks per monkey.

 

"You can fuck off." I tell the villain. "You're not getting 50 bucks for a picture of fucking monkeys."

 

"10 dollar each monkey!" he demands

 

"Awa' n fuck." I rationalise with him.

 

We argue back in forth, him in broken English and me increasingly in Doric... until the wife, by now covered in climbing, pulling, and biting, semi-feral monkeys, screams at me to just give him the money so she can get the fucking monkeys off her.

 

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, if you're at Lenin's Tomb, and you see a guy with a bunch of monkeys, give him a wide berth. Better still, steam up to him, kick him square in the balls, and relieve him of approximately 50 buck American. Then PM me here, and we'll arrange the return of my cash.

 

If I'm ever there, I will do this for you.

 

Marx my words.

[muttondressedaslamb]

Aye he was everywhere keeping an eye. It's just that in every other ex communist state he has been taken down.

[Ke1t]

There is a Lenin Square in Yuzhno (Sakhalin Island) as well with a massive statue of him overlooking the government building and the train station.

 

I don't know enough about the fella but I'm led to believe it was deliberately put that way so he could always keep an eye on the politics and the workers.

 

Does that make sense to people who know his complete historical background?

 

I'd admit to ignorance when it comes to the Russian perception of Lenin, though given his status as probably the pre-eminent revolutionary, in a country that thrives on its status as a revolutionary state (though not so much now) I'd hazard a guess that he's somewhat untouchable. Even Stalin found himself denounced after his death though. Probably not an easy exercise to try fathoming the Russian psychology.

 

Have you been to Sakhalin Island?

 

That's an interesting place with a lot of history.

[Ke1t]

If I'm ever there, I will do this for you.

 

Marx my words.

 

Hahaaaa...

 

Once you've done that you can come over andropov the money for me

[muttondressedaslamb]

 

Hahaaaa...

 

Once you've done that you can come over andropov the money for me

 

I'd then be putin that money towards a few pints for 360 if I was you.

[The Boofon]

I'd admit to ignorance when it comes to the Russian perception of Lenin, though given his status as probably the pre-eminent revolutionary, in a country that thrives on its status as a revolutionary state (though not so much now) I'd hazard a guess that he's somewhat untouchable. Even Stalin found himself denounced after his death though. Probably not an easy exercise to try fathoming the Russian psychology.

 

Have you been to Sakhalin Island?

 

That's an interesting place with a lot of history.

 

 

Aye. Worked there for a year based in Yuzhno.

 

The train that travels the length of the island is some journey. You had to do that to get offshore. It was 15-16 hours and it's only about 400 miles if memory serves me right. Slowest, oldest train you're ever likely to see. A fair experience sitting with the mad Russians wasted on Vodka. You got either a private compartment to sleep on your own or if you were out of luck a 4 man one and took your chances with who you were in with. They always tried to get expats in together but it never worked that way all the time.

 

Shamefully I never got to know much about the history of the place but when I left I got a belting book about Sakhalin at my leaving doo. I guess I should give it a right look through.

 

Went fishing a couple of times which was jaw droppingly scenic and also had a jump into a frozen over lake through an ice hole to celebrate the end of winter. It was still obviously baltic then given the ice was about a foot thick.

 

Loved it there. Work took up too much of my time on rotation though to get out and about enough to see more of it.

 

What history of Sakhalin do you know about worth sharing? I know the Koreans played a big part in shaping history there but what they did I'm not sure.

[Monkey]

Whatever else Lenin gave to the world he did start the trend for Communist leaders being embalmed and set out on public display. After he did it, Stalin followed suit and bided next to Lenin for a while.

 

Then Mao Zedong got in on the act with his big mausoleum in Tiananmen Square.

 

One can only assume Castro has the plans for his tomb sitting in his desk drawer and a big vat of formaldehyde in his basement.( Hopefully construction to be started this year to help boost my dead pool entry.)

 

So the question that this all begs is what is it with Communists and wanting to keep their dead leaders in plain sight?

 

Do they know something we don't?

[Ke1t]

Aye. Worked there for a year based in Yuzhno.

 

The train that travels the length of the island is some journey. You had to do that to get offshore. It was 15-16 hours and it's only about 400 miles if memory serves me right. Slowest, oldest train you're ever likely to see. A fair experience sitting with the mad Russians wasted on Vodka. You got either a private compartment to sleep on your own or if you were out of luck a 4 man one and took your chances with who you were in with. They always tried to get expats in together but it never worked that way all the time.

 

Shamefully I never got to know much about the history of the place but when I left I got a belting book about Sakhalin at my leaving doo. I guess I should give it a right look through.

 

Went fishing a couple of times which was jaw droppingly scenic and also had a jump into a frozen over lake through an ice hole to celebrate the end of winter. It was still obviously baltic then given the ice was about a foot thick.

 

Loved it there. Work took up too much of my time on rotation though to get out and about enough to see more of it.

 

What history of Sakhalin do you know about worth sharing? I know the Koreans played a big part in shaping history there but what they did I'm not sure.

 

I'm going ice skating in a minute, but off the top of my heid....

 

There's signs of Stone Age habitation there, I think with even the remains of ancient settlements uncovered

 

It changed hands with the Japanese and Russians a number of times, sometimes via treaty, sometimes via invasion, and sometimes shared by both at the same time. It's still the centre of a lot of controversy, since the Japanese want it back and the Russians are giving it. RT is always carrying something about the Japanese and Russians barneying about it... in fact I think it was just a couple of years back that Putin was threatening to shoot any Japanese who landed there.

 

It's probably most notable as a penal colony, where a number of famous Russians have found themselves exiled. Forced labour was the norm, and entire families were sent there to suffer some fairly brutal conditions and treatment. A sort of pre-Gulag Gulag.

 

I think the Korean airliner was shot down there inna, but not sure...

[muttondressedaslamb]

Whatever else Lenin gave to the world he did start the trend for Communist leaders being embalmed and set out on public display. After he did it, Stalin followed suit and bided next to Lenin for a while.

 

Then Mao Zedong got in on the act with his big mausoleum in Tiananmen Square.

 

One can only assume Castro has the plans for his tomb sitting in his desk drawer and a big vat of formaldehyde in his basement.( Hopefully construction to be started this year to help boost my dead pool entry.)

 

So the question that this all begs is what is it with Communists and wanting to keep their dead leaders in plain sight?

 

Do they know something we don't?

 

That an embalmed body on display will bring in shit loads more money to the economy than a statue or grave?

[Monkey]

That an embalmed body on display will bring in shit loads more money to the economy than a statue or grave?

Thing is though I think admission to these places is free and the idea of the state supporting private capitalists flogging the tourist mementos or pictures of monkeys ( and why would you not want one of those?) is somewhat ironic.

[muttondressedaslamb]

Thing is though I think admission to these places is free and the idea of the state supporting private capitalists flogging the tourist mementos or pictures of monkeys ( and why would you not want one of those?) is somewhat ironic.

 

Perhaps but then they will spend their money buying their miniature Lenins and the likes. Very ironic as you say.