Lenin Mausoleum Tilting, Requires Major Repairs
Published: December 26, 2012 (Issue # 1741)
MOSCOW — The Lenin Mausoleum on Red Square will undergo major repair works because sagging ground underneath it has made the famous building tilt, officials said Monday.
The mausoleum suffered “serious strain” because of sinking ground and snow and rain damaging its exterior, Stanislav Kyuver, an official with the Federal Guard Service, which is in charge of security surrounding the Kremlin, told reporters.
Kyuver said that Lenin’s corpse won’t be removed and that the mausoleum will be surrounded by a tent to ensure an “esthetic view” and that builders can work in normal temperatures, Interfax reported.
Kyuver spoke at a news conference with city and Kremlin officials, Interfax reported. Participants said that the works would be the biggest in the mausoleum’s history. However, they did not say, when exactly they would begin, nor did they indicate whether the mausoleum, which is one of the city’s prime tourist attractions, would remain open to the public.
They also did not give any specific reasons for the sagging ground underneath the building. However, the Dozhd online TV channel said on its website that one theory is that it was caused by repair works inside the Kremlin.