Lenin's Funeral and Final Journey

Lenin's funeral was a pivotal event in Soviet history, drawing around a million mourners who queued for hours in freezing conditions to pay their respects. The funeral took place after the eleventh All-Union Congress of Soviets convened to honor Lenin, featuring speeches from prominent figures such as Kalinin, Zinoviev, and Stalin. Notably absent was Leon Trotsky, who was recovering in the Caucasus. Trotsky later claimed that he received a telegram from Stalin with the wrong date for the funeral, which prevented him from attending. The funeral itself occurred the following day, with Lenin's body transported to Red Square, accompanied by martial music. The event was marked by a series of speeches delivered to the assembled crowds before Lenin's body was interred in a specially constructed mausoleum. Despite the harsh weather, tens of thousands of people gathered to witness the ceremony, reflecting Lenin's significant impact on the Soviet state and its people. The mausoleum became a symbol of Lenin's enduring legacy, serving as a site for public mourning and political reverence in the years that followed. The event not only highlighted the deep respect held for Lenin but also set the stage for the power struggles that would ensue among the Bolshevik leadership, particularly between Stalin and Trotsky, as they vied for control of the party and the direction of the Soviet Union.