How is Lenin's corpse being managed?

Vladimir Lenin’s corpse is managed through a highly specialized, ongoing chemical preservation process designed to maintain its exact physical form, look, and flexibility rather than its original biological matter. This unique "quasibiological" science is overseen by a dedicated team of scientists known as the "Lenin Lab" (officially the Center for Scientific Research and Teaching Methods in Biochemical Technologies) in Moscow. [1, 2]

The body has been on continuous public display inside Lenin's Mausoleum in Red Square since shortly after his death in 1924. [1, 2]

The Maintenance Protocol

Because Lenin's original internal organs and brain were removed during his 1924 autopsy, traditional circulatory embalming is impossible. Instead, scientists maintain the remaining skeleton, muscle tissues, and skin using the following methods: [1, 2]

• Regular Submersions: Every 18 months, the body is taken to a special facility beneath the mausoleum for a comprehensive two-month re-embalming process. It is submerged in a series of chemical baths containing glycerol, formaldehyde, potassium acetate, and alcohol to keep the skin pliable and prevent decay. [1, 2, 3, 4]
• Micro-Injections: To deliver preserving fluids into specific areas where major arteries were slashed, scientists use targeted micro-injections with fine needles. [1]
• Continuous Chemical Contact: Underneath his clothes, Lenin's body is fitted with a double-layered rubber suit that holds a thin layer of embalming fluid directly against his skin at all times. [1, 2]
• Aesthetic Restoration: To correct dark spots, mildew, or wrinkles, the team uses hydrogen peroxide, acetic acid, and carbolic acid. Disintegrating skin or tissue is progressively substituted with artificial materials, wax, or plastics. His eyes have been replaced with synthetic ones, and his eyelashes are fake. As a result, less than 23% of his original biological material remains. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
• Environmental Controls: Scientists visit the sarcophagus every few days to monitor the skin conditions and ensure that the ambient temperature and lighting remain perfectly calibrated. [1, 2]

The specialized methods pioneered by the Lenin Lab have cost the Russian government upwards of 13 million rubles ($200,000+) annually in recent years. The lab's century-long experiment has also been leveraged internationally to preserve other communist leaders, including Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh and North Korea's Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il. [1, 2, 3, 4]

What about the remains of the prophet Mohammed?

 In contrast to Vladimir Lenin's heavily manipulated, scientifically preserved body, the management of the remains of the Prophet Muhammad is governed by strict religious law, complete structural isolation, and total physical non-interference. [1]

In Islamic tradition, opening or disturbing a grave is strictly forbidden, and theology dictates that the bodies of prophets do not undergo biological decomposition. Therefore, there are no chemicals, scientists, or medical interventions involved. Instead, the management of his final resting place focuses entirely on physical security, structural isolation, and strict environmental preservation of the burial chamber. [1, 2]

The Burial Site and Complete Sealing

The Prophet Muhammad is buried under the iconic Green Dome inside the Al-Masjid an-Nabawi (The Prophet's Mosque) in Medina, Saudi Arabia. [1]

• The Original Room: He was buried in the exact location where he passed away—the modest mud-brick home of his wife, Aisha. He rests there alongside his two closest companions and the first two caliphs of Islam, Abu Bakr and Umar ibn al-Khattab. [1, 2]
• No Access Points: The immediate graves are completely sealed off from the outside world. They are surrounded by a sequence of heavy, solid walls that have no windows and no doors. No human being—including Saudi royalty, religious authorities, or caretakers—can enter or physically view the graves, and no modern photographs of the actual burial site exist. [1, 2]

Historical and Security Fortifications

Over the centuries, Islamic rulers built extreme physical barriers around the graves to secure them from desecration, structural collapse, or theft: [1]

• The Pentagonal Wall: Around 707 CE, Caliph Umar bin Abdul Aziz built a thick, five-sided stone wall enclosing the room. It was explicitly designed with five sides so it would not resemble the square Kaaba in Mecca, preventing people from accidentally praying to the tomb. [1, 2, 3]
• The Molten Lead Barrier: In 1162 CE, following reports of an attempted tunnel excavation by Crusaders trying to steal the Prophet's body, Sultan Nuruddin Zengi ordered a deep trench to be dug entirely around the chamber. The trench was filled with molten lead to create an impenetrable underground metallic wall that protects the grave from any future tunneling. [1, 2]
• The Outer Golden Grill: What pilgrims see today when visiting Medina is the Maqsoora, an outer decorative golden metal grill. It features three small viewing holes. Visitors stand outside this grill to offer their greetings (Salam), looking toward the largest hole which aligns with the direction of the Prophet's resting place. [1, 2, 3]

Custodianship and Maintenance

The overall site is managed by the Saudi Arabian government's General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques. Because caretakers cannot enter the innermost chamber, maintenance is strictly external: [1]

• The Green Silk Brocade: The outer wall inside the grill is draped in a massive, heavy green silk cloth embroidered with gold and silver Quranic verses. This covering is changed very rarely—sometimes lasting up to 75 years before being replaced by a highly vetted team of cleaners who only dust and maintain the exterior barrier area. [1]

While Lenin’s body is a century-long biochemical experiment requiring perpetual human intervention to delay decay, the Prophet Muhammad’s remains are left entirely to nature and faith, permanently isolated behind thick stone and ancient lead. [1, 2]