Russian Utopia: a depository

Lenin Mausoleum (motto: Center of the World)
Ryabov N. Lenin Mausoleum (motto: Center of the World) 1925

RACDMH

In the plan, as can be seen from the proposed sketches, the monument takes the form of a 5-pointed star, three of whose points are formed by circular tower, the other two from the main facade are quadrangular porticos. Former and latter can serve as rostrums for the saluting of passing processions by placing the monument in the centre of Red Square, as shown in the proposed plan. The movement of processions on this same plan are depicted by red arrows.
The porticos on the main facade simultaneously serve as rostrums for orators during national meetings, the left one as an entrance to the staircase leading to the monument’s summit (the orators’ tribunes and area for the presidium of national meetings) and the right as an exit from the mausoleum.
The presidium of national meetings is accommodated off the main facade, at a height of 4.5 sazhens above the entrance to the mausoleum’s interior and on terraced ledges leading to the rostrums (the are for the presidium of national meetings in sketch G is painted over). In the centre of the mausoleum lies the crypt with an exterior in the form of a 5-sided prism, but cylindrical on the inside. This part of the monument beginning 0.5 sazhens above the surface of the ground and ending 4 sazhens below it, contains the crypt where V.I’s ashes will be housed, and in the above ground section, 10 sazhens high, forms part of the museum and serves as a foundation for the group shown on the sketch.

Utopia Foundation, Moscow




		`Ryabov N. Lenin Mausoleum (motto: Center of the World) 1925` RACDMH In the plan, as can be seen from the proposed sketches, the monument takes the form of a 5-pointed star, three of whose points are formed by circular tower, the other two from the main facade are quadrangular porticos. Former and latter can serve as rostrums for the saluting of passing processions by placing the monument in the centre of Red Square, as shown in the proposed plan. The movement of processions on this same plan are depicted by red arrows. The porticos on the main facade simultaneously serve as rostrums for orators during national meetings, the left one as an entrance to the staircase leading to the monument’s summit (the orators’ tribunes and area for the presidium of national meetings) and the right as an exit from the mausoleum. The presidium of national meetings is accommodated off the main facade, at a height of 4.5 sazhens above the entrance to the mausoleum’s interior and on terraced ledges leading to the rostrums (the are for the presidium of national meetings in sketch G is painted over). In the centre of the mausoleum lies the crypt with an exterior in the form of a 5-sided prism, but cylindrical on the inside. This part of the monument beginning 0.5 sazhens above the surface of the ground and ending 4 sazhens below it, contains the crypt where V.I’s ashes will be housed, and in the above ground section, 10 sazhens high, forms part of the museum and serves as a foundation for the group shown on the sketch.