Moscow, Russia
by Adam Bennett
As I stared into the thick bulletproof glass separating me from the legendary dogmatic Russian leader I was surprised to see he was still looking his best. During the first few weeks after his death in 1924 Lenin was embalmed and set on display in Red Square. This enabled over ¾ million Russian citizens to pay their respects to the man who liberated them from the former socially destructive Tsar dynasty in the early 20th century.
Born Vladimir Ilich Ulyanov, he became known as Lenin whilst in exile in Siberia during the early years of his political career. Some say he took his name from a nearby lake or from his middle name Ilich. Resting in a grand red granite mausoleum, Lenin’s cyrillic name is set atop the entrance echoing a turbulent Soviet and Russian past.
I arrived in Red Square on a blisteringly cold January morning and was instantly taken aback at the incredible sight of St. Basil’s cathedral, the Kremlin and Lenin’s Mausoleum. Red Square’s infamous red brick and cobbled stone have seen witness to public executions, Soviet parades and rock concerts. Even though at the time I only had a hazy knowledge of Russian history, Red Square is a truly spectacular sight and a historical attraction I had always wanted to visit.
As I joined a long queue of weary tourists I struck up a conversation with a fellow Englishman who was visiting Lenin for the second time. He explained to me that during his first visit he queued for well over two hours before arriving at the airport style security checks only to be turned away because he still had a mobile phone in his pocket. Thankfully, entrance to the mausoleum is free, however visitors should be mindful to store any cameras, mobile phones or bags at the cloakroom nearby to the mausoleum.
Luckily, I only queued for half an hour before reaching the security barriers. The sullen faces of the soldiers manning security gave the impression that this was one of the more menial tasks given to a Russian soldier and it lead me to conclude that they did not want to be there.
To keep the mausoleum from getting overcrowded the soldiers let groups of around 12 visitors through the security barriers at 10-minute intervals. As I was going through the security checks one soldier stared point blank at me before saying something in frustrated Russian and scanning me with a flashing handheld device. He gestured for me to continue through the security barrier and I joined a small group of visitors being herded down a granite path. As we reached the entrance it became apparent that the mausoleum was much larger than it had first appeared.
The atmosphere was tense and by this time all visitors had taken their hats off apart from me. This was much to the annoyance of one soldier who angrily motioned for me to remove my hat immediately. Now accompanied by two armed guards, we descended down three dark flights of stairs until we reached the crypt.
The crypt was dimly lit and five heavily armed guards stationed in different corners of the room watched us intently as we entered. Lenin, complete in his replica 1920’s style suit (the original was replaced in 2003) and trademark white spotted tie he almost looked peacefully asleep behind the glass. His head rests on a velvet pillow with his arms by his side and the embalmed communist leader could have been mistaken for a wax model at Madame Tussauds. I learnt afterwards that both the temperature and lighting within the tomb are meticulously monitored to ensure that Lenin’s body will continue to be seen by millions of people in the years to come.
As we came out of the mausoleum into the cold Russian air we were guided along a series of gravestones and busts of some of Russia’s most famous figures including Josef Stalin, Felix Dzerzhinsky and Mikhail Kalinin. There is also a plaque dedicated to Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space.
For any traveler visiting Moscow and Red Square Lenin’s mausoleum is a definite must see especially for those who have an interest in Russian history. An experience that you won’t forget in a hurry. Vladimir ‘Lenin’ Ulyanov revolutionised Russia and is one of the most charismatic figures of the early 20th century.
Tour to The Lenin Mausoleum in Moscow Russia
If You Go:
♦ Leave cameras at home! Whilst there is a cloakroom facility next to the mausoleum, it is expensive and you definitely won’t be allowed inside with any digital technology.
♦ Arrive early! There will always be a queue to visit Lenin. On weekends and peak times queues can last up to four hours. Just because you’re in the queue it doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed entry either. It’s all up to the guard’s digression.
♦ Check the opening times! Lenin’s mausoleum is never open on a Monday but is open from 10am – 1pm Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Photo credits:
Lenin’s Tomb by Rosie Hayes from Pixabay
Portrait of Lenin by Wwamirhosseinww / CC BY-SA
Lenin monument by Ferran Cornellà / CC BY-SA
About the author:
Fuelled by his love of travelling and being on the road, Adam Bennett has written some unique and compelling articles from his experiences across the globe. From visiting dogmatic political figures in Red Square to recounting stories of touring and busking throughout Europe. Adam Bennett gives a delectable insight into the world of nomadic travelling.
When the castle was built, Kinsale was a busy port, doing much trade with the Continent, and King Henry VII had granted Maurice Fitzgerald, Earl of Desmond the right to impose a levy on incoming cargoes … especially wine! For this reason, Desmond Castle had the alternative name of the Custom House. The Desmonds rebelled against the Crown in the late 16th Century, so lost this right, along with their lands. Shortly afterwards, the castle figured in what was to become known as the Nine Years War.
In the 17th and 18th Centuries, the castle was used as a prison for Spanish and French PoWs during a succession of Continental wars. It even housed a few American prisoners from the War of Independence. In between wars, it was used to house ‘home grown’ felons, until the 1840s, when it became a Famine Relief Centre and a workhouse, then used for various military purposes until it fell into disuse.
Leave the theatre and cross the Piazza del Plebicito to the Church of San Francesco di Paola. Its design is based on that of the Pantheon in Rome. At 53 meters in height, the dome is 10 meters higher than its Roman counterpart. While the San Francesco oculus is covered, the Pantheon’s is not. The white marble church interior features thirty two Corinthian columns circling the perimeter and an altar inlaid with lapis lazuli and precious stones.
Returning to the Piazza del Plebicito, cross the Via San Carlo to the 19th century Galleria Umberto I. The refined galleria is an octagonal structure, enclosed under a glass and iron dome. Stylish shops and businesses fill this indoor mall.
After lunch, ride the Funicalare Centrale back down to the bottom and follow Via Toledo through the heart of old Napoli – the Spaccanapoli district. Naples earns its reputation from these chaotic, unkept streets. Common sights include laundry hanging from balconies above the colorful shops and street vendors hawking goods with their operatic voices and theatrical gestures. Enjoy some window shopping as you walk between tightly parked cars and dodge oncoming vespas on your way to the National Museum of Archeology.
After passing your afternoon at the museum, continue your tour at the 14th century Gothic Duomo. Displayed within the Chapel of San Gennaro, a silver reliquary bust of the saint holds his skull and two vials of his congealed blood. Tradition holds that if this blood fails to liquefy on each of three festival days during the year (the first Saturday in May, September 19 and December 16), disaster will strike the city. Remember that Mount Vesuvius is a short distance from Naples.
Dinner time is likely upon you as you walk back to the train station. And this is your opportunity to enjoy original Neapolitan pizza. At the train station, board the R2 bus and experience a genuine Neapolitan traffic jam as you ride to the first stop on the route. Exit the bus and walk through the maze to L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele.
We started in Dublin, where Grafton Street has become a pedestrian mall. On any afternoon or evening, here we encountered a carnival atmosphere: people going both ways in streams or else standing in circles, entranced by one of the jugglers, musicians, comedians, or acrobats. At the foot of Grafton, we had no trouble finding the risque statue of that fictional fishmonger Molly Malone. The locals call it “the tart with the cart.” Turns out every statue and even the new Spire has a nickname, though most are unprintable.
Dublin is a writers’ city. Ireland has a population of just over six million, combined north-south, yet four Irish authors have won the Nobel Prize: William Butler Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, Samuel Beckett, and Seamus Heaney. We started at the Dublin Writers Museum to get a feel for the tradition, and then walked down the hill to the James Joyce Centre, and went on one of the numerous Dubliners walk.
The stone buildings here date from 500 A.D., when a monk called Saint Kevin settled into a cave and spent seven years wearing animal skins and communing with birds and small mammals. Walking along the lake to the ruins is half the fun, as one of the glories of Glendalough is its situation between two picturesque lakes in a forested valley. You can see why Saint Kevin chose this spot to go hermit, and also why throngs of fellow monks turned up and put an end to his solitude.
Directly ahead, one hour and twenty minutes away, you find one of the world’s great drives: the Ring of Kerry. From Killarney, the road takes you past abbeys, castles, and picturesque cottages, and offers fantastic views of cliffs and ocean. You can’t miss the dramatic 
The town of Dingle, just over an hour from Killarney, is colourful, bustling, and sophisticated enough to have charmed such visitors as Paul Simon, Dolly Parton and Julia Roberts. We strolled the winding, hilly streets lined with craft shops, restaurants, and pubs. Deidre’s Cafe on Orchard Lane serves a superb seafood chowder with brown bread, and the jam-covered scones aren’t bad either. Dingle harbour is home to Fungie the Dolphin, and if you get onto the water for a short cruise, he will probably turn up to cavort alongside your boat. Really.
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by Jane Parlane
The bus back dropped us at the Piazza Indipendenza, the site of one of Europe’s most beautiful castles. The Royal Palace of Palermo, dating from the ninth century for many centuries housed Sicily’s rulers and even today it’s the seat of regional government. Local politicians are lucky enough to govern from such an architectural gem with its beautiful mosaics, painted roof and marble walls.
In our rental car it was an easy one-hour drive east to Cefalu, originally a fishing port. Now it’s an attractive cobblestoned tourist town with a sandy beach – not completely lined with recliners. Our accommodation was in an old stone house just a minute from the cathedral and main square. It was easy to find a restaurant table overlooking the sea and over a chilled Sicilian wine watch the bright pink sunset explode while families paraded past.
Taormina has many bars where you can sip a Marsala or Campari martini and just people watch. Most evenings you’ll see Sicilians decked out in their finery strutting the streets. Alternatively book an opera or concert at the Ancient Theatre dating from Greek and Roman times – sadly the opera was cancelled during our stay. But the swordfish at a trattoria washed down by a local wine and tiramisu to follow eased the pain.
It was an easy day trip the next day to the ancient limestone towns of Modica, Ragusa and Noto, the latter famously rebuilt in 18th century in the baroque style after an earthquake destroyed the town in 1693.
Our final destination for the day was Agrigento, famous for its Valley of the Temples. It was exhilarating to look out of our hotel window and see Greek temples standing there. This once ancient city, Akragus, was dominated by seven great Doric Greek temples built in the sixth and seventh centuries BC. Today several are still wonderfully preserved making the area one of the world’s most important archeological sites. It’s easy to spend two hours with a guide wandering the site, especially in late afternoon when the sun lights up the temples. A bonus for us was the spectacular exhibition by world-renowned Polish sculptor Igor Mitoraj cleverly placed among the ancient structures.
It was an easy drive on the autoroute to catch our flight from Palermo airport the next morning – just over an hour.
