Lenin finally died

Damir

On the most communist newspaper of all communists the price was 6 rubles. The communist granny with a blue eye gave me ten and two rubles. It was then that it finally became clear: that’s it, the body could be taken out of the Mausoleum.

On April 22, 2010, grandfather Lenin, our luminary, Ilyich, would have turned 140 years old. The fact that he, eternally alive, finally died, was made me believe last night by an ideological grandmother, who every day stands near the Mayakovskaya metro station in Moscow and sells communist newspapers. On the most communist newspaper of all communists - "Molniya", the organ of "Labor Russia", with a large headline at the top "The Future is Leninism" - the price was 6 rubles. The granny who was selling this future gave me ten and two rubles in good faith. And when I looked at her questioningly, she made a naive face: “Oh, and it says six?”

Actually, I don’t really feel sorry for two rubles for the proletariat, but the fact is that a few hours before her holy anniversary, she is trying to deceive passers-by who are drawn to the bright communist idea. It was then that it finally became clear: that’s it, the body could be taken out of the Mausoleum.

Frankly, once upon a time, in my first years at the institute, I was terribly interested in this radical communist subculture. This interest was more likely related to something from the field of psychology. Then, in the early 1990s, there were many such grandparents. They all gathered near the Lenin Museum, selling dozens of a wide variety of newspapers, on the pages of which everyone drove through the “bloody Yeltsin regime” as best they could with an asphalt paver. “People’s Truth”, “Russian Truth”, “Moscow Truth”, “Young Communist”... Whole streaks of anger. And around the sellers of rare publications there were whole hives of those who don’t feed with bread - let’s talk about politics. Although only the lazy didn’t talk about it then - talk shows to you, and analytics, and no vertical of power.

At that time, an extremely interesting life was in full swing around communist ideas. Labor Russia was run by the colorful loudmouth Viktor Ivanovich Anpilov. His speeches at rallies were shown on central television channels, his pensioners were considered a real political force and were very afraid of the authorities. Now Viktor Ivanovich expresses himself only in the Molniya newspaper. His article takes up five out of eight pages. And it is unknown whether there will be such courageous communists who will force themselves to overcome it. At the same time, the article by the hero of the day, that is, Lenin, modestly huddles on one page.

Lenin has generally faded into the background in our society today. On the first - Stalin. Stalin appears everywhere. On posters in the subway, at court hearings against Echo of Moscow and in the film Burnt by the Sun 2. Unprecedented battles are unfolding around Stalin. It was this mustachioed ruler who became a real brand. And the great and mighty Vladimir Ilyich... This god of the Soviet Union... It seems that he simply went out of fashion. An immortal died.

By the way, the granny from Mayakovskaya, who was trying to keep two rubles of unearned income for herself, has been selling gloss for a long time. A couple of magazines popular among housewives with exaggerated show business stars feed her, perhaps not as well as the neighboring beer stalls. But will there be more...